Summer 10×10: My 10 Looks
I'm really happy with how this challenge turned out. I made all my selections and took all the photos ahead of time. The Fall challenge will look different because my schedule has changed with teaching. It'll be fun to try more professional and dressed-up looks. I love following the #10x10friends on Instagram because there are so many perspectives, careers, & lifestyles being taken into account. The first 5 days went great. Not needing so many layers made this round a lot easier. I've also been a hermit this summer with a lot of studio time to write & work on projects remotely so that made it easier for me as well.
Friday I wore this for a day in Grand Rapids. I went to a Creative Mornings event where one of my lettering heroes, Molly Jacques, was speaking on Intention. Then I had lunch with Joel & his co-workers & finished the day working at the library. The skirt is thrifted. I love the texture & it always makes me feel very feminine when paired with heels. This gingham top is shorter so my midriff felt a bit exposed for a professional event. I threw a jean jacket over it. I love bringing more yellow back into my closet.
Gingham top (TJ Maxx) | Skirt (Thrifted) | Mules (Steve Madden)
Saturday I wore this slip dress to a family wedding by the river. It was a casual wedding so I traded my mules for flip-flops. I layered on a chambray top at sunset. You can feel fall in the air in Michigan which made the rust color of this dress feel in season. I love the shape of this dress because it fits well up top and flows more loosely at the bottom. Wearing flats made it feel more casual than I like but heels wouldn't have worked in the grass. I paired it with gold jewelry. I liked this look for a midsummer wedding!
Slipdress (Nordstrom Rack) | Mules (Steve Madden)
Sunday I threw this on for the coffee shop. The coffee shop is near our little cottage. I love writing there & was happy to sneak some time in before we went out on our kayaks for the day. I got these jeans at Anthropologie for $20 in the clearance section last year & call them my "artist" pants. The bleached hem next to the pink pattern of my espadrilles is a fun detail. I'm surprising myself by how much I'm mixing patterns & adding color.
Local tank (Ink & Threads) | Light-washed denim (Anthropologie) | Espadrilles (TJ Maxx)
Monday Is it weird I looked forward to Monday so I could wear these shorts? haha. I went back to the coffee shop to write in the same shirt but no one seemed to notice. I saw this Local tank at a market & loved it immediately. I'm super picky with graphic tees and how the type is set. The typeface needs to speak to me & this one definitely did! The shirt fabric is also super soft.
Local tank (Ink & Threads) | Camo shorts (Target) | Crossover slides (Sseko)
Tuesday Studio day to put together the August newsletter and prep for the week with my assistant. Super casual. I love the embroidered mermaid on this tee but the fit isn't my favorite. I like it for a beach day over my swimsuit but that's about it. The pink of her hair matches my espadrilles so that's a nice touch. :)
Mermaid tee (TJ Maxx) | Light-washed denim (Anthropologie) | Espadrilles (TJ Maxx)
Wednesday It was a casual studio day so this outfit was perfect for cleaning and organizing my space. This is probably my least favorite outfit so far. It was just, blah. But it was nice not to wear anything fussy while I was under my desk trying to plug-in the printer & going through bills that needed to be taken care of.
Mermaid tee (TJ Maxx) | Camo shorts (Target) | Espadrilles (TJ Maxx)
Thursday My favorite outfit so far. I LOVE this top my mom gifted me years ago. The gold shine and the v-neck really work with my figure. I hate how scoop necks feel on me and don't experiment much with differently shaped collars because none make me feel as confident as a v-neck. Maybe that's why I don't care for the mermaid tee. I wore this look to a design event in Grand Rapids. A friend recognized my pants from across the room so she knew I was there. Ha, the power of denim! The heels were great until we stood outside for a while listening to music. I'm a wimp in heels even though I enjoy wearing them.
Green sheer blouse (Gifted) | Light-washed denim (Anthropologie) | Mules (Steve Madden)
Friday While I loved this look at home and with the sticky heat we got this weekend, I didn't end up wearing it to the outdoor concert as planned. The shorts are a little cheeky if you know what I mean and the short top was really bothering me. One of those looks that are great until you have to move in it. I wore this instead. Kind of close with the ball cap and shorts, haha.
Gingham tank (TJ Maxx) | Camo shorts (Target) | Crossover slides (Sseko)
Saturday Once I went rogue on Friday, there was no stopping me! Our plans kept changing with the festival in town and the skirt with the felt hat was too heavy for the crazy heat we had. I was most looking forward to this one too. I will wear this in the final weeks of summer though. It's a good outfit for going to some farmers and flea markets I hope to get to this yet this season.
Mermaid tee (TJ Maxx) | Skirt (Thrifted) | Espadrilles (TJ Maxx)
Sunday Joel and I had a lazy day that required shorts, so I'm actually wearing this outfit now that challenge is done, instead of yesterday. We played cornhole, went for a bike ride, and grabbed a beer riverside at one of our go-to outdoor bars to finish the weekend.
Local tank (Ink & Threads) | Slipdress (Nordstrom Rack)
Insights
+ Took lightweight fabrics for granted. I never understood the need for lightweight fabrics until I went 10 days without them. My bottoms were heavy fabrics, making it uncomfortable in the 80-90° weather. I've paired down my closet SO MUCH in the last 4 years, I didn't realize how many light and flowy fabrics I donated. Probably because I don't need them as much in Michigan. My perspective has changed about that due to this challenge and I really need to invest in some summer fabrics for comfort.
+ Liked adding more color and patterns into my wardrobe. This was the biggest question I had starting this challenge and I'm happy to have experimented with more patterns and colors than I have since I started my capsule wardrobe. While I love neutrals, too much has become boring for me. I needed the blank slate to discover what I liked. Now I feel ready to bring color and pattern back little by little.
Images clockwise: @inkdiplettering / @jessekamm / @jazzyhwang / J.Crew
Inspiration
Mustard/goldenrod hues for fall. Striped linen. Workmen's pants, large pockets, bold colors. Need these Jesse Kamm pants on my wish list. Loving Candice's photos. Jasmine's message on body positivity is one we all need to hear, again + again.
You can see my inspiration + my 10 items for the challenge here. Thanks for following my Summer challenge! For more wardrobe inspiration see my Pinterest board and Capsule Wardrobe posts.
