I can now check another 10×10 challenge off the list. Today marks the 10th day of the Summer 10X10 Challenge in which I selected 10 pieces of clothing to wear in 10 different outfits over 10 days. I talked more in depth about the premise behind the challenge in this post, where I also outlined my plans for the challenge.

The challenge was (mostly) successful, but it wasn’t without it’s challenges (to be expected, I guess, as per the name).

The first few days were pretty easy but I hit a wall by the middle and bended the rules a little. Specifically, I added a few other pieces of clothing and pretty much gave up on shoes.

My plan at the start of the 10×10 challenge was to incorporate 5 tops, 2 pants, 1 jumpsuit and 2 pairs of shoes. By the end of the challenge, I had used all of those items but I had also incorporated a pair of jeans, a cardigan and 2 extra pairs of shoes, bringing the clothing count to 10 and shoes to 4.

Below I present the outfits that I wore for the 10 days and I will give them a score (out of 10) based on how much I enjoyed the outfit and how comfortable it was.

The Outfits

Day 1

Top: Jamie + the Jones Canvas Top / Bottoms: Flax Pocketed Ankle pants / Shoes: Børn Jakob oxfords

I loved everything about this outfit. It didn’t hurt that these pants and this top have become summer staples for me. The color palette of cream and grey is definitely one of my favorites. I added in these shoes because I had bought them late last summer but had barely worn them. They hurt the backs of my heels so I simply tried tying them (much) looser and they were fine. They’re vented which makes them conducive to summer and I really like how the brown pairs with the cream and grey.

I kept the jewelry simple with an adjustable length gold bar necklace and my watch. It was nice to step away from the Project 333 capsule and wear some of the jewelry that hadn’t been included in the capsule.

Score: 10/10

Day 2

Top: Banana Republic tank top / Bottoms: Everlane Wide Leg Crop Utility pants / Shoes: Tahari ballet flats

This was a pretty easy combo to come up with. I love the rich color of these pants, but that it’s not overpowering and is actually a pretty good neutral. I think they paired well with all of the other tops that I had included in the challenge as well. This top has definitely become a favorite this summer, after spending quite a few summers hanging in the closet. It just goes to show that a simple alteration may be all it takes for a piece of clothing to go from a “like” to a “love”.

I completed the outfit with my leopard ballet flats and a simple gold chain that I’ve had for over 20 years, my simple gold hoops and watch. Ive had these leopard flats for a very long time and I don’t love them. I think I’m starting to want a more substantial sole and I’ve found that most ballet flats are seriously lacking in this department. But I have not come across a leopard print shoe that meets my criteria (ethically made, closed toe, a heel height of 1-3″).

Score: 8/10

Day 3

Top: Gypsy silk tank top / Bottoms: Flax Pocketed Ankle pants / Shoes: Børn Jakob oxfords

This was an easy combination to put together but it wasn’t my favorite. It was probably my least favorite outfit of the whole challenge. I feel like there’s something missing. Maybe the fit of both items is too loose to make a good pairing? Or maybe it’s the fact that I don’t love this tank top? I do love the material (silk) and the pattern (give me all the tie-dye – although this is the only tie-dye I own). But I can never seem to get rid of it. Maybe that’s a good indication that it should make a trip to the tailor.

That’s one of the things I like about this challenge. Even though most of the items are ones that are known favorites, I like to include items that I don’t reach for often because it encourages me to wear them with different items or in different ways than I would have.

Score: 6/10

Day 4

Top: DVF cardigan, Ozma of California cami / Bottoms: Banana Republic Jeans / Shoes: Eileen Fisher

This was a hard day. And it was all my own fault. I had decided to include my Linenfox jumpsuit into the challenge, but on the morning that the challenge started I brought it to the tailor. The fit was too large and it was bothering me.

But that meant that I only had two bottoms available. So to remedy that, I made a temporary substitution of these jeans for the jumpsuit. And because I was already breaking the rules and I wasn’t feeling that great, I added my favorite sweater to go over my camisole. I added a long silver “scarf” necklace and I knotted it in the front along with some simple stud earrings and my watch. I finished off the outfit with a pair of slides that were outside of the challenge items.

I was a little disappointed that I was making exceptions so early in the challenge but bad days happen and that’s ok. Instead of phoning it in, I decided to continue with the challenge using the originally planned items and any of the new items as needed.

Score: 8/10

Day 5

Top: Linenfox Evelyn jumpsuit / Shoes: Børn Jakob oxfords

This was probably my favorite outfit of the whole challenge. I was able to get the jumpsuit from the tailor on the morning of day 5 and I immediately put it on when I got home. The fit was perfect! In case you’re curious, I had the tailor take off some length in the legs and I had the shoulders taken up.

