As a capsule wardrobe enthusiast and proud outfit repeater, I am quite content to wear my closet favourites on a heavy rotation. The exercise of creating and editing my wardrobe for the past seasons has helped me define my style and has left me with a closet of pieces that I enjoy wearing and which always make me feel my best. That said, I often feel the urge to refresh my wardrobe as the end of a season approaches. Early this August, I found myself pulling sweaters out of storage in anticipation of the upcoming autumn season and restlessly browsing summer sales online.
Instead of growing my closet, I was lucky to stumble across the 10 x 10 Challenge, created by Lee Vosburgh of stylebee.ca, an exercise in becoming more creative with your current closet by creating a microcapsule of 10 items that you style in different ways for 10 days. You can read more about the Style Bee 10 x 10 Challenge here.
Working with fewer items encouraged me to explore new outfit combinations and I came out of the exercise with some refreshed looks to carry me through to the next season. Success! Below are my 10 outfits. Read on for details and reflections on my summer 10 x 10 picks.
THE SUMMER 10 x 10 CHALLENGE REFLECTION & WEAR COUNT
Striped Tee | COS | Wear Count: 3/10 Days
Stripes are the only pattern in my wardrobe and are a go-to favourite for me, especially during the spring and summer. They always feel fresh and classic and add an element of fun when paired with more neutral wardrobe basics. These green stripes were a great combination with all of my 10 x 10 bottoms. I especially liked the combination of the stripes with my black trousers and blazer for a slightly more relaxed wear-to-work look.
High Neck Tank | Everlane | Wear Count: 2/10 Days
I picked up this high neck tank from Everlane this summer to add a more dressed up tank top option to my closet that could easily transition from day to night and from the office to the weekend. I love the flattering neckline of Everlane’s Japanese GoWeave High Neck Tank and was happy to incorporate some colour into my rather neutral wardrobe with this bright poppy red. I wore this tank twice during the ten days and it was an easy piece to pair with all of the bottoms I selected.
Modern Point Loafers | Everlane | Wear Count: 7/10 Days
Everlane’s Modern Point loafers in black and white are my favourite shoes. They are a staple of my wear-to-work wardrobe and add an element of interest to an otherwise basic weekend outfit. Earlier this season, these loafers landed in Everlane’s “Choose What You Pay” sale and I picked up a spare pair for the inevitable day when my relentless wear will require me to retire my current pair (currently two years old and going strong!). It’s no surprise that these loafers got the most mileage during my 10 x 10 challenge – I love to wear them with absolutely everything.
The Elms White Button Up | c/o Tradlands | Wear Count: 4/10 Days
White button ups are a classic wardrobe staple and are some of the most-worn pieces in my closet. Tradlands gifted me this beautiful Elms White oxford shirt and I was so excited to combine it in different outfits during the summer 10 x 10 challenge. This button up quickly proved its versatility and I was happy to pair it with all of my bottoms as well as with my little black dress. It was definitely the piece I missed the most when it was in the laundry! This shirt is beautifully made and I especially love the fabric which feels substantial and structured. I will be posting more details about this oxford in an upcoming post, so stay tuned.
Tradlands kindly provided me with a discount code to share with you – save 15% off your first Tradlands purchase with THENORDNEST15
Trousers | COS* | Wear Count: 2/10 Days
Fitted trousers are one of my core pieces in my all-year wardrobe. They’re perfect for the office and always make me feel great. I especially like that these ones from COS have menswear inspired details with the cuff and pleat. My Tradlands button up paired with these trouser has quickly become one of my favourite wear-to-work looks.
*My wool trousers are an old style from COS that have been in my closet for years. Above, I’ve linked a similar cotton pair from the current COS collection if you’re looking for a similar look.
Denim Shorts | COS | Wear Count: 3/10 Days
A tomboy at heart, I’ve always been more of a pants person than a dress or skirt person. As such, denim shorts are one of my summer wardrobe staples and always become part of my warm-weather weekend uniform. I really like how this pair from COS is high waisted and has a slightly longer inseam that is perfect for rolling and adjusting to different lengths. During the 10 x 10 challenge, I wore these shorts with all of my tops, but my favourite look was these shorts paired with my Tradlands button up; such an easy and classic look.
Little Black Dress | Everlane* | 2/10 Days
As mentioned, I’m not really a dress person. I’ve had this little black dress from Everlane in my closet for a couple of seasons and can probably count the number of times I’ve worn it on one hand. I included this dress in my summer 10 x 10 to challenge myself to wear it and to see if I could find ways to make it work for me. It turned out to be an easy, no-fuss weekend outfit when worn on its own and I especially loved pairing it over my Tradlands button up for work. While I was going to pack it away at the end of this summer, I’m now looking forward to adding it to my all-season wardrobe this fall and to layering it over some opaque tights.
*My little black dress is an older style that is no longer available. Above, I’ve linked Everlane’s Luxe Cotton A-Line Tank Dress which has a similar look.
Blazer | J.Crew | 6/10 Days
Blazers are my thing. They are the perfect layering piece for warmth and just seem to finish off any outfit. I wear them to work almost every day and usually when running errands on weekends, too. Although not pictured in my outfit images above, this blazer was my constant companion during the 10 x 10 challenge and I always kept it close by to throw on when the breeze picked up or the air conditioning was too chilly. After all that wear, it’s now off to the dry cleaner for a refresh!
Sandals | Everlane | 3/10 Days
These sandals have been getting quite a bit of wear this summer. They are a classic style and were my go-to on weekends. You can read my full review of the Everlane Bridge Sandal here.
Skinnies | Everlane | 3/10 Days
Before this season, I had never owned white pants (I was always afraid). This summer, I put my fear behind me and purchased two pairs of white pants – these high-rise skinnies from Everlane as well as Everlane’s Wide Leg Crop Utility Pant. I’m so glad I finally took the plunge as white bottoms have proven to be such a great summer alternative to blue and black denim. I’ve always admired the white/cream head-to-toe summer outfit but, as someone who does not tan, was not sure I could pull it off. During the summer 10 x 10, I really liked pairing my white skinnies with my Tradlands button up and J.Crew blazer. The added contrast of the black blazer put this look right into my comfort zone.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Although I already have a fairly small and edited wardrobe, the 10 x 10 challenge showed me that there are so many more outfit options and combinations to explore using pieces I already own. I’m excited about the new looks I’ve added to my outfit rotation and look forward to finding ways to adjust and transition these outfits into the autumn season. In the weeks ahead, I will be building my autumn/winter capsule wardrobe and can’t wait to try a similar 10 x 10 approach with pieces that have been in storage for the past months.
Thanks for reading and have a wonderful week!
M.
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored but some of the links above are affiliate links. This just means that I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase via that link. Thanks for your support!
Leave a Reply