Good morning!

Today is Day One of the #sevendaychallenge! If you didn't read my last post and your interesting in knowing what I'm talking about you can find it linked here. 

--Seven Day Capsule Challenge--

And if you're feeling a bit perplexed then here's a basic method to help you get it started picking your 12 items:

Basic Formula:

4 tops 

[ex]

consider pieces that layer well like:

 -fitted long-sleeve tee

-a button-down

1-2 top layers

[ex.]

cardigan

sweater jacket

blazer

2 bottoms

[ex.]

jeans

skirts

dress pants

1 dress or jumper

2 pairs of shoes

[ex]

1 flat - 1 heel

1 boot - 1 flat

1 fashion sneaker - 1 flat

Remember, you do not have to follow this to the letter-- choose what works for you but try hard to limit yourself and challenge yourself in a way that you haven't before. Everyone has a different daily and weekly schedule. Some stay home, some wear casual work attire, some wear business work attire. If you want to wear scrubs for your job then use this for after work. If you need more bottoms than tops, then take one away from one item from that category and give it to another. Just have fun!

A few other suggestions/useful tips:

-Don’t give yourself too much time to choose. 

Set a timer and try and choose your items in 30 minutes. In the beginning, I found that if I took too much time during the selection process then I kept doubting myself and getting frustrated. Capsule wardrobing is supposed to take away the stress of picking out your outfits. 

Neutrals.

I said it before but it's true and super helpful --> think neutrals, denim, white, black or navy and grey with one or two pops of color to play with...

Core items.

Start with your favorite items that you always go for and then start adding in pieces that you usually overlook. You may come to find that you love them and you've been missing out or that you really don't like the fit and you need to get rid of it. 

-Avoid Dry Clean Only items because that would be a pain to launder during the 7 or 10 day challenge.

Have fun!

First of all-- a disclaimer: I am not a fashion blogger. I did go to school for fashion marketing- but that was a lifetime ago. Now-- I'm just a wife, mother, average human being who is trying to simplify her life. :)

A couple months ago I decided that less is more, especially in my closet. I’m a stay at home mom and pretty much wear the same things every day but I found that when I did get the chance to get out of my mom uniform I would stand in front of my overflowing closet thinking that I had absolutely nothing to wear. I mean, of course, I did, but I was overwhelmed by the about of stuff in there that I owned but didn’t really love. What is the point of excess if you're not going to use it?

After purging my closet and 'upcycling' my unloved items I was able to bring my wardrobe down to 33 pieces total. 33 pieces that I loved, felt comfortable in and wanted to wear. Then, in the fall I heard about the 10×10 Challenge. It intrigued me and I wanted to try it. Basically, you just choose 10 items from your closet, create 10 looks and wear them consecutively over 10 days. The 10x10 only happens a couple times a year and I’ve really been wanting to do another challenge. But, it’s so much fun to do it with other people. So I thought— why not create one to do with friends!

It’s a fun way to connect with others and get inspired by them and their capsule of clothing. It also really helps you to see what you love and what you do not love in your very own closet. Is there a shirt that you swipe by every day but you keep it there just in case? That was me! But now I just pull out something, put it on and go!

Below I’ll talk more about the guidelines and then you can choose if it’s something that you would be interested in taking part in— it’s supposed to be a cheerful and simple challenge. And will hopefully spark inspiration and help you to breathe life back into items hanging stagnant in your very closet.

7 days

7 looks

12 items

Goals—

What might be your goal for this challenge? Do you want to rediscover items that are usually forgotten? Do you want to use this as a prelude to slimming down your closet? Or do you just like a good challenge? Whatever your goal might be you can either commit it to memory or write it down and tape it up in your closet.

My goal for this time around consist of two words — comfort and effortlessness. It’s a season of cozy. My days are spent packing lunches, getting kids off to school and spending the majority of my day in the kitchen. So my 7-day capsule will probably consist of my favorite broken-in jeans, cozy knits, warm sweaters, and a neutral palette.

Timeline —

Seven days straight starting on January 21st — you have the entire weekend to come up with your 12 items for your 7-day capsule. Feel free to join in on sharing your looks in your stories on Instagram or Facebook— or don’t share them, totally up to you what you feel comfortable doing! Use the hashtags #sevendaycapsule #sevendaycapsulewinter2019 #threegirlsandachallenge if you want to see what others are up to with their personal challenge!

