If you’ve been reading for awhile (hi! thank you!), you probably have become familiar with the 10×10 challenge – 10 pieces of clothing to make 10 outfits over 10 days. Started by Lee Vosburgh and Caroline Rector, it’s a way to practice contentment with your closet, to get creative with what you already have, and to get inspired by other people doing the same.
In the past I’ve had fun with the challenge and learned something (click that 10×10 link in the first sentence to read up on all that). But this time around, I’m skipping it.
It’s not because I don’t think I could pull it off; ironically, I’m pretty much living a 10×10 all the time thanks to an edited maternity wardrobe.
Variations on themes here, people.
As I wrote about here, I’m feeling mighty content with my closet at the moment – to the point of not thrifting in any regular manner (what??).
I’ve also realized that I tend to pick 10×10 pieces that stand on their own, or combine in very specific, well-trod ways (e.g. button down + sweater + pants +boots) that don’t allow for as much creative mixing and matching. As I ran through potential 10×10 outfits in my head this time around, I realized that all I want to wear is dresses and the only way to make “new” or stylistically interesting outfits would be to throw on a white denim jacket or swap out a shirt on the rare day I want to wear the two pairs of shorts that currently fit. Hardly groundbreaking.
Last but not least, the style of the folks who participate in the 10×10 tends to echo Lee & Caroline’s – minimalist patterns and silhouettes that, while aesthetically quite pleasing to my eye, bear no relationship to how I dress in real life (as opposed to in Instagram-influenced fantasy land).
So I’m good on my usual reasons to do a 10×10.
What about you? Where do you fall on the goals for a 10×10? Are you participating this time or sitting it out – or curious to try it? (If it sounds intriguing to you, though, hop on over to www.stylebee.ca to learn more, or search the #10×10 hashtag on Instagram for inspiration.)
Ha ha, I remember when I was pregnant the first time I had no interest in clothes at all. I had a very small budget, and maternity clothing selection was limited, so I bought a few things in plain colors and swapped them out, wearing them over and over again. I remember telling people it was so nice not to worry about what to wear all the time! I do think it had something to do with hormones, because I also grew my hair long (which looks awful on me, but which I loved having). Now I do like the minimalist style — black, gray, and denim or navy with a few colors is what I’m comfortable in, but I go for variety in style and type of fabric. Sometimes I worry that most of my wardrobe looks like Victorian mourning clothes (I tend to keep navy and denim for home, and lavender and light pink are two of my colors for work — so I try to keep it less mourning-like with pops of teal and raspberry) but overall I love that it’s so easy to get dressed because everything works together. I love color on other people — same with ruffles and “artistic” touches — but I feel very uncomfortable wearing them myself. It’s interesting how what a person loves to look at isn’t necessary what she feels comfortable wearing.
Yes, it was like a switch flipped! I still love looking put together, and had some very definite feelings about what I did NOT like from my previous maternity wardrobe, but I just don’t want to put the energy into figuring out new-to-me maternity outfits. What I have works great.
I agree it’s fascinating to compare what we like to take in visually vs. what we’re comfortable putting on our own bodies/in our own spaces. I LOVE looking at really wild, bold shapes on other people – and while I tried some of that out five or six years ago, I’ve backed off from being quite so “out there” to settle on fun colors in more classic styles. It’s a good thing there’s so much variety in people’s clothing taste!
Actually, I have less than 10 summer pieces anyway. I live a casual lifestyle, so no one cares if I repeat outfits. It helps that I have minimalist tendencies, so I’m totally comfortable having just a few outfits.
Summer is a great time to pare down, I find – (relatively) consistent warm temps require no layering and a more casual vibe means no one expects you to show up in a three piece suit for anything. Enjoy the simplicity and ease of summer dressing, Priscilla!
Congratulations! Do what works for you — I love the outfit pics you posted, looking great!
Thanks Kristin! :)