The 30 for 30 Recap

La Fin The End Das Ende

Photos of the final 15 outfits means that we are at the end of

the Winter edition of the 30 for 30 Challenge.

You got it folks, the journey is over.  This challenge began with 30 pieces of clothing and a desire to prove to myself that I could survive with a limited amount of clothing at my disposal.  I learned a number of things about my likes, dislikes, what works well for my body and styles that I should leave for others.  The first recap of items 1-15 can be found HERE in case you missed it.

What I learned from this challenge:

I always have something to wear. There wasn't one day that I stood in front of my limited options and said "I have nothing to wear!"  It was just my reality and I dealt with it... with style!  While I'm not sure I'm willing to jump in to another 30 for 30 challenge any time soon, I am interested in participating in capsule challenges every so often to keep my remixing skills sharp.  I've watched Kasmira at What I Wore Today show the versatility of a handful of items and keep it fresh everyday so I'll give that a shot in the near future.

It forced me to pair up a few things I might not have otherwise.  I don't feel like anything was too much of stretch due to the fact that I picked fairly neutral items, but it still made me reach a little.  I'm excited about getting back to the other items in my closet and seeing what else I can create!

Patterns are a lot more versatile than I ever imagined. I've already gone shopping since the end of the challenge and I'm happy to say that I gravitated toward patterns with many colors.  I want more patterned (both bold and subtle) skirts, tops, and dresses.  Mixing patterns is on the agenda in a big way.  I will be on the look out for patterns that play well with others - oh yeah, I'm ready to go there.  

Because I made so many safe choices with my 30 items, I was able to add interest with fun scarves, bold jewelry, and colorful and patterned tights.  The outfits below are pretty unremarkable but I adding the scarf of the statement necklace made all of the difference.  I will be on the look-out for scarves that bold patterns and inexpensive way to finish off a look.

Doing laundry was really strange when you only have 25 clothing items in the rotation.  I never seemed to have enough to do a full load but always needed to wash something.  Did anyone else come across this issue?

I couldn't access my more casual clothing and that made things a little difficult for me during my casual weekend activities.  I really wanted a second pair of casual pants (such as boyfriend jeans or khakis) and a fun and comfortable rubber soled shoe.  If/when I do this challenge again I will make sure those items find their way in to my options.  In fact, I need a cute pair of comfortable casual shoe so I'll be on the lookout for a pair of Topsiders or versatile Converse in the near future.  Most of my shoes fall clearly in the "Dress" or "Gym" category and I need a pair or two for the in between activities.

I love my boots and my jeans.  I pride myself on my bargain shopping abilities but maybe I need to give myself permission to drop more than $100 on each of these items.  If no one noticed that I was wearing the same pair of jeans repeatedly then why not get a fantastic pair that I feel incredible while wearing?  I'm one of the few women that doesn't own over 50 pair of jeans so i think one or two pricey pairs are justifiable.  My boots also got a ton of love. Finding boots that fit over my calves is difficult and I usually have luck with lower end boots but the downside is, they don't last more than one season and the shape is never that great.  With the amount I wear my boots, I should really find a quality pair of both brown and black that will last more than one season... I'm open for suggestions. 

Lastly, I've learned that there are so many talented women out there and they provide great inspiration when I feel myself getting stuck in a rut.  Congratulations to those of you that finished your challenge and hang in there to those that are still plugging away!  And a big THANK YOU to Kendi for organizing the 30 for 30 Challenge and providing a great sense of community to all of us gals just trying to get dressed in the morning!