Starting the Winter 10×10 tomorrow. If you want to join check out my two favorite bloggers Style Bee or Un-fancy for inspiration, then pick out 10 items of clothing to wear for the next 10 days. Every time I do this it soothes my impulse shopping and reminds me of what I really like to wear!
The productivity bug hit me today even though I promised to take the week off.
Also, friends with illustrator skills who make you custom desktop wallpaper are the best ❤️
Christmas ootd. Happy day everyone!
Favorite conference outfit
Busted out the first sweater of Fall today
Hi Friends! I’ve been in a comprehensive exam studying bunker but I’m still enjoying my 10 picks that I’m wearing for 10 days. Here’s what I’ve been wearing this week:
Nothing like the 10×10 to remind me that sometimes the simplest clothes are the best. This shirtdress is so versatile–I’ve worn it to teach and do dissertation interviews this month and it has made me feel confident in all situations! Also, may I suggest these Sam Edelman flat as the most comfortable teaching shoes ever?
I found this black button up at a thrift store for $15 and it is such an MVP. Also, Gap makes the best white jeans. The pockets in them are tan so they don’t show through the material. Genius.
This outfit was pretty boho for me but I love that only working with 10 items makes me branch out more.
I hope you’re all enjoying your week! Summer school teaching has been flying by so I’m trying to savor summer by doing lots of fun reading (here’s a spooky dystopian future series I’ve been enjoying–with all women characters, score!).
Wahoo! I’ve picked my 10 clothing items and am ready to mix and match them to make 10 outfits over the next 10 days. This is perfect timing for me because my summer school class starts tomorrow, and this challenge will guide me through the first 10 days of teaching. Here are my picks:
I have three t shirts, one blouse, one dress, one skirt, and one pair of jeans.
As one of my instagram friends pointed out, I am dumb, and this is only 8 items. I had a pair of sandals on my feet when I took this picture that I knew were going to be part of the challenge, but even so, I’m only at 9 items of clothing. Suddenly I have decision fatigue and am drawing a total blank on what my tenth item should be! Suggestions welcome. I think a light cardigan would be good but I don’t have one that totally “goes” and I think going out shopping for one is counterproductive to a challenge about working with what you have.
For now, I’m just working with 9 items. Here is my day 1 outfit, the wildest thing I could think to do to start the day–make a shirt into a vest.
When I put this on I was all “noooo this is awful” but you know what I photographed it and then I thought it didn’t look so silly and now I’m accepting this idea of shirt-as-vest. So, this challenge is already a success for me! I’m excited to pick an outfit for tomorrow for my first day of teaching as well. Be back then with what I decided one!
I love 10×10 challenges because they make me really reach to try to find new and creative ways to wear my stuff. If you’re interested in starting one yourself, click here.
I’m participating in No Shop June this month, a genius instagram challenge for people who can’t fight the urge to walk through the mall, so I’ve been trying to work with what I’ve got to make outfits I enjoy. I’m prepping for a course I am teaching in July, so this is perfect timing, because something about teaching a new semester always makes my brain say “hey, stop editing that syllabus and go check out the Loft website.”
So today I’m bringing you the first of several outfits I’ve thought up for the dilemma of summer teaching: that it is too damn hot out and my classroom has no AC and I’m supposed to look professional. Here’s my first formula: sweater tank and skinny pants.
I looooove this tank. I got it in the Everlane choose what you pay sale (it’s still there!) so for my first outfit with it, I kept it simple with my J. Crew pixie pants, which are basically leggings in a dress pant fabric. I think I’ll make this sweater nerd-tastic in the future by putting a button up under it. I’ll probably wear this on my first day because it makes me feel fierce.
I’ll be back another day with more options. For now, this challenge is keeping me off my favorite online shopping sites!
This season marks my three year anniversary of dressing using a capsule wardrobe, and I have no idea how I got dressed before I made the change! If you don’t know what a capsule is, it’s based on the idea that too many clothing options lead to decision fatigue, and dressing with less options will maximize your wardrobe. Caroline, over at Un-Fancy, suggests 37 pieces, and the idea is that they should all focus on a similar style and color palette. Here’s a get started guide if you’re interested.
When I first got a capsule, I was in love with allll the colors (teal, seafoam, lavender, blues, red, pinks, yellows….to name a few), and I basically quit color all together, because I realized that if you buy only neutrals everything matches. Lately I’ve been missing color, though, so I am working on incorporating more color into my capsules. Here are my picks for this spring and summer:
My ideas for how to bring color back into my life are pretty apparent in this pic:
-Select only a couple of colors
-Pick colors that pair well
-Focus on adding color with accessories
-Steal Home Depot paint chips to keep myself on track (taping these up next to my closet has been helpful and reminded me of what colors I should focus on)
I’ve been enjoying this tomato red and yellow so far. Here’s a link to my pretty yellow sandals, red purse, and all the bandanas.
Talking unicorn items today…you know, the things that you have picked out in your head and you wait and wait for them and then suddenly one day you’re out shopping and you find the one! I was wasting time while waiting for a brunch reservation in Kansas City when I wandered into the boutique next door (strategically open for hungry people like me, I’m sure!) and this shirt caught my eye. I had been wanting a white button up shirt for a while and when I tried it on I knew it was the one! It hangs really well and is a kind of athletic-y fabric that doesn’t wrinkle. Amazing.
If only it were always this easy. Unfortunately, I’m a to-do list motivated person, which means I tend to pull the trigger way too soon on clothing items that are not perfect and then realizing my mistake once the tags are already off. I’ve decided the key to waiting for the right clothing item to come along is to shop for dream items really casually–I keep a list in my phone of things I’m on the look out for. Currently:
-White shirt (found it! Spendy but here if you are also on the hunt)
-Moto jacket
-Overalls (nearly impossible because I’m so tall)
I try to keep the descriptions really loose so that I’m open to trying lots of things on. For example, I don’t really have a color or fabric in mind for the moto jacket, I figure I’ll just know when I find one I’m in love with. And then I can donate the two that are currently sitting in my closet that I don’t love. Whoops.