Winter 10x10

This month, I decided to challenge myself to a 10x10 challenge inspired by Lee of Style Bee (Caroline of Unfancy also recently completed a 10x10). The goal is to pick ten items to style into ten outfits over ten days. When I first heard of the challenge, I thought there was no way I could complete such a minimalist challenge being that I'm more of a closet maximalist at heart. Then I kept thinking about it and figured that maybe I could play minimalist for a mere ten days... It's only ten days, right?

I decided to go for it and packed my ten items for my trip home for the holidays. Since I was already going to be away from home and have a limited wardrobe, it seemed like a great time to do a 10x10. I started the challenge last week because of logistics (timing of my trip plus photographer-boyfriend availability), but I haven't gotten dressed/left the house every day so it will extend longer than ten days. I'm also having quite the challenge when it comes to the weather, but I'll talk more about that when I discuss each outfit.

For the challenge, I decided to pick two sweaters, one flannel shirt, one long-sleeved tee, one cardigan, two pairs of jeans, one skirt, one pair of flats, and one pair of ankle boots. Lee and Caroline both had dresses in their 10x10 challenges, but since I wear more separates now, I decided to pick a fourth top instead of a dress. I basically followed the capsule wardrobe formula of 50% tops, 30% bottoms, 20% shoes for this challenge. Below are my ten items!

MY TEN PIECES

1. Navy and red striped tee by Uniqlo / A classic-with-a-twist basic with necessary long sleeves for this time of year. I love how it's more of a heavyweight tee. / Shop: similar by Uniqlo, similar by J.Crew Factory, similar by J.Crew, similar by Gap, similar by L.L.Bean

2. Blue plaid flannel shirt by Madewell / I wear mostly flannel shirts and sweaters in the winter, so I knew I needed to include a flannel shirt. I chose this new addition due to its coordinating color scheme. / Shop: similar by Madewell, similar by Treasure&Bond, similar by H&M, similar by Eddie Bauer, similar by Roxy

3. Black seed stitch sweater by Everlane / A great basic sweater that goes with everything—perfect to include in a remix challenge. / Shop: exact (unavailable in black), similar by Uniqlo, similar by J.Crew Factory, similar by Lands' End, similar by Halogen

4. Red cashmere sweater by Everlane / I couldn't do this challenge in the winter and not include a cashmere sweater. / Shop: exact (limited sizes in red), similar by Barneys New York, similar by Talbots, similar by Charter Club, similar by AQUA

5. Ivory wool cardigan by Everlane / I had to include a super cozy, oversized layer for one of the coldest times of the year. It's easy to wear over my other tops. / Shop: exact, similar by Central Park West, similar by Brave Soul (limited sizes), similar by Eddie Bauer, similar by cupcakes and cashmere

6. Dark wash high-rise skinny jeans by Madewell / My go-with-anything jeans in the perfect dark wash (that looks a lot brighter in the photo above). / Shop: exact (limited sizes), similar by Madewell, similar by Calvin Klein, similar by Banana Republic (limited sizes), similar by Blank Denim

7. Dark grey skinny jeans by Madewell / It would have been too easy for me to pick my black ponte pants, so I decided to mix it up and go with my grey jeans. The neutral color still works with anything. / Shop: similar by Madewell, similar by White House Black Market, similar by DL1961, similar by Articles of Society, similar by Joe Fresh

8. Black and white speckled skirt by LOFT / Even though I tend to wear only pants during the winter, I decided to challenge myself to wear a skirt. This one is thicker than my other skirts, and fleece-lined tights will definitely help to warm it up. / Shop: similar by LOFT, similar by Superdry, similar by Madewell (limited sizes), similar by Kensie, similar by Karl Lagerfeld Paris (limited sizes)

9. Black oxfords by Madewell / They're shiny, they're black, and they go well with both jeans and tights. I didn't want to include them since they were just featured in my fall style sudoku, but I loved this option best out of all my shoes. / Shop: similar by Nine West (limited sizes), similar by Shellys London (limited sizes), similar by Louise et Cie (limited sizes), similar by Everlane (matte leather), similar by Everlane (patent leather)

10. Black ankle boots by Sam Edelman / These are my go-to boots during the cooler months when it's not too cold to bare ankles. (I would have loved to try these with exposed socks if I hadn't forgotten to pack the socks!) / Shop: exact, similar by Marc Fisher, similar by Jack Rogers, similar by Dune London (limited sizes), similar by Steve Madden

I'm quite pleased with how my color palette turned out. I didn't want it to be completely neutral, so I'm glad I was able to incorporate both blues and reds to make it more interesting. For the most part, everything mixes and matches well with everything else. The only items I won't be wearing together are the striped tee and the speckled skirt. Something about that combination feels off to me.

I'll be posting the first outfit on Monday and sharing an outfit every weekday for the next two weeks. Yes, it will be my first time posting every day, and yes, I'm nervous about it! I don't usually have the time (or willpower) to put together a post every day, but I'm going to do it for two weeks and see how it goes. ;) My outfits were shot in batches because I knew I wouldn't be able to shoot and post an outfit all in the same day (that and I started the challenge earlier than when the outfits are being posted). My recap will probably go up on the 24th to give myself a chance to put some thoughts together (and give myself a much needed break, haha).

So, that's that! Let me know if you're planning to do the challenge as well. Apparently, the hashtag being used on Instagram to follow along with everyone is #winter10x10. :)