Summer 10x10 capsule wardrobe featuring basics with a twist | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Last year, I started doing the 5 years later outfit challenge: I picked out an outfit I first wore and blogged back in 2016 and recreated it using the same (or very similar) items. I had so much fun that I decided to keep it going for 2022, so now I’m recreating outfits I wore back in 2017! (Wow, I can’t believe 2017 was 5 years ago already…that was the year I finished my PhD!)

My goals with this series are to put together updated versions of some of my favorite past outfits, see how much my style has changed over the years (if at all), highlight the items that are still in my closet five or more years later, determine if it’s time to pass on some of my older items, inspire you to evaluate the longevity in your own wardrobe, and most importantly, remind you (and myself) that it’s cool to rewear your favorite outfits/items!

Let’s break down the next 5 years later outfit of summer 2022!

Late summer casual workwear outfit for women | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

SUMMER 10x10 — 2022 vs. 2017

As I mentioned in July’s 5 years later outfit post, I started my post-grad job in July 2017, so I’ve now been there for five years. I wore the original look (on the right above) as part of my Summer 10x10 remix challenge in August 2017, but the first time I wore that outfit was for my first day of work in July! I had no idea what to wear/expect so I opted for a blazer, nice shirt, and simple jeans. I loved it so much that I basically built my 10x10 capsule wardrobe around it (though I learned doing my Winter 10x10 that excluding shoes makes life easier). Every time I look back at my Summer 10x10, I’m so pleased with the items I picked out. Everything went together so well! It almost makes me want to do it again… almost… 😉

As with my January 5 years later outfit, which featured an outfit from my Winter 10x10, it was really difficult to pick an outfit to recreate. I ended up going with this one because it’s still an outfit I’d wear today, and I still own most of the pieces! (I kept it on to go out for pizza with Korri after shooting these photos—and I managed to not get any pizza sauce on me!) In 2017, I wore a J.Crew Factory blazer, Amour Vert shirt, LOFT jeans, and J.Crew flats. I still own two of the four items and included both of them in the new look for 2022!

Items from 2017 I’m Still Wearing in 2022

My tropical-print shirt from Amour Vert was one of my first big splurge purchases (in 2016), and I still love it five years later. It was a HUGE ($$$) purchase for me at the time since I was still in grad school. I baby it because it’s silk, but it has held up so well…probably because I haven’t worn it all that much, haha. This is one of the only silk items remaining in my wardrobe because I figured out I’m too lazy to properly care for a large amount of silk garments. Not that I had many, but I know myself and I’m not allowed to buy more unless they’re washable!

The J.Crew metallic gold Gemma flats are one of the oldest pairs of shoes in my closet! I purchased them in winter 2016, and they’ve been a fun addition to my wardrobe ever since. Korri also really likes these shoes because he likes things that are shiny, lol. I actually haven’t been wearing flats all that often, which isn’t great news for my feet because they’re not used to wearing flats. However, the only shoes I had with me when we went out to shoot were these flats, and I wore them to check out a new restaurant hall downtown and I was totally fine! 🙌🏻

Late summer casual work outfit: camel cashmere cardigan + tropical print shirt | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Tonal late summer outfit idea for work | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

What’s New in 2022

The remaining two items (plus the sunglasses) in the 2022 version are new! After playing around with proportions in the July 5 years later outfit, I’m back to my usual security blanket and didn’t alter this one too much from what it was in 2017. Is it the millennial in me?

Of course, I’m wearing the same Everlane white curvy skinny jeans as I am in all of my other 5 years later outfits, ha! I no longer own the LOFT skinny jeans I wore in the original outfit because I now (5 years later!) prefer a higher rise, and there’s also no way they’d fit anymore. I much prefer the higher rise to hold my gut in, and I love that more retailers are offering curvy styles now! I have always been a big fan of Everlane’s authentic stretch denim but sadly it appears to have been discontinued.

Since I don’t own this linen blazer anymore (it became too small in the shoulders), I decided between this camel cashmere cardigan, my camel sweater blazer, and my light heather grey sweater blazer. I wasn’t a big fan of the competing collars with the sweater blazers (collared shirts look much better under tailored blazers than sweater blazers in my opinion), so I opted for my cashmere cardigan. This cardigan is super old and was gifted to me by Grana! It’s a go-to layer of mine basically all year but especially in the shoulder seasons.

Which outfit is speaking to you more: the 2017 original with the linen blazer or the new 2022 version with the cashmere cardigan?

Browse all outfits in the 5 years later series!