Creating a Seven Day Capsule -- 

First, the weather— it’s crazy cold here so that’s what I’ll be considering when I create mine. Secondly, schedule — there's nothing too intense on the calendar so I’ll be keeping that in mind and planning a more casual capsule. Also - when you pick an item, consider how you could wear it three different ways over the course of the week. Try and choose mostly neutral colors but feel free to add in one fun but a versatile piece, like a bold colored blazer or a bright layering tank top. In this challenge have fun with accessories and don’t count them. Also, don’t count your workout clothing if you have a workout routine.

My capsule will include:

2 pairs of jeans (blue denim & black denim)

2 sweaters

2 long sleeve tops

2 layering pieces

1 layering tank top

1 dress (date night / church)

1 pair ankle boots

1 pair converse

I'll share more on that in a post the night before the challenge! Stay tuned.

Benefits of the Challenge —

Take a break from shopping and adding to an overflowing closet.

Reinvest in an existing closet.

Spark creativity.

Make closet work for you, not you for it.

Define your individual style.

Test if a capsule closet is for you.

Basic Guidelines —

Pick any 12 items from your current closet.

Style those 12 items for 7 days.

Have fun.

Don’t stress.

Don’t let the word ‘guidelines’ scare you— it’s not supposed to be an unbending assignment. It’s all about being creative. There is no wrong way to do it.

You can limit yourself to only those 12 items for the full 7 days or just wear those items to work or after work.

If you’re really not loving one item— switch it out!

Loungewear and gym gear don’t count unless you want it too.

Stressed about choosing shoes, no prob, let those count as extra!

Do whatever feels manageable for your life but still challenge yourself!

How to Join in on the Fun--

[1] The challenge starts on January 21st.

[2] Pick your 12 items for the seven days.

[3] Capture your outfits and share them with others participating in the challenge. Community friends! That's what this is about also! Creating community and sharing experiences, goals and challenges. You can post just the outfit, you in the outfit, or don't post-- it's up to you!

[4] Use the hashtags #sevendaycapsule #sevendaywintercapsule and #threegirlsandachallenge! I'll be sharing mine and others to continue sparking creativity!

[5] HAVE FUN!

Let's do this friends!

If you have any questions, just ask! 

10 items, 10 outfits, 10 days. 

Can you do it?

This summer I made the decision to attempt a capsule wardrobe. After years and years of having an overflowing closet but still feeling frustrated when it came time to select an outfit-- I said enough was enough. I tried out Project 333 created by Courtney Carver. In that challenge, you reduce your wardrobe to a total of 33 items that you love. You challenge yourself to only wear those items for 3 months. The goal is to simplify, appreciate what you already have and wear only what you enjoy. I enjoyed that challenge so much. Now, each time I crack open the door to my closet I no longer feel discouraged with the impression I have nothing to wear. 

So, when I came across others talking about the 10 x 10 challenge I needed to find out more. The 10 x 10 challenge created by Lee Vosburgh from Style Bee. The challenge involves picking 10 items and styling them in 10 outfits over 10 days. The first step involves selecting 10 core items from your closet, including shoes. Accessories are not included. Well, in just under thirty minutes I was able to come up with my 10 items. Thanks in part to my already slimmed down wardrobe.  

My 10 x 10 includes:

- one pair black high waist jeans 

-one pair dark wash ripped knee jeans

- one sweater

-one layering cardigan

-one short sleeved tee

- three long sleeved shirts

- one dress

-ankle boots

I did not include my diaper bag or my jacket in this round of the challenge. 

Style Bee's Basic Formula goes as follows: 


2 Pairs of Shoes (1 heel + 1 flat)

4 Tops (Consider pieces that layer well like a fitted long-sleeve, a button-down and a cardigan)

1 Dress

2 Bottoms

1 Top Layer

-Pick practical items for the weather.
-Don't think too hard about it, just choose.
-Go for an easy and coordinating palette.
-Think neutrals, denim, white, black and grey with 1 or 2 colors.
-Pull your favorites first.

The current challenge starts today, October 22nd. Join me! 

Let's simplify our closets, our mornings and our life together. Two hashtags that you may find useful are #fall10x10 and #10x10friends. You can find inspiration and observe others who are participating.