Fall 10×10 Style Challenge: Get More Out of a Small Wardrobe

Recently, I was in a rut. Moving from the spring-summer basics into fall was challenging for me. I was bored with my clothing and wearing the same outfits all of the time. I had my go-to outfits that I was wearing over and over again, because it was easy. But, when I started to feel the urge to buy something new to “freshen up” my wardrobe essentials for any occasion, I came across the fall 10×10 style challenge.

So, instead of going out and buying something to freshen my wardrobe, I decided to take on this style challenge and get more creative with what I already own. If you are in a style rut, if you are trying not to buy as much clothing, or if you want to see what having a smaller capsule wardrobe would be like, I highly recommend trying this challenge.

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The Fall 10×10 Style Challenge

The 10×10 challenge is a style challenge started by Style Bee. For this challenge, you choose 10 pieces to wear 10 ways for 10 days.

It was designed to help people get more creative with the clothing already in their closets. You’ll still wear your favorite tees, sweaters, jackets, and footware. However, the challenge helps you think outside of your norm by styling your clothing in different ways.

There are guidelines to follow, but you can do it in whatever way works for you, as long as you are still challenged! You could wear the 10 pieces of your choosing only at work, for example. Or you could choose 10 items to wear only when you are home from work. You could skip weekends…you get the idea.

For my first time doing a challenge like this, I decided to stick to the guidelines and only wear my 10 pieces for 10 consecutive days. As Style Bee suggests, I included only core wardrobe items in my 10 pieces. Any accessories or jewelry I wore were extra and didn’t count towards my 10 pieces.

My Fall 10×10 Pieces

For my first fall 10×10 challenge, I decided to go with the following for my 10 pieces:

• 4 tops (red t-shirt, black top, olive tunic, light chambray shirt)
• 1 outer layer (black cardigan)
• 1 dress (floral)
• 2 bottoms (blue jeans, black jeans)
• 2 pairs of shoes (tan booties, black sneakers)

When I was choosing my 10 pieces, I tried to stick to mostly neutrals with only one or two colors mixed in to make it easier for me to mix and match. At first, I was overwhelmed by the idea of narrowing it down to just 10 items, but once I stopped overthinking it and just picked them, putting together different outfits was easy!

I also made sure to take into account what I had going on during those 10 days, as well as the weather. And to make it seem less daunting, I made sure to choose a couple of my favorite pieces. Then, I just included a few clothing items that I wished I was wearing more than I actually do.

My Fall 10×10 Outfits

Once I had my 10 items chosen for the fall 10×10 style challenge, I planned my outfits. I basically tried to create at least 2 outfits with each top, and I quickly had 8 outfits planned and ready to go. I had to think a little outside the box to come up with my last 2 outfits.

Here are the 10 outfits I put together during my first fall 10×10 challenge:

Outfit #1

This first casual outfit was kind of a go-to for me, but normally I wear boots and no scarf. My chambray long-sleeve shirt is super comfortable and versatile! For this challenge, I decided to pair it with black jeans (rolled up to create a small cuff), sneakers, and a scarf.

Outfit #2

The second outfit was simple with a flowy short-sleeve black tee, blue jeans (rolled up to create a small cuff), and sneakers. It would look extra put together by throwing on my olive jacket on the way out the door!⠀

Outfit #3

Outfit 3 was based around a floral tunic dress. I decided to try something different and pair it with black jeans, black cardigan, and tan booties. It’s a casual, yet sort of dressed-up, look that really feels like me!⠀

Outfit #4

On day 4 of the fall 10×10 challenge, the chambray shirt came back out. But, instead of just wearing it open with my red top, I decided to try tying it in the front. (Side note: I actually decided to tuck in my red shirt after I took these pictures!)

I could also wear the shirt around my waist for an even more casual look. I seriously love that I can wear this shirt so many ways!

Outfit #5

Outfit 5 was an olive tunic with a black cardigan, black jeans, and tan booties. I accessorized with a long necklace to add some interest. This outfit was super comfortable, but I still felt dressed up!⠀

Outfit #6

For outfit #6, I brought out my floral tunic dress again, but this time I tied it on the side to shorten it to the length of a top! This was pretty adventurous for me, since I tend to see a dress as, well, a dress.

