I wrote here about how shopping fills a void in my life that should rightly be occupied by hobbies — or at least ‘a’ hobby. There are many reasons why I think shopping doesn’t deserve the amount of time and attention I put into it, but for the sake of this post, the point is that I want it to change. That being said, there’s no reason that I can’t try to parlay some of the creativity and resourcefulness I draw upon when I shop to other fashion-related pursuits. Enter my first 10x10 capsule wardrobe challenge.
What is a 10x10 capsule wardrobe challenge?
A 10x10 involves choosing and wearing only 10 items of clothing from your closet for 10 days. As a shopping enthusiast, I of course follow other style bloggers and was introduced to the concept through their documented experiences with the 10x10. Although I enjoyed watching them put together seemingly endless different looks with just a handful of pieces, I have to be honest that it never appealed to me to pretend like I was living out of a weekend suitcase for any span of time.
Lately though, I’ve been getting real with myself; and that involves an audit of how I spend my time and my money, and what that says about where I’m headed. And honestly, I’m not liking what I’m finding very much. I have been a passenger in my own life so far, and what I want is to be in the driver seat. I really want to be the kind of person who crashes each night, so happy-exhausted and satisfied that they are squeezing every drop of meaning that there is to be enjoyed in this life. So I figure, maybe I can pretend to live out of a suitcase for a little bit if it puts me on a path to at least getting into the practice of pursuing a life more rich in purpose.
I know a 10x10 probably won’t single-handedly transform my life, but what it can do is help me to get re-acquainted with my creativity in an area I’m clearly already passionate about. I love clothing, so here I get to spend time with the pieces I should love the most: the ones I shelled out money for. In essence, it’s kind of shopping my own closet, but it gets me to focus on a part of my interest in fashion that often takes a backseat to shopping; the actual intentional styling of things I bought.
How the 10x10 works:
Have you ever realized part-way through a vacation that you packed poorly and have nothing to wear? The same skills you use for planning what you’ll bring with you on a trip come in handy here: first, check the weather, and second, choose a mix of pieces you can see yourself wearing multiple times and in different ways over the course of the next ten days.
This is what I chose:
- 2 Short-sleeves: Lululemon boyfriend tee, Sandro floral blouse
- 2 Long-sleeves : BABATON 1–01 blouse, BABATON button-up shirt
- 2 Pants: Agolde black straight-leg jeans, Boyish blue wide-leg jeans
- 1 Jacket: Levi’s denim jacket
- 1 Skirt: Wilfred cream lace skirt
- 2 Pairs of shoes: Samuji basketweave mules, Converse high-top sneakers
To make the experience more mindful, I recorded what I wore each day and reflected on my observations (how it made me feel to wear the items, whether I found the purchase worthwhile or regrettable, etc). I won’t bother to detail those observations here, but I will share a round-up of my thoughts on the experience below.
Did the 10x10 help me access my creativity? Yes, definitely. As I said, I have been acting like a passenger in my own life; ironically enough, although I shop a lot, when it came to dressing I was somewhat on auto-pilot, circling through the same three pairs of sweatpants over and over. This restored a certain consciousness to how I dress as well as it got me thinking about the versatility of each item (a shirt could be worn with cuffed sleeves, tied at the wast, buttoned to the neck, or open over a tee, etc). I give it a 10 out of 10 for creative rekindling.
Did it help me appreciate my current closet more? In a way, yes. I was certainly able to observe items I really liked wearing and gave some thought as to why. I see how this can be valuable for bringing greater awareness to any future purchases: if I can articulate my style, I can also anticipate which items I’ll be excited to wear, and say no to items that I won’t.
Did it satisfy the urge to shop? This one is a little tougher. By the end of the 10x10, I was very ready to be reunited with the rest of my wardrobe, but I can’t say it killed my desire to shop altogether. Bringing my awareness to what I am wearing has the effect of scrutinizing these same items, and wanting to replace them with things that works better for me. I know this is a slippery slope, this constant chase for the perfect ____. I’m also aware that I have an entrenched addiction that ten days won’t solve. But as an exercise, it was a start.
Overall, I am glad I did the 10x10: it was fun, playful, and created a certain lightness in my day that I haven’t felt for some time. While I’m not sure it classifies as a hobby, I do think it’s a more mindful use of my time than shopping. And any step in that direction is a win.
