My final thoughts on my first 10x10 challenge, a smaller wardrobe, and how I plan to get there.
I am sitting here writing this with a kitten snuggled up in a blanket on my lap (which, to be honest, is making typing a little difficult, but I’ll persevere) and a sleepy little puppy curled up to my right. We are bundled up and cozy now, just watching the snow pile up. On this mid-April day, I am really wishing it felt a bit more like spring.
Even though I’m pretty sure we are still deep in the throes of winter, the spring 10x10 has come and gone. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, the 10x10 was created by Lee Vosburgh and is sort of a mini capsule wardrobe test. You pick 10 pieces of clothing from your closet and mix and match only those 10 pieces to create outfits for the next 10 days. As a part of my 10 items, I included all tops, bottoms, dresses, etc. and shoes but did not include coats, accessories, or lounge-wear/exercise clothes. See my 10 pieces and 10 outfits here. This was my first time participating in the 10x10 challenge. Everyone has their own reason for participating and takeaways from the experience. Personally, I had a few goals in mind at the outset.
Do more with less - to test out a more minimal wardrobe and see how I felt about it at the end of 10 days.
Wear pieces in new and unexpected ways - to see how versatile each of the 10 pieces could be and how many different outfits I could create.
Have fun and be inspired by other 10x10 participants.
I ended up wearing a number of new combos and using pieces in ways that I hadn’t before. Like the duster below. Before, I had only worn it as a buttoned up dress. I think this is one of my favorite pairings from the challenge. Even now that the 10x10 has ended, I’m noticing that I’m feeling a bit more bold and confident with my style choices. It made me think more about what I’m wearing, which pieces I truly love and am excited about, and how to use these pieces creatively.
Overall, I really enjoyed the experience and the ease of selecting my outfit for the day from a small group of pieces that I knew I loved and that fit well. By about day seven, however, I was feeling a bit limited and bored. With only 10 items, things were feeling a bit stale and repetitive.
Ultimately, I know I want to reduce the size of closet. This experience has taught me to do that cautiously yet ruthlessly. I don’t want to make the mistake of getting rid of too much at once. This can lead to losing pieces that actually still have a place in your wardrobe and impulsive buying to fill the holes you created. But … I still have clothes hanging around from high school and early college that just don’t fit me, my life, or my style anymore and that just need to go. I, probably like many of you, have issues getting rid of things, especially when they are still in decent condition, because of the “what ifs.” It is a hard mentality to let go of and something that I’m working on being better about. These are some of the things I am asking myself.
Does it fit and make me feel beautiful today? (not some ideal body in the future)
Would I buy this today?
Would I choose to wear it over other pieces in my wardrobe?
Can I create a few different outfits with it that I love?
Can I repurpose this into something that I love?
Another thing that holds me back is the fear of being wasteful. If these clothes still have life in them, why should I get rid of them? They are perfectly fine … but they don’t do me or anyone else any good just sitting in my closet unworn. If it is time to get rid of a piece, then it is time. I don’t need to feel guilty about my decision. Repurposing or donating it will give it a much higher chance of doing some good.
The thing to remember is to purchase discerningly moving forward. As I’m thinking about what might be useful additions to my wardrobe, I’m making a list. This gives me time to think about if this is really a versatile piece that I will love for years to come as opposed to something too trendy and seems exciting, but I won’t actually get much use out of. It also gives me time to search for deals, look for it at secondhand shops, or seek out a responsibly made version.
I am trying to follow this model more and more as I move forward and am excited for the evolution in my mindset and wardrobe.
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