Life after a 10x10 challenge

What is a 10x10 challenge and why do I need to evaluate life after it?

A 10x10 challenge is choosing 10 pieces of clothing to create 10 different outfits over 10 days.

It is not to test to see if I can only live with 10 items of clothing, though this challenge has taught me that I can come close if I really wanted to.

No, I do this challenge every year because it kick starts my creativity, more specifically creativity in my wardrobe. We don't play enough in our wardrobes. Maybe we don't because most of our clothes don't fit because you think the body you have now doesn't deserve clothes that fit. Maybe it's because your life has been in transition and it no longer represents the person you are today. Maybe because you think it is just too hard, so you don't bother.

One of the biggest reasons is because we have TOO MUCH stuff and we get overwhelmed and therefore it stumps our creativity because of too much stimulation and choices. So we fall back onto wearing the same pieces over and over. For me, that doesn't excite me and I want to feel excited to get dressed for the day.

Do you want to know the number way to creating more from your wardrobe? 

It is to actually have less in it.

It is more about having the right combination of versatile pieces and fun pieces that all work together to create any outfit for any occasion in your life.

So, I do this challenge in order to style pieces that I haven't been wearing enough in my closet. Sometimes we need restrictions in order to get uncomfortable and then start testing out those edges to push outside our box...which can then kick start our creativity. Well, this year I feel like I knocked it out of the park. I chose to include leggings that I have not worn in 3 years and a dress I only wore a handful of times the exact same way.

I promised those who did the challenge with me that it was not to make them love the challenge, but to learn something. I will be sharing our takeaways in a little bit.

Did I love the challenge? Yup! Even when I didn't.

Here is a list of my 10 items:

(3 bottoms, 4 tops, 2 layering pieces, 1 dress)

1. Black leggings
2. Charcoal Swing Dress
3. Denim shirt
4. Jeans
5. White tee
6. Black dress pants
7. Graphic tee
8. Striped turtleneck
9. Camel coloured long cardigan
10. Grey blazer

Here are the outfits I created over the 10 days:

Outfit 1: I wore leggings for the first time in 3 years. Still don't love them, but they served a purpose with some outfits and will stay in my wardrobe.

Outfit 2: This was a "two-fer". I worked from home that day and have an evening out. I loved both of these outfits and will wear again.

Outfit 3: This outfit was okay. It is polished and easy, but it felt boring. I added a fun necklace to help, but even though this outfit works, it doesn't excite me to wear it again.

Outfit 4: I like the edgy vibe of this outfit and would wear it again.

Outfit 5: Okay, I LOVED this outfit. Mainly because I never would have put it together before. I also kind of love the denim on denim and I love it more because of the reveil in me. There are some that have rules around wearing denim and I tend to like things more when I can be obstinate. What can I say...that is me.

Outfit 6: I love this outfit as well because it is something I never would have put together. I am also wearing leggings AGAIN. I felt so cozy in this outfit.

Outfit 7: 

Outfit 8: I liked this outfit as well, especially letting that necklace be the hero of the outfit. Day 8 is where I start to feel a little panicky, but I know it will pass.

Outfit 9: 4th outfit with the dress. I was so happy to have created so many ways to wear it! I probably won't wear this gain...this was something I created cause I couldn't think of anything else. Nothing wrong with it, but I found other ways I like to wear it more.

Day 10: This was a fav as well and will wear it again.

Which outfit was your favourite?

Well mine was....... Outfit 2!! (both of them, you can't make me choose)

So, I told you why I do this challenge, but I wanted to share an amazing takeaways from a participant:

"That I still like to play it safe even though, I know I don’t need to. I love my colours and patterns, but in preparing I still stayed with my “safe” pieces. It did help me realize the power of my closet - I need to self-impose a “no more buying” plan and work with the great pieces that I already have - I have spent a lot of time this year building my closet out and I need to now stop buying for a bit and play with what I have. Let my creative flow and hunker down to do some inspiration hunting.I want to live a more simplified, but bigger life. Basically, I want more FUN and I want to do it with with less stuff. The "stuff" overwhelms and distracts."

My takeaway - I want to pair down my curated closet even more. When I have too much to choose form, I love my creativity and rely too much on my "old faithfuls" and though there is a time and place for them...I want to wear more of what I have and buy less...but still feel like I have variety.

I am so excited to make living a simpler, but bigger life a priority in 2020!

xoxo,

Amanda