Good for you, El Cee!!! You, in turn, inspire me to continue the work.

Challenge Day Two: cardigan week: I am showing you 3 on probation today. The pants are charcoal Ponte jeans and the Fossil belt is too big. The checked shirt is also under consideration. AT with some Spandex.
1: AT black Swacket.
2: cashmere arguile several years old.
3: rose patterned cardigan again with pattern mixing.

Sterling -- I really like the Gap Floral sweatshirt. I can understand why you would want to wear it more than once a week. Stylish AND cozy. What more could you ask for?

Joy -- You have a great "plan of attack" this week, tackling items by group. I should try that method. Love #1 and the subtle tonal pattern mixing (stripes/checks/snake). I really like the checked shirt. I also like the overall tonal look in #2. As I have a poison eye for argyle, I will let others be the judge on that particular sweater… but I admit I might have a tough time parting with a classic cashmere item in good condition. I am a total sucker for big floral prints and could see the cardigan in #3 worn with white jeans. Like it with charcoal as well -- but perhaps not with the checks in the mix. (I am a more hesitant pattern mixer, so take this with a grain of salt.)

Hi Joy. I have enjoyed your WIWs for a long time now. You never cease to blow me out of the water. These three pictures are not on par with your usual WIWs, suggesting that the items in question belong on probation.

In all fairness though, the shirt doesn't photograph well and that may be throwing me off. When I go back and review the pictures, it seems my eye falls on the shirt and I have a hard time seeing the rest of the composition. I would donate the shirt for sure. Could we please see the cardigans styled with a different top?

Sterling, I love the idea of the thick belt to switch it up a bit.
Joy, I really like the floral cardi.
I'm not doing a challenge, but watching with interest.

I never have a hard time getting dressed in the morning. I lay out the outfit I am going to wear the next morning and I am dressed in less than five minutes (no brain power whatsoever).

The challenge has stymied me today (February 17). I selected my outfit last night (and I loved it at the time). This morning that same outfit feels "constrictive." It is not! But I feel I want something more "cosy." I opted to change the grey blazer for a black cardigan. I paired the cardigan and skirt with black oxfords and a white tee shirt. I don't have a picture of either the oxfords or the tee shirt. I'll remedy that after work.

Unworn item: black oxfords. No reason that they are unworn other than I had been "saving" them.

Joy -- when we are done with this challenge, I will be curious to know if it helped you make any decisions. I hope the challenge was helpful to you.

Count me in! Starting this evening, because today I'm in workout clothes.

Actually.. I have some saved stuff there, as well. Hmm.

Sterling -- I totally understand why a blazer, even one that is a great fit and fabric, never feels quite as cozy as a cardigan. Perhaps it is something about the structured/less relaxed nature of a blazer that makes it feel more "constrictive". I personally am not reaching for my blazers and jackets as often, especially when it is an "at home" day. (Food for thought.) I have a few knit blazers and motos that I should try as a "cardigan equivalent" on those days. I also understand about the "saving" shoes thing. If I really like a new pair, I am so afraid that they will get beat up or scuffed that I will avoid wearing them. Silly Me! Shoes are meant to be worn. By the way, I love your skirt. The pattern is fabulous.

Today I am trying to style a chocolate brown drape front cardigan. I think the reason that I am not wearing it is that I just do not have the right supporting acts. This particular brown seems to have a lot of red in it, so it doesn't work that well as a true neutral and, in my mind, does not play well with my tops and tees. I am wearing it today over a bright citron drapey tank with a pair of KUT distressed boyfriend jeans and gold metallic fashion sneakers. I am also wearing some gold earrings and a polished stone bracelet that ties in with the brown and citron colors. It works. I may try pairing the cardigan with a tomato red lightweight sweater later in the week. I am still not sure I will keep this piece, but want to give it a fair shot as it is really soft and comfortable. I love this challenge. It is really forcing me to think outside the box.

Hmmm...I think you were supposed to wear that grey blazer
Maybe the problem with the outfit is that you're doing the constrictive top AND bottom.
Maybe you need to pair the grey blazer with your ponte pants?
I think the cardigan/skirt combo is very nice.

How did the red blazer outfit work out? Did you feel good in it?

The red blazer worked out great at work!!! It is a bright red. People commented how much they liked it throughout the day. I felt GREAT. I made a mental note that the red blazer must be worn more often. Thanks for asking, Smittie.

Sterling, I like this challenge. When I retired I had clothes that I thought were "too good" to wear other than to work. After several years I started wearing these clothes in casual atmospheres like coffee shops, out to a local grille for a relaxed dinner and now around the community for errands, etc. I felt good. Now I have another group of clothing I have saved for when I go out between casual and dress up. Those clothes don't get worn so much and your challenge has reminded me to wear those clothes more freely. Sometimes I saved clothes for rare occasions because I loved them and didn't want to wear them out. That really makes no sense to me now. I'm 5' talk and it's hard for me to find petites that look good on me and selection his limited. So I saved. No more! Thanks for the reminder!

Challenge Day 3 of cardigans:
Today's blush cardi works better over a sleeveless top but it is still too cold for that. I like that it has a V neck but wish it were a bit bigger.

I like this cardigan with the blouse.

I laid out my outfit for tomorrow (February 18) and I selected the most UNWORN ITEM in my wardrobe: a Brooks Brothers' Button Down Shirt. I am going to pair the button-down with my Kut from the Kloth Leggings (which I adore).

