WIW and update on outfit project

Happy Friday everyone!

I am completing the second week of my 4 week outfit project. For this project, I selected 20 outfits to wear for my workdays. The idea was to not repeat an outfit for the 4 weeks but with no requirement to mix and match. I used 18 tops and 18 bottoms plus 2 dresses, selecting items that I really am happy to wear. For casual weekend wear, I did more of a capsule idea and just chose 8 bottoms plus 10 tops to mix and match however I want. So 54 pieces all together. I didn't give myself any restrictions on shoes and bags nor did I preplan them with the outfits. I just choose whatever strikes my fancy that day!

It has been really nice to get dressed in the mornings with a more narrow focus. I just think of an item I want to wear (sometimes I start with a top, sometimes a bottom) and I have an outfit already sorted. Occasionally I've had to consider the weather- I didn't want to wear the outfit that I like to pair my silk boots with on a rainy day for instance. And I usually don't like to wear the same pair of shoes 2 days in a row so that might be a consideration. I don't have to think about the last time I wore an outfit because I know I'm not repeating in 4 weeks which is ample variety for me.

I took a look at which outfits I have left for the second half of my 4 weeks and the mix looks just right:

Week 3

1 jeans + top
1 skirt + top

1 dress

2 pants + tops

Week 4

1 jeans + top

2 skirts + 2 tops

1 pants + top

1 white jeans + top

While I can pretty much wear anything I want to work, I try to limit my jeans to Friday. White jeans are fair game any time!

So far I have used 7 different bags and worn 9 different pairs of shoes with my 10 outfits. For casual wear, it's only been 1 weekend so I've worn 2 tops and 2 bottoms, 2 pairs of more casual shoes and 1 additional bag.

I'm not sure what I am going to do after my 4 weeks! I could repeat the same 20, swap out x number of pieces, or select a whole new group. One thing I am considering is to do 6 week plans, with 15 outfits that are each worn twice. Lots of ways to tackle the same idea- working with a select number of pieces with a focus on finding just 1 or 2 favorite ways to wear the pieces that I love and then happily repeat those outfits at a frequency that feels ok to me.

Photos are today's outfit, one with jeans and a new sweater. I tried to get a picture of the back because that's where the interest is. Jeans are KUT skinnies, shoes are black fabric shooties and the sweater is from Anthro.

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11 years ago

Anonymous

I just saw this now. I guess I got behind due to NAS. I'm less obsessed and I'll catch up when I get home.

shedev

Veteran

Great outfit Susie.

Sara L.

Fun sweater! I like the pattern on the back. The blue purse is a nice bit of color. Good to hear than you are having fun with your closet.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Super cute look. Loving the back action on that pullover, Susie.

Could you select a different set of 20 items for the next round of 4 weeks?

jackiec

Business in the front Party in the back! Looks great!

Oogling your shoe collection in the background...

Susie

Thanks all! Jackie, that's what I said at the office today- that it's my mullet sweater

Since my next 4 weeks will be August- ugh usually the hottest month of the year here- I think I am going to try to wear my most summer things. I might go with 6 weeks, and choose fifteen outfits to wear 2 x each.

Gigi

Susie, do you always wear the same top with the same bottom with this method? For instance, "1 jeans plus top" could mean any number of tops, since jeans go with everything. Or have you slated a particular top to go with a particular pair of jeans?

Gigi, my goal was to choose pieces that I really like to wear, and then wear them in a favorite way. I probably do have some tops that I always wear with a particular bottom - for instance, I have a taupe and white striped linen sweater and I like it best paired with white jeans, so every time I've worn it, it's been with white jeans. There are others that I might wear with a variety of bottoms. But I seem to prefer having one or two "best" ways to create an outfit with an item; I don't feel a need to mix and match just to avoid repeating an outfit.

With the list above, the pair of jeans and the top have already been selected to wear together. I probably had selected the jeans as something I wanted to include in my 20, and then picked a top that I like to wear with them. Does that make sense?

Joyce B

I think I am going to follow your project for the next few busy weeks.
Normally I have outfits ready for a week and a half. Most are interchangeable. I need to do that for three weeks. You gave me the right idea for that.
I love the outfit that you are showing, btw.

Thanks, Susie! Yes, that does make sense. It sounds like with your list above, you had a preselected outfit in mind, a particular top for that pair of jeans. But it also sounds like you might have a second favorite top to wear with those jeans, and if you feel like it someday, you might switch the top out. But you're just sticking to your favorites and not creating new combos just for the sake of variety.

cheryl

You look great and I love that top. I also am loving your closet in the background. I could probably do something like this as well. I don't like frequent repeats but once a month is probably doable.

Thanks, Cheryl. I love my closet

Elizabeth P

What a great sweater, Suzie.

Is the weatehr going to be similar for the next four week? What about wearing the same items, but mixed in different ways?

Alexandra

Love the sweater with the fun back! And it's interesting to read your report on your project. I love how differently we all approach our wardrobes. Some like to repeat, others don't, some like a lot of clothes, others prefer fewer... It's pretty cool.

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