It’s been exactly two weeks since I wrapped up my 21 day capsule wardrobe challenge in collaboration with La Parisienne. For those of you who may not know about it, the goal was to simplify, but I mean SIMPLIFY, my wardrobe. In other words, I wore the same 10 garments for 21 days.
Because it’s kind of a unique experience and because a bunch of people keep asking me “So, your challenge?!? How did it go???”, I thought it would be useful to do a little round-up of my adventure.
I say “adventure” because one of the main difficulties I faced and that many of you witnessed (and probably enjoyed on the other side of your screen) is that I picked 10 fall pieces for my challenge (like a trench coat, a jeans jacket, a sweater dress, so basically all warm pieces) which ended up happening at the exact same time than a heat wave. Doing it a 100% was super important to me (I’m a stubborn person), so all I could do was to make sure I had my mattifying powder and deodorant with me at all times.
Other than the sweat under my armpits or on my forehead, the challenge was sparked with different stages. The first five days were like the detox part. Ask my boyfriend: right from the start, I’ve caught myself saying more than once: “Omg, nope, I can’t go on like this for three whole weeks. It’s INHUMANE.” Truth is, I just needed to vent. Giving up was never an option. Jojo isn’t a quitter.
Rest assured, it became easier as time passed by. Believe it or not, I even started enjoying it! In the morning, instead of taking me 45 minutes to get ready, it would only take 30. And the usual “I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR” line became rarer and rarer. Less options = less complicated.
I still want to say though that I love experimenting with my style — it’s not a chore for me, but rather the opposite. That’s how I express myself, just like how a singer sings or a painter paints. However, that challenge didn’t feel like censorship either, but more like time off: three weeks with almost no style conundrums whatsoever. Whether you like fashion or not, believe me, it felt good.
Many of you also asked if people noticed that I was always wearing the same things. I doubt it. Think about it for a sec: do you remember what that coworker wore at that last 5 à 7? Or even what you friend wore two weeks ago when you went for brunch? Me neither. The only person noticed the lack of variety (he only told me at the end) is my boyfriend. I see him systematically everyday — we live together — so if I’d wear my sweater dress for three consecutive days, he knew.
I like to compare it to people who decide to go alcohol-free for a month. The goal is not to stop drinking forever, but to simply detangle automatisms; hit ‘refresh’.
Wearing 10 pieces of clothing for 21 days is very much alike: I was so happy to reunite with my full wardrobe at the end of it all! It felt like I was burying the hatchet with my garments, which I used to complain about way too easily before. And against all odds, I didn’t have the urge to go shopping on my first day of freedom. Not at all actually. I just felt like doing more with what I already owned. For real.
*Post sponsored by La Parisienne, but all opinions are mine 😊
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This is something I definitely need to try. I have been finding I have too many clothes and only wear the same ones every day! Simplicity is key.
There you! Sounds like the perfect timing to do a challenge like this one :) it’s really going to help you figure out which pieces you actually need! Thanks so much for reading :)