Now I have a cheat. I am going to put a sweater in the car. If I get uncomfortable during the day, I can change.

Sterling, this looks like a winning combination. Crisp white shirt with soft knits.

I agree. Sterling, this is a great combo. I do this, too, except with a crisply ironed blue chambray shirt instead of a white shirt.

Sterling -- I like the outfit you have laid out for today. The crisp white Brooks Brothers shirt is a gorgeous classic. Is that one of the special items that you are "saving"? I do that with white shirts too -- afraid that I am going to stain them. But I so love the look.

Today I am planning to wear a classic plaid jacket -- bought last Fall and, as yet, is unworn. Fit is great and the gray/black plaid coordinates well with other pieces in my wardrobe, so I don't know why it has sat in my closet all this time. (I think it is because I have been favoring cardigans over jackets this winter for the comfort.) I am going to do a rendition of Angie's Urban Equestrian ensemble from Fall 2014. These are the pieces I will be attempting to wear together (fingers crossed) -- plus tall black boots or black moto boots, haven't decided which ones yet.

The blazer is beautiful, El Cee.

Tomorrow (February 19), I'm going to wear comfortable, cosy fallback items. Same ponte pants and a sweater. Simple. Easy. Comfortable.

So I will wear some unworn accessories to meet the challenge. A bracelet I love, but tends to slip up and down my wrist and distract me. Earrings that I just never reach for because I usually go with studs. And finally, a scarf from Banana Republic. I absolutely adore this print. What I didn't realize is that fabric content matters even in scarf. This is wool. It is not really an in-door scarf. Also I discovered it can fussy. Wearing scarfs is a lot harder than most women make it look.

ETA: I wasn't able to wear the bracelet (too uncomfortable) or the scarf (too hot and fussy). I am still wearing the earrings. Although this should be a sign that the bracelet and scarf could be purged, I just can't do it. The bracelet will be worn on special occasions. The scarf will be relegated to cold weather outer wear.

Challenge Day 4 of cardigans. Today's was an olive jersey cardigan and just one look at the photos convinced me it is a definite NO. I think this cardigan has made me hesitant to try the long duster cardigans that were popular this winter. I wonder if it will be wearing me.

Sterling -- Nothing wrong with cozy fallback clothing. I think I will be going the same route today. I love your accessories. The scarf print is gorgeous -- but I understand about indoor vs. outdoor fabrications. (I can only wear my wool ones as outdoor neck cover in winter.) It will be interesting to see if you can find a way to wear it that is neither fussy nor overly hot. (if you do, please share your secret.)

Joy -- I very much like the drape and color of your cardigan but I agree that it is a bit too long. I think that with this type of cardigan there is a very fine line between just the right amount of long drape and a full out bathrobe look, especially on a small or petite frame.

My report -- Yesterday's outfit worked well. I really do like the wool blazer, but it is a bit too warm to wear in some indoor locations. I will be more likely to use it as lightweight outerwear. Today I am going the comfy cozy route. I will be wearing the same silver jeans as yesterday and will be pairing them with a gray GAP sweater dress/tunic (which is several years old) and a silky striped scarf in shades of gray and purple. I am evaluating whether I should keep or toss the tunic. The neckline (a wide and deep U) is a bit problematic as I have trouble keeping bra straps from showing (and I am not a big fan of strapless bras). I may try layering the tunic over a tank or shell to eliminate that issue. If that trick works, I may hold onto the piece.

I just realized that somehow I have not yet chimed in on this thread. Oops! It's been fun to watch the challenge spread.

Joy, I can really appreciate the cardigan challenge. I love your argyle one (but I have a weird soft spot for argyle). How did the long olive one work out after a day of wear? It does seem a bit long for you. I think cardigans are tricky, but I'm also not much of a cardigan person when it comes to personal style. I still own two, which I actually like more when I turn them around and wear them buttoned up and backwards. They're both crewneck and shortish, at hip length. One is quite old -- a sort of modified argyle diamond pattern in shades of olive, that my mom bought me while we were out shopping together probably a decade ago, so it's quite sentimental. I will now need to challenge myself to wear it.

El Cee, I love those silver jeans, and that jacket too. I'm getting a better idea of how warm my jackets are during this experiment, and it's a good reminder to me to make sure my tops are comfortable to wear on their own (not too tight or clingy even if they're an underlayer) to be wearing jackets when I'm going through the "warm flash" phase of life. Quick jacket removal is sometimes a necessity. As for the wide-neck sweater, I have a couple of those, and I usually wear a tank underneath to hide the errant bra strap. That kind of top is usually a good candidate for a scarf too.

Sterling, the accessories challenge is another really good one. I need to do that myself. My jewelry and scarf collection is, well, vast. In fairness, some was inherited, some dates back to my early adulthood in the 80s. I'm really sentimental about jewelry and scarves (mom loved both! You see a pattern here in my sentimentality?).

Oh, and I have a white Brooks Brothers button-front shirt too -- it's the more fitted one, which does not button all the way to the throat. I haven't worn it in a long time, either. I had a black one too, but consigned that. They're beautifully made shirts, and classic, but my main wear for a white shirt like that has been layering under a sweater, and lately that just feels a bit too traditional for me. I'll need to see if I can style that shirt in an edgier way that feels more "me."

Great work, ladies!

Sterling, the scarf is a great colour, and your accessories are very nice. I can see why you gravitate towards studs though, as that's something I do too. I find bangles annoying, generally.

I like the pairing of the stiff button-down with the soft knit leggings.