Are you looking for a way to refresh your fall wardrobe? Learn to get the most wear out of the pieces that you already own and to love the things that you might be overlooking by trying to 10×10 challenge. Maybe you’ve heard of the 10×10 challenge created by Lee Vosburgh from Style Bee. It’s a wonderful style challenge that helps you reassess the things in your wardrobe and create outfits using 10 items only.
Here’s what you need to know about the 10 x 10 challenge
It includes all kinds of clothing items that you can choose from, but the only thing caveat is that for 10 days you can only wear 10 items. However, there’s no limit on the number of handbags, scarves, or hats, or jewelry that you would wear.
Most of what you see in my 10×10, with the exception of one item, is secondhand. Doing this challenge pushed me outside of my comfort zone because sometimes I don’t even wear 10 items within 10 days. I stick to the same things day in and day out. So it actually helped me to become more creative and to get a fresh perspective on my wardrobe for fall.
I hope that you get a similarly fresh perspective on your wardrobe. But before we dive into the items themselves, I would love to tell you about a new free offer I’ve created. It is a guide that I spent a lot of time researching and asking my clients and my students what they wanted and they kept saying they wanted someone to hand them a resource guide with links to items telling them exactly what to wear.
You asked and I listened.
The guide is called 29 Classic Pieces Every Woman Should Own. I spent a lot of time researching the exact items and where to find them. So this guide is a beautiful resource for you. It has 29 pictures of 29 items, a little brief paragraph about why that item is classic, how you can apply it to your body shape, and then also where you can find these things.
Accessories
Let’s get a couple things right out of the way and that would be accessories. You’ve heard me mention my beret before and this is a classic item I’m going to include in my fall capsule. I know it’s going to be cold and rainy and I need something to cover my head.
The next item is my classic jute or raffia straw bag with leather straps. And finally, I’ve included my cashmere shawl wrap. This item doubles as a shawl type sweater that you can wear with a lot of different things in various ways.
Tops for the 10×10
The first top is my navy silk blouse with black ruffle detail. It’s a three quarter length sleeve, has a lovely flowy fit, and I can layer it up by wearing a camisole underneath. It goes with skirts, black slacks, and jeans, or just about anything really.
The next blouse I want to talk about is this silk camisole. The great thing about camisoles is that they can double as blouses underneath a blazer or they can also work as a layering piece. They’re very versatile.
The next top is an heirloom t-shirt from my family reunion in 1983. It’s super thin and worn in and I consider it a forever piece. You could go with a plain t-shirt, or a different color like gray or navy; something that can do a lot of heavy lifting for you and transition through a lot of different outfits.
The last top is a grey cashmere sweater. You can wear a cashmere sweater on its own or layer it up with a shawl or wrap on top.
Bottoms for the 10×10
Now let’s move onto bottoms. This is a denim cutoff skirt. If you are living in a very cold climate, you could swap out a denim skirt for corduroy pants, leather slacks, mid-length skirt, or maxi length skirt. That way you get a little bit more coverage and more warmth.
The next bottom is a pair of black toothpick style slacks. They are very classic and versatile. You can find a similar pair at Everlane.
The final pair of bottoms are high waisted, vintage cut, button fly blue jeans from & Other Stories. I love jeans and these are probably the coolest jeans I’ve ever found. I love how they make me feel. I love how they make me look. They have ended up being a wonderful purchase and I had no idea how they’re actually going to fit. They are also made from organic cotton, so they’re not a 100% ethical, but they’re going in the right direction. Check them out here.
Outerwear and other things
Now, where would my outfits be without my trusty blazer? This is a gray, oversized plaid blazer. I have an addiction and you can see in the video above that blazer goes with everything in the capsule. It’s perfect for fall and adds just a little bit of warmth when you need it, but it also isn’t too heavy.
Everlane has a similar one out now, or you can take a peek at this one from J. Crew. Of course, mine is from the thrift store.
The final two pieces in the fall capsule, 10×10 are going to be footwear items.
These are suede flats from M. Gemi and I got these second hand. These are a great transitional shoe if you live in the south like me, you’re not going to be sweating bullets when you wear these, which is very important. If you don’t live in the south, go for a closed toed flat.
And the final piece in the fall, 10×10 capsule wardrobe is another pair of shoes because you need to be flexible with your footwear. Having a good number of shoes is really important so that you can get longer lasting were out of your shoes.
These shoes are a lovely bejeweled Spanish style espadrille in black from a brand called Impo. I also love these from Castaner Official.
In conclusion
Those are all of the pieces! I’m really excited for you to see how this plays out over the course of 10 days. I’ve never done a 10×10 challenge before. To follow along and see all of the different possibilities and looks that I’m creating, be sure to hop on Instagram and say hi! It’ll be fun for you to try this out as well.
I would love to know if you end up doing the 10×10 challenge and remember for my full report on how this actually wears over the course of this month and the 10 days, follow me on Instagram and I am so, so, so excited to get started.
Did this during the summer on another blogger’s challenge but all accessories of every kind were part of the ten. Underwear and nightwear and special wear like swimsuits and yoga pants (for yoga only) were the exceptions. I am going to try this again next week. On the plus side, it will be easier because you are allowing some leeway with accessories and because Autumn clothes are not as likely to become sweat logged. On the minus side, it will be harder because in cooler weather, I need more clothes on my body at the same time. Now off to make a list…
Hi Bri I live in your area where do you Second hand shop and do you think you’re style works for over 50
Hi Michele!
So glad we’re in the same area. I shop mainly at KARM stores but also love Repeat Boutique off of Kingston Pike. Where do you like to shop second-hand? If you’re asking if my personal style works for women over 50 the answer is no. My style is mine. Style is personal. So my personal style won’t work for anyone else. If you’re asking if what I teach works for women 50 and over, ask my students and clients, some of whom are 50 and over. Style doesn’t really change as you age. Because the way you do something is your style. Take a look at Accidental Icon. She’s a style blogger and fashion icon in her 60’s. I hope that helps!
How would you describe your personal style?
XO,
Bri