It's that time of the year (or atleast season!) for another 10x10 Style Challenge. I wasn't sure if I was going to participate this fall, but I've decided to take it on over the next 10 days to wear just 10 items from my wardrobe. With this post, I am going to share details on how the challenge works, what items I've chosen, how to connect with the 10x10 community and style recommendations for you to join in!

If you were following along with The Good Wear back in the Spring, you may have seen my first 10x10 Style Challenge on the blog! If you haven't, you can check back at those posts below.

Style Challenge Prep : some background to the first style challenge
First Five Looks : first 5 days of the 10 day challenge
Last Five Looks : second 5 days of the 10 day challenge

If you're new to the challenge or The Good Wear blog - welcome and enjoy!

THE BACKGROUND

The 10x10 Challenge is similar to several Capsule Wardrobe missions that you might have seen, like the 30 items per month/season or just a minimalist approach to the clothes you own. But here are some things to know that makes this one unique.

This challenge is hosted by 2 bloggers, Lee Vosburgh of Style Bee and Caroline Joy of Unfancy. Most conversation + community is found on Instagram and from bloggers across the country + globe.
Over a 10 day time frame, you choose 10 items of clothing/shoes to combine and wear. This can differ from person to person, but usually consists of tops, bottoms, shoes and sometimes outerwear. It excludes things like jewelry, scarves, undergarments and work out attire.
This challenge has different meaning to many, but overall it is to help approach our closets in new + creative ways ; As well as help us realize that we typically need less items than we own or desire.

Whether you deal with not knowing what to wear with a full closet or you already dress minimally day-to-day, this challenge is for you. Because it's made by you! No one is going to be double checking or shaming you if you need to add another item when something comes up over the 10 days. But this challenge is designed to help us appreciate what we have, be inspired by our own and others' styles and learn how we can better invest in our wardrobes (aka what pieces do you really love?). You may find that you hate the 10 items that you've chosen. Or you find that you really love them! Then you'll know what to invest in for the future and maybe what to steer away from. In the end, it's really what you make of it!

For more background details : head to the StyleBee site here.

THE DETAILS

For this 10x10, I chose my pieces based on a few factors : versatility, weather over the next 2 weeks, and comfort or look.

VERSATILITY is a big factor no matter the season because it's important to choose pieces from your wardrobe that can be paired well with your other choices. For example, you may want the shirts chosen to be able to be worn with all the bottoms you choose to ensure you can get enough outfits for the 10 days. It's also helpful to choose more neutral colors and less patterns to help keep outfits looking fresh and minimal while you rewear each item.

WEATHER was also a big factor for this 10x10 because, although the season says it's fall, it's unfortunately still 80's in Virginia over at least the next week. So I had to make choices that could be worn in the heat but also have pairings in case the temperature begins to drop for the last 5 days (which it looks like it's going to). A choice of sweater and closed toed shoes will help! I also did not add any cardigans or jackets in my 10x10 because of this as well, but will wear them if necessary.

COMFORT & LOOK is the last factor I took into consideration. Comfort is important for me because of the variety my day-to-day consists of. Between working part time, blogging, and other commitments during the week, things can look very different day-to-day. I also wanted to pay attention to the look of the overall possible outfits to ensure I could dress up for a night out!

From my choices below, you'll definitely be able to see that I have a go-to color palette. Lots of blues! It's a little subconscious, but I also love denim + blues and can't get enough! Thesechosen options really help me use the items I own and have loved ; So I'm excited to get these pairings going over the next 10 days and add loved accessories like earrings and scarves to each outfit!

MY CHOICES

3 BOTTOMS : Mid-wash Denim, Vintage Denim Skirt, Navy Wide Crop Pants
4 TOPS : Black Long-Sleeve, White Short-Sleeve, Green Sweater,
Chambray Off-the-Shoulder Top
3 SHOES : Sneakers, Slides, Tall Brown Boots

SHOES

Grey Slides : These simple suede slides are great to wear with a mixture of outfits. With the small heel, they can dress up simple pieces like denim, but still comfortable to wear all day. Although they were a main summer shoe in my closet, they are perfect for transitioning from warm to cooler days.

Vejas sneakers : One of my favorite pairs of shoes in my wardrobe. These Veja's go with everything and are my casual shoe choice for these 10 days of outfits. I'm also training for a marathon, so I knew I needed a comfortable flat shoe and chose these for the casual outfit combo and on-the-go days!

Tall brown boots : I've owned these boots for about 5 years now and they are still in amazing condition. I purchased them at a JCrew warehouse sale back in college and although the leather may be stained slightly, the heel and sole are still in perfect condition. I would have never thought they'd last this long but they stay a staple in my wardrobe! This shoe choice is perfect to wear under my wide-legged pants for the cooler days as well as with my denim skirt for a fun night time look.

TOPS

Long Sleeve Black Blouse : This blouse is an old Loft purchase from several years ago. It has a looser fit with a semi-sheer sleeve which can be dressed up or dressed down. I love this shirt because it's extremely comfortable and a great black top to match everything I own!

Everlane Green Sweater : A new Everlane purchase for the season is my fall-appropriate choice for the 10x10. This sweater will be worn alone with the 3 chosen bottoms (skirt, denim and pants) as well as layered if the weather gets a bit cooler next week. The color matches with anything and stays with my cool tone color palette.

Short Sleeve White Blouse : Another old Loft purchase (I used to shop there a LOT) that can be worn with all chosen 10x10 bottoms. This white tee is a great style for any occasion and I love that it's a little bit heavier than my typical v-neck cotton shirts.

Chambray Off-the-Shoulder Top : This shirt was added to my closet a few weeks ago when I hosted a clothing swap with a few friends (blog post coming soon). It's a fun top that I would probably not buy for myself, but it adds a unique piece to my wardrobe! I picked this top for versatility and to add another short sleeve to the mix (as it can be worn off-the-shoulder or as a short sleeve top).

BOTTOMS

Everlane Mid-wash Denim : I purchased this pair of skinny denim and have loved the fit and weight of the fabric! It's perfect for Fall and it's mid-wash coloring goes with everything. I chose this pant to be a basic that can be worn casually with sneakers or mules for the 10x10.

Vintage Guess Denim Skirt : I recently purchased this skirt at a shop in Richmond and love it for this weird weather period we're having in Virginia. I would never have thought the denim mini-skirt would make a come back this quickly, but I love this style! I was lucky to find a great fit and length, which will be perfect to wear with all of the tops chosen with my 10x10 tees and sweater.

Everlane Wide Leg Crop Pant : This is my current most loved pant! It's comfortable, flattering and can be worn with any shoe! The color is perfect for work style or going out to dinner in the evenings. I can pair it with every top item chosen and will most likely be wearing this pant most out of all 10 items!

YOUR OWN 10x10 CHALLENGE

You can start the 10x10 Style Challenge whenever you feel ready. If it's not today, it can be another time when you feel up to testing out your wardrobe or when you feel inspired to learn new things about yourself.
Once you choose your 10 items, it's fun to connect with others who are doing the challenge alongside of you - this helps for style inspiration, motivation and even accountability if you want it (I know this is helpful for me!).
You can follow along with the following hashtags and style influencers below. I'll continue linking inspiring accounts for you all to follow in the next coming 10x10 posts!

#stylebee10x10 ; #unfancyremix ; #10x10friends ; #fall10x10
@leevosburgh ; @caroline_joy ; @thegarmentlife ; @andrea_hartman_ ; @thethoughtfulcloset