Last Leg of the 30 x 30 Challenge - YouLookFab Forum

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Last Leg of the 30 x 30 Challenge

Anonymous

To all the participants of this challenge, I thank you. You have both awed and inspired me. It was a an honor getting to know each of you and your personal styes.

There are only eight more days of the challenge (last day July 18th). All the hard work has been done and it is time to either go out with a bang or coast to the finish. Me? I'm going to coast to the finish. For some reason, I feel I have earned that.

I've learned an awful lot about my style preferences and needs (especially my needs). I doubt that there will be many more lessons for me to learn in the next eight days. Still, I am always open to new discoveries.

Do you realize my personal epiphany about my clothing needs for high Summer exactly coincides the NAS. While everyone on the Forum will be shopping for Fall/Winter, I'll be busy trying to score some stuff on sale for high Summer. Had I not participated in the challenge, I would have been yearning for heavy cashmere sweaters and sweatpants. I now realize the futility of that exercise!! So YAY.

Best wishes going forward.

Dressing

18 replies

Latest reply was from Joy

Tanya

Veteran

Congratulations, Sterling! It sounds like the challenge lead to a lot of knowledge about your wardrobe needs you wouldn't have gained otherwise. Hope you find the right summery stuff you'd like.

Sal

Veteran

Thanks Sterling for being the impetus for the challenge and driving us along.

I am having a coasting week too. The weather has been great - sunny skies - so it is easier to dress for the rugby tournament. But while I tried to mix it up for the last three weeks, this week is all about repeating and wearing what works.

I find it interesting how hot climates still cater for cold weather fashions. When in Queensland Australia last year several shops had lots of thick fabrics in store heading into a hot summer...clearly summer clothes, not leftover winter stock. I cannot imagine wearing a pleather thick jacket and clingy hot lace top in a sticky humid summer. Yes to tweaks for summer and winter - the light is different and the feel is different. Even if it is still warm in winter we don't feel like we are on summer vacation...

I hope you get some great lightweght options that suit your needs,

My lessons have been a little different:

1) I need a new bag. Bags are letting my style down.
2) I can repeat happily. Yes to remixing - but only when it works - do not force it.
3) Include some bold pieces for happiness. And wear my accessories.
4) Self diagnosis of my Kibbe type.
5) I have some lazy pieces in my closet. They rarely get worn. I will try to wear and photograph them after this challenge and decide why they are so lazy. I don't mean evening wear or even very cold weather gear - I mean the grey jacket that is nice but only with one pair of pants and it is never my first choice.... or the black dressy ankle boots that I am very much over and do not feel like me any more....

Enough about me - this is not my thread!!

Anonymous

Sterling - I am glad this has been useful to you. I have also identified a couple things, but don't really feel like looking too hard. I can make do without them if I don't run across them. Summer list includes short sleeve tees and a pair of shorts for over 100 degrees. I got several tops this year, but realize most only work up to 100 or so. It's been significantly over that for several weeks.

For NAS, I decided not to stock up on bras like I usually do. I want to do it in person, and don't have a local Nordstrom. For fall, I have some all weather booties and black slim pants on my list. I may not get the fall things at NAS, and look instead closer to season.

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

Thank you, Sterling, for initiating this challenge! I have enjoyed participating and seeing more of everyone's outfits. I THINK I'm going to try to go out with a bang. Today I realized that I have not worn the blazer that I included in the capsule. I cheated a little bit last week by carrying the bag from outside the capsule. So, I guess I have the option to swap out the blazer for the bag to remain within the 30 item count. But, you know, I want to wear one of the new blouses that have arrived during the past couple of weeks. Sooooo...I don't know. Maybe I will accept the mini fail and swap the blazer for a new blouse during this coming week. It remains to be seen.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Congratulations, Sterling! I think that NAS lesson has really sunk in now. Well and truly. And that's a good thing. But I still think you could shop the sale for bags and jewellery.

Joy

Veteran

Thank you so much for initiating this challenge. I have learned several lessons and some things that I did not expect. Today I realized that I need to consider toppers for hot weather/arctic a/c. Most of the ones that I had in my capsule are now too warm to wear. I may fizzle out these last few days and switch out the denim jacket and navy cardigan for something lighter.

anchie

Veteran

Thank you Sterling for initiating this challenge. Glad to hear it was good learning experience for you. I have also learned my lesson and had very similar issues as you. Even if I have my whole closet available I don't have appropriate casual wardrobe for the high summer.
My casual bottoms, except for shorts, are too heavy for this time of year and I have not wear them at all. I don't own a summer dress which will be very useful. And at the moment I also have issue with my tops. I don't have enough of them. One has developed a huge hole at the back which I have not even noticed immediately, and 3 tops are starting to look tired from the constant wear. Since I don't have access to laundry at the moment, not sure if I will have enough clothes for another week.
I am planing to shop summer sales to build high summer casual capsule while the holes are still fresh in my mind. I have already filled some online shopping carts and planning to pull the trigger soon so that packages are waiting for me when I return home.

Meredith

Veteran

It's been fun to lurk around these challenge threads. Glad it was such a productive experience.

LaPed

Veteran

Thanks for organizing the challenge, Sterling! It's been really fun. I've learned a lot, although mostly this exercise has reinforced my sense that I have some holes I could fill (mostly accessories and certain colors I wish were more present in my summer palette) and some essentials I could upgrade, which would make me happier with my overall style; the challenge is figuring out how much of my budget I want to devote to accessories and upgrades. Wardrobe renovations are, to my mind, very similar to home renovations: there's the stuff one absolutely must do for functional reasons, and then there's the purely aesthetic stuff that always ends up on the back burner but which could go so far towards increasing one's overall enjoyment, and is maybe more "necessary" than we pragmatists like to admit...

I only have about 4 days of challenge outfits left, and then I'll be in the same clothes for 4 days straight the 15th - 18th (backpacking trip). I'm pretty sure I'll make it through the whole month without a single exact duplication, thanks to a good variety of shoes. Planning to go out with a bit of a bang -- I've got a nice dress to wear for my husband's birthday celebration that I haven't worn yet this month.

I've really loved seeing everyone else's outfits and getting a better sense of each person's unique aesthetic.

Anonymous

Emily and LaP -- I hope you do go out with a bang. It is always nice to finish strong.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

It's been fun and informative being on the sidelines. Thanks.

Elizabeth P

Veteran

I'm going out with a bang. Gonna try for 50x30! This week, I'm wearing NOTHING that was part of my 30. It's the binge between the challenge and the vacation that will force restricted clothes.

Tee hee.

Thanks from me too, Sterling. You rock at leading challenges... you are so good at motivating, expressing yourself, making us all think... Looking forward to the next one, whether I participate (and I use that term loosely, LOL) or lurk. I learn lots either way.

Joy

Veteran

I think I'll join Elizabeth in wearing NOTHING, but no pictures!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

WELL DONE, Sterling. You did a stellar job, and congrats to you. A worthwhile exercise.

Joyce B

Veteran

I just followed from a distance and it was interesting to see how much people learned from the challenge.
I am glad that you figured out what your clothing needs are.

Runcarla

Veteran

After figuring out number of wears for my chosen items, I've decided this week will be about wearing lesser worn items and trying not to repeat any combination I've already worn!

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Bwaaaaaaa, Joy!

Joy

Veteran

Elizabeth, I want to see pictures :). I'm sure you will go out with a "bang".