I could tie it lower so that it’s still long, but gives it a different look. Another option would have been to wear a shirt or sweater overtop of the dress to give the appearance that it’s a skirt. Who knew?!⠀

Outfit #7

For day 7 of the fall 10×10 style challenge, I wore my chambray shirt again. This time, I layered it with a black cardigan and accessorized the outfit with a simple necklace. ⠀

Outfit #8

Outfit 8 consisted of my red top, black cardigan, and a long, slightly-more-bold necklace.

Outfit #9

Outfit 9 was a super casual look. I brought my olive tunic back out, and paired it with a scarf, dark jeans, and sneakers.

Outfit #10

For the last day of the fall 10×10 challenge, I wore my chambray shirt one last time. This day I wore it open over my black flowy top. I wore my blue jeans and boots with this one, even though normally I’m too afraid to wear denim on denim!⠀

Fall 10×10 Style Challenge Recap

Completing the fall 10×10 style challenge was surprisingly not that difficult. As I mentioned earlier, I seriously had to stop overthinking which 10 pieces to choose. Once I just picked 10 pieces that were mostly neutral and followed Style Bee’s suggested formula, I was prepared in no time.

During this challenge, I received more compliments on my outfits than usual. Also, no one pointed out that I was wearing the same things over and over. Ha!

I found that using this simple formula provided me with enough variety. Since the clothing I chose was mostly neutral, it was fairly easy to mix and match to create the 10 stylish outfits.

What was slightly difficult, was trying to put together looks that I don’t normally wear. I didn’t create any earth-shattering outfits, but at the same time, I was proud of myself for finding so many ways to wear my clothing differently. Sometimes it’s hard not to wear the same top with the same other pieces every time! I am not a fashionista by any means of the imagination…

So, I really didn’t get bored with what I was wearing each day. Each outfit felt different enough. However, I WAS ready to wear something else after 10 days. And more than that, I was excited to get more creative with future outfits. This challenge definitely changed the way I will think when I get dressed from now on.

Lessons Learned From the 10×10 Style Challenge

I seriously learned a lot about myself and my clothing in just 10 short days. Here are the 3 main things I learned from doing this challenge:

1. A small wardrobe can go a long way.

I already knew that a small wardrobe can go a long way from having my own capsule wardrobe. But, dressing with only 10 pieces out of my entire wardrobe for 10 days brought this understanding to a whole other level.

I didn’t even exhaust all of the possibilities in those 10 days! Knowing that I create so many looks with just 10 items shows just how versatile a small wardrobe can be. I’ve said before that a small capsule wardrobe can create thousands of outfits, but now I KNOW this to be absolutely true from experience.

2. I am more creative than I give myself credit.

This challenge successfully got me out of my style rut. I was seriously wearing the same several outfits over and over, simply because I didn’t know what else to do. It was just easier than trying to be creative.

I used to say that I’m not the creative type. I’ve since learned that I was wrong…and that I put creativity in a box. (Which is just silly when you think about it!) I am more creative than I give myself credit. The outfits I styled weren’t perfect, but they were me. And I created them.

3. I can get creative with outfits without neglecting my personal style.

I think that I thought being creative with my clothing would mean that I was dressing like someone else. But really, for me it just meant that I was wearing my clothing in a way that I wouldn’t typically, but still felt like me because it was MY clothes. These pieces were clothing I already loved, and I just needed to see other options!

The fall 10×10 style challenge is a fun way to challenge yourself to be more creative with the clothing you already own while staying within your personal style. This challenge demonstrates that a small wardrobe can go a long way, as long as you are smart about buying versatile pieces.

Final Thoughts

The Fall 10X10 challenge is for anyone looking to change up their style without spending money. It’s perfect for the minimalist at heart or the person on a budget. If you love leggings and flats, the challenge is perfect for you. If you love dresses and layering, give it a try.

There’s no limit to creativity when it comes to this challenge and there’s no such thing as nothing to wear.