I love the vibe of the stripes paired with the oxfords. There’s almost something “academic” about it. And my comfort level was off the charts.

Score: 10/10

Day 6

Top: World Market embroidered top / Bottoms: Everlane Wide Leg Crop Utility pants / Shoes: Tahari ballet flats

I think that getting my jumpsuit back on day 5 was the boost in confidence that I needed to continue on with the challenge. Well, that and maybe being a little more lenient with the rules.

I enjoyed the combination of items for this day. I decided to combine two prints…the checkered print of the top with the leopard print of the shoes. I feel like it turned out well because the pants anchored both pieces but also provided enough separation between the two for it to work.

I think this top is enough of a statement piece with the embroidery and other details that I kept the jewelry simple with my gold hoops and watch.

Score: 8/10

Day 7

Top: Ozma of California cami / Bottoms: Flax Pocketed Ankle pants / Shoes: Eileen Fisher

This combination of pieces is something that I have been relying on this summer. The raw silk and linen have been keeping me cool in the hot weather. I also like how simple the outfit is, but it still looks like I tried.

I did change out of this in the evening to head out for dinner and drinks with friends.

Score: 9/10

Day 8

Top: Jamie + the Jones Canvas Top / Bottoms: Linenfox Evelyn jumpsuit / Shoes: Børn Jakob oxfords

This was definitely my most creative outfit of the challenge. And I probably would have never thought of it outside of the challenge.

I decided to disguise my jumpsuit as pants by putting my Canvas Top over it. It worked well because the Canvas Top has a roomy fit and even though the jumpsuit is loose on top, there was no evidence that there was something under it. I used the belt from the jumpsuit to tuck the top in to, further giving the illusion of pants.

I was so excited with this combination that I immediately started trying on booties and sweaters with it for the fall.

Score: 9/10 (I deducted a point because the top made it more cumbersome to go to the bathroom)

Day 9

Top: DVF cardigan, Gypsy silk tank top / Bottoms: Everlane Wide Leg Crop Utility pants / Shoes: tan sandals (old)

This combination of a tank top, sweater and pants is my go to when I can’t figure out what to wear.

As I mentioned earlier, this tank has not been the easiest to style. I had initially tried tucking it into the pants but I didn’t really like how that worked out so I decided to knot it in the front and to tuck the knot underneath, giving the top more of a cropped look. It made me like the tank so much more.

Score: 8/10

Day 10

Top: World Market embroidered top / Bottoms: Flax Pocketed Ankle pants / Shoes: Eileen Fisher

Ah, the last day. I had not worn this combination before and I can’t say that it was one of my favorites.

When I had planned which pieces to include on the challenge, I knew the looser fit of both these items would give me problems. To remedy this, I ended up tying the top up a little to give it a more fitted look to balance out the bottoms.

Score: 7/10

Item counts

Tops

Jamie + the Jones Canvas Top 2

World Market embroidered top 2

Ozma of California cami 2

Gypsy silk tank top 2

DVF cardigan 2

Banana Republic tank top 1

Bottoms

Flax Pocketed Ankle pants 4

Everlane Wide Leg Crop Utility pants 3

Linenfox Evelyn jumpsuit 2

Levi’s 501 jeans, 1

Shoes

Børn Jakob oxfords 4

Eileen Fisher slides 3

Tahari ballet flats 2

Tan sandals 1

My Takeaways from the Challenge

I enjoyed this 10×10 challenge but it was not as easy as I thought it was going to be. I had expected that the experience from the first challenge would carry over but that was not the case.

I do think that I picked the appropriate pieces for the weather this time around. However, including the jumpsuit and then taking it to the tailor was not the wisest decision. In hindsight, I should have included a different bottom for this challenge. I think this would have made the middle of the challenge less frustrating.

Summer is the season that I have the most difficulty dressing for. I am not a fan of shorts, or the sun, to be honest. And I live in a place with very warm summers. It was nice to not have to think about what items to wear each day.

Completing this 10×10 challenge after doing a month of Project 333 made me realize that I have had enough with clothing restrictions. I do not own a lot of clothing as it is, so the extra restrictions that I have been placing on myself seem unnecessary.

Every clothing challenge helps me hone my personal style a little more. I was most comfortable in outfits that were neutral in color. The outfits that felt the most like “me” and that I was most confident in were the outfits from days 1, 5, 7 & 8. I also liked the outfit from day 2. My least favorites were the outfits with different prints.

Again, this challenge, and the Project 333 challenge, have emphasized how little clothing I need to get by and to dress well. Clothing says so much about who we are but I don’t think we need that many pieces to get the message across.

Although I’m glad that the challenge is over, I am looking forward to participating in the fall 10×10 challenge.

Did you take part I the Summer 10×10 Challenge? If so, what were your takeaways?

– xG