Another nugget of insight, which is the important thing. I'm glad you decided to compromise your 30, seems like a good move in this case.

I like your outfit today.

I think going outside of your capsule is the right call in this instance. The challenge is supposed to work for you and be instructive. It's not supposed to be punitive.

I like this outfit (although the termite outfit is great too!). The challenge capsule needs to be flexible.

I got behind due to work conflicts.

As I mentioned earlier I had to pull in elements from my closet that were not part of the 30 x 30 challenge to accommodate an important out-of-town meeting. The meeting went well. I so over-prepared for it. I like to tell myself that it went well because I did over-prepare, but who really knows.

The bottom line is that Thursdays's outfit was my favorite of the week. It felt completely natural to me. I was confident and calm wearing it.

So why aren't those pieces part of my 30 x 30 challenge? Well, I have them in my wardrobe for just this type of occasion. I don't wear them routinely. They seem too formal, too dressy for everyday office wear. But when I need them, I am so glad they are there. So that decides it on the Coach Briefcase. I am keeping it. I am keeping it knowing that I will use it when I need to use it. I just won't need it routinely.

So here is a summary of my outfits.

Here is what I have learned so far. The other 30 x 30 participants really make an effort to make this work. They think about things. They plan things. They coordinate things.

All this planning results in lovely variety. I would guess that their coworkers and family might not even know they were doing a 30 x 30 challenge because they are doing it so well.

Could I say the same? I probably could because I only go in the office three days a week and one of those days was out of town. But still my outfits reflect a sense of lackadaisical .... like I am not even trying.

Where is the third piece that elevates the outfit? Where is the little bit of something that adds interest?

What I am learning is that I need to try harder. Just because I am not going into the office is not an excuse to give up. I have the clothes, wear them.

My goal next week is NOT to repeat. My goal next week is to add interest.

You look wonderful in all of this weeks outfits. They look like you have tried and succeeded and have variety. My favorite is the first with it's black/white/red classic integrity. I loved what you have learned so far. I have learned that I can create more variety than I thought with just a few pieces. I am also forced to wear some items I usually save for at least smart casual for very casual...sandbox play casual; holding a soaked toddler who didn't make it to the potty in time casual.

Yay! I'm so glad your meeting went well! I'm missing the outfit photo...

It is really worth it to hold on to the infrequently-used pieces that make a necessary outfit. My personal challenge is keeping these items up-to-date--too often, I seek them only to find that they look dated.

Emily -- I worry about keeping things up-to-date as well. I know we don't see Coach Briefcases around anymore, but am I wrong in thinking it is a "classic" and probably doesn't date?

Everything else felt very up-to-date. I wanted to look "grown up," professional, and competent. I felt I achieved it. Btw, I too regretted that I didn't take a picture, but by the time I got home, I just wanted to shower.

Joy -- wearing the items you usually save makes you the 30 x 30 champion. That was one of my goals. If I only had the 30 items, then of course I would wear those pieces more often!!! It worked for the cropped pants and a few other pieces. Yay for us. Oh, and you made me laugh with your toddler story. Hope it didn't ruin your day.