After seeing so many people participate in various forms of a Fall 10×10 challenge, I decided to give it a go. If you’re not familiar with the 10×10, you can read more about it on at Stylebee, where it first originated in 2015. Since then, there have been over 25k posts under the tag #10x10challenge on Instagram.
The tl’dr version is that you take 10 pieces of clothing (including shoes) and try to create 10 unique outfits. Sounds easy, but I actually found it challenging (though fun) my first time around. This exercise encourages you to get creative with the existing pieces in your closet, and hopefully inspires some new outfits with old favorites.
The Setting
It’s been a rainy week in California, and will continue to be for the next week or so. I’m not complaining, the rain is much needed after a long, dry summer! But, it does make it challenging to think of outfits that can alternate between rainy and drier days. The temperatures have been hovering around the 40s – 50s, so not terribly cold by winter standards.
My 10×10 Challenge Items
I decided to work with the following pieces:
- Elizabeth Suzann Florence Pants in Rayon (current silk version)
- Everlane Authentic Stretch High-Rise Skinny Jeans
- Stitch Fix Sweater Duster Vest
- Smartwool 250 Merino Sweater
- Everlane Alpaca Wool Sweater
- White + Warren Essential Cashmere Sweater
- Only Child Clothing Cruz Top (reviewed here; current version)
- Everlane Heavyweight Striped Long-Sleeve Tee
- Rothy’s Merino Point Flat (reviewed here)
- Blundstone 566 Thermal Boot
Technically, coats and outerwear don’t count as one of the 10 pieces – same goes for any accessories like jewelry, scarves, bags, and hats. However, I did want to call out a few pieces that are featured but not counted:
- Parker Clay Miramar Backpack – my go-to for work
- Lo & Sons Pearl Crossbody Bag – water resistant and great for running errands
- Only Child Clothing Wool Cardiff Coat – works in the 50s when layered over a sweater
- Lavand White Jacket – originally rented from Rent the Runway, I liked it so much that I purchased it second-hand from them
The Outfits & What I Learned
Overall, this was a fun challenge – I’m typically a black-jeans-and-neutral-top person, so it was nice to break out of that mold with the clay ES pants. Additionally, I’ve had the grey sweater duster for at least two years but have only worn it a handful of times because I thought it was functionally limited. This exercise gave me new ideas for incorporating it into a winter wardrobe as a midlayer of sorts.
I also see now that I should probably add a bit of color to my cold weather wardrobe…
Partnership Disclosure: This blog post was not sponsored by any of the brands listed above. As always, all opinions are my own. This post may contain affiliate links, in which I earn a commission on purchases.
