Summer 10x10: My 10 items
It's time for my third 10x10 challenge, starting Friday, July 27! The challenge is to create 10 outfits from 10 items for 10 days in a row. It was created by Lee and co-hosted by Caroline.
My items aren't current or on-trend necessarily so my main goal is to inspire you with the items you already have in your closet instead of trying to mimic the same exact outfit I have. For instance, if you like a top I'm wearing, what is it you like about it? The color? The texture? Maybe the shape or cut? Find something similar you already have. I hope these outfits will encourage & inspire you to play with your style!
My inspiration
I want more color, patterns, & texture! My spring & winter challenges were very neutral. By the time this summer rolled around I was over solids, basic & ivory tones. To start, I took notes so picking items didn't feel so overwhelming. I like to have the main goal, list out any important events I have, a general idea of forecast & inspirational images to help me narrow down my 10 items. The heavy lake air of peak summertime, deep greens surrounding me, my favorite time of day golden hour & beach day picnics are my inspiration.
My 10 items
I'll be in the studio and coffee shops for the majority of the 10 days. I'm grateful for the season I'm in where this is possible & I can be very laid back with my outfits. I have a networking event on day 1 and an outdoor wedding on day 2 so those are my most dressed-up days. Other than that it's super casual.
50% of my items are new. I was really frustrated with my options when getting ready after the spring 10x10. My whites were worn out & everything was SO neutral. I felt like my personality was being washed away. I look at it like the last 4 years I was creating a blank canvas. Now I'm ready to infuse more fun into my wardrobe again.
I'm FINALLY counting shoes in my 10 items! I'm not counting layers. It might rain during the second half and I'll need a rain layer but it's too unpredictable for me to add items in I might not need. We'll see how it goes with only 8 items of clothing & 2 pairs of shoes.
4 Tops
Gingham Tank (TJ Maxx)
Mermaid Tee (TJ Maxx)
Sheer blouse (Gifted)
Local tank (Ink & Threads)
3 Bottoms
Camo shorts (Target)
Patterned skirt (Thrifted)
Light-washed jeans (Anthropologie)
1 Dress
Rust-colored dress (TJ Maxx)
2 Shoes
Pink espadrilles (TJ Maxx)
Tan crossovers (Sseko) or Mules (Steve Madden)
My looks
Here are some of the looks I'm planning. I use the Stylebook app to organize and document everything. It tracks cost per wear and has a calendar to plan ahead of time. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the app if you're looking for a way to organize and see different options you can make out of 10 items.
My approach to this challenge is different than past ones. I shot 10 looks ahead of time and will show the inspiration vs. the reality each day. I'm not sure if it's appearing this way to you, but I'm being a lot looser with this challenge. The other one's I spent A LOT of time each day getting ready, taking photos, & editing. It was a time suck.
This time I really hope to inspire others on their own closet journey. You don't need on-trend items to discover your personal style & you don't need perfect photos to share your personal projects online. If it can inspire even one person to love what they have in their closet & love how they look before they go out I'll consider it successful. We don't need retail therapy as much as we think we do.
Join me on Instagram
I’ve started a local group of 10x10 Michigan friends in my Instagram DM’s to share style discoveries & encouragement with one another in a more intimate setting. Shoot me a message & I'll add you. There are so many unique reasons each of us has decided to do this. From trying out new maternity clothes to using it as a test to clean out the closets there's a great variety of women in the group right now. You can also keep up with my daily looks on Instagram. Happy 10x10 friends!
