CAbi 15 for 30 capsule detailed

I think the YLF weekly post linked to this post at the CAbi Canary blog: 15 items for 30 days. I liked the idea of it a lot and am thinking about using it as the framework for a month-long challenge using items from my own closet. Anyway, I wrote out all the items and days, in order to start thinking about my possible version:

Cabi Canary 15 pieces 30 days
http://cabicanary.com/?p=8716
Items:
Tops:
white button-front shirt with twist detail
chambray button-front shirt
cream and gray striped knit top with dolman sleeves
cream knit top with tie neck
black tank
printed camisole - black, cream, brown animal print with spaghetti straps and front ruffle
blush silk blouse with band collar and short wide sleeves with cuff
Jackets:
grayish taupe three-button blazer with pockets - sweater knit
black mid-thigh cardigan with drapey wide collar and waist sash
marled gray sweater/jacket with darker gray contrast sleeves
taupe one-button blazer - tweedy fabric with ruched collar and three-quarter sleeves
Bottoms:
slim jeans, medium denim
bright yellow straight skirt
black flared pants
gray ponte skinnies
Shoes:
black ankle boots
black heels
blush flats with studded bow detail in black and gold

week one
1 - black cardigan worn open over printed camisole, yellow skirt and heels
2- denim shirt, jeans rolled, ankle boots and one-button jacket
3 - flats, black flares, blush blouse under marled jacket, flats
4 - shirt shirt, black skinnies, sweater-jacket, boots
5 - yellow skirt, black tank, marled jacket, flats
two
1- striped top, black flares, flats
2 - cream tie-neck top, one-button jacket, skinnies, flats
3 - skirt, blush blouse, sweater-jacket, heels
4- drapey cardigan, black flares, print camisole, heels
5 - skinnies, black tank, denim shirt as overshirt, boots
three
1- blush blouse, skinnies, boots, drapey cardigan
2 - denim shirt tucked into yellow skirt, belt, heels
3 - jeans, cream tie blouse, one-button jacket, flats
4 - striped top, marled jacket, skinnies, boots
5 - black flares, white shirt, sweater-jacket, heels
four
1- denim shirt, marled jacket, flares, flats
2 - black tank and drapey cardigan, skinnies, flats
3 - blush blouse, denim shirt as overshirt, jeans, boots
4 - white blouse, jeans, heels
5 - yellow skirt, striped top, marled jacket, boots
five
1 - skinnies, boots, printed camisole, denim shirt as overshirt
2 - yellow skirt, cream blouse, one-button jacket, heels
3 - skinnies, black tank, marled jacket, flats
4 - blush blouse, sweater-jacket, jeans, heels
5 - camisole, jeans, one-button jacket, flats
six
1 - black tank, flares, heels, one-button jacket
2 - striped top, sweater-jacket, jeans, boots
3 - cream tie blouse, black cardigan, flares, heels
4 - jeans, black tank, sweater-jacket, flats
5 - white blouse, yellow skirt, heels

13 years ago

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Nice job! The 15 for 30 is a fun challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the suggestions you come up with from your own closet.

Anonymous

That sounds fun but only 15? I don't know if I can do it

It might be a good lesson that my closet is full enough

Your outfits sound amazing, are you going to post them?

Raisin

Wow, that's impressive. I hope you can update us with some pics too.

Lisa

I adore that Cabi link and they have a few of the 15 for 30 outfit remixes on the page. I can't wait to see your outfits in action!

Isabel

I love that idea too and I also LOVED the link !! Thank you Laura. I will be watching you in action.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

Some further thoughts: IMO 3 pairs of shoes is not enough, although these are only Monday-Friday outfits so presumably you get the weekend 'off' to wear whatever clothes and other shoes you want. The three jackets are all in the same color family of taupey-grey (not counting the black cardigan) so I'm not sure I'd use all three spaces for that. There are a few outfits that I would find not warm enough for the winter - anything with the black tank or camisole under a jacket would not be sufficiently warm for me. There are a couple outfits where the color combo makes me wince - particularly the blush blouse plus acid yellow skirt; I know things don't have to be matchy matchy these days, but really?

As far as my own translation, I haven't figured all the analogues yet. I know I could easily do it with all neutrals and maybe one color, but to me one of the current things about these combos is the unexpected combinations that they did. That's gonna take me out of my comfort zone for sure.

rachylou

I don't know if it was CAbi, but I came across a challenge just like it awhile ago. There's something really appealing about it, isn't there? Although true enough, I have hang ups about wearing something twice the same week to the office. Anywhere else, but not the office.

Aida

I don't think shoes should count in these types of exercises, personally. Three certainly wouldn't work for me. They had some pretty good mixes in there, though I personally do not enjoy wearing a button-up as a jacket in any situation except for as a swimsuit cover up :} I think you're right that this would probably be more interesting and translate better if the jackets are a bit more varied; I'd probably swap in a colorful jacket for one of the grays to use in place of all the outfits that have the shirt-as-jacket, or maybe even a denim jacket, but that's just me. (Look at how those outfits turn into something so much cheeker with a cropped denim jacket!) Have to say I rather like the blush+yellow combo :} I look forward to seeing your results Laura!

I hope nobody minds me continuing to natter and pulling this thread up to the front again. I've pulled out some possibilities for this set. I'm thinking it might be fun to do something in the cream/navy/gray/brown color scheme and avoid black, because black-and-everything is simple and not much of a challenge for me. I can't decide whether to do this before the holidays or save it until January. If anyone else is interested in joining in and you have a timing preference please let me know.

Officially the CAbi folks don't include the shoes in the 15 item count so I could just wait and add whatever shoes I want, I guess. Rachylou, I agree with you about the frequent repeat issue - I work at home so I could probably repeat things without anyone noticing (besides my DH but he's used to my nuttiness) but it could make for a lot of laundry. I'm also unsure whether some of the outfits as designed are warm enough for winter, as opposed to fall. I'd want another layer in some of the outfits, I think.

Sometime this weekend I want to take my 'maybe' pile of items and see how they correspond exactly to the CAbi list of items - pictures, perhaps!

Never let it be said that I can't overanalyze things to death, ha - have laid out a possible 15 items and it occurred to me that figuring out all the combos would be easier if I labeled each of the original items and gave it a code. So here's the 6 weeks of outfits from the original CAbi post in code:
Items:
Tops:
T1 white button-front shirt with twist detail
T2 chambray button-front shirt
T3 cream and gray striped knit top with dolman sleeves
T4 cream knit top with tie neck
T5 black tank
T6 printed camisole - black, cream, brown animal print with spaghetti straps and front ruffle
T7 blush silk blouse with band collar and short wide sleeves with cuff
Jackets:
J1 grayish taupe three-button blazer with pockets - sweater knit
J2 black mid-thigh cardigan with drapey wide collar and waist sash
J3 marled gray sweater/jacket with darker gray contrast sleeves
J4 taupe one-button blazer - tweedy fabric with ruched collar and three-quarter sleeves
Bottoms:
B1 slim jeans, medium denim
B2 bright yellow straight skirt
B3 black flared pants
B4 gray ponte skinnies
Shoes:
S1 black ankle boots
S2 black heels
S3 blush flats with studded bow detail in black and gold

week one
1 - J2 T6 B2 S2
2- T2 B1 J4 S1
3 - B3 T7 J3 S3
4 - T1 B4 J1 S1
5 - B2 T5 J3 S3
two
1- T3 B3 S3
2 - T4 J4 B4 S3
3 - B2 T7 J1 S2
4- J2 B3 T6 S2
5 - B4 T5 T2 S1
three
1- T7 B4 J2 S1
2 - T2 B2 S2
3 - B1 T4 J4 S3
4 - T3 J3 B4 S1
5 - s B3 T1 J1 S2
four
1- T2 J3 B3 S3
2 - T5 J2 B4 S3
3 - T7 T2 B1 S1
4 - T1 B1 S2
5 - B2 T3 J3 S1
five
1 - B4 T6 T2 S1
2 - B2 T4 J4
3 - B4 T5 J3 S3
4 - T7 J1 B1 S2
5 - T6 B1 J4 S3
six
1 - T5 B3 J4 S1
2 - T3 J1 B1 S1
3 - T4 J2 B3 S2
4 - B1 T5 J1 S3
5 - T1 B2 S2

moira

I was told there would be no math.

I was thinking in a "you sunk my battleship" mode myself, after I typed it all up...

Sarah A

I love reviewing how you approached the challenge here. I am in a recent-move-budget-inspired-strict SYC so seeing your strategy is very helpful!

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