The 30x30 Remix Challenge: Foundational Info

A few months ago, when I didn't have a blog but was thinking about creating one, a lot of my favorite style bloggers were doing the 30x30 remix challenge, generously sponsored by Kendi from Kendi Everyday. The idea - to take 30 items in your closet and come up with enough outfits to last 30 days - sounded interesting, and I decided to try it myself. This was done entirely on a whim. Did I find success? No, not really. Part of it was that I just got bored; I put almost no thought into which 30 items to use, so the outfits I could make with them left a lot to be desired. Also, since I wasn't documenting my progress to anyone, it was really easy to just give it up after a week. No shame, no sadness - it just didn't work that time.

But it's a new day! Kendi recently announced the winter installment of her 30x30 challenge. After a little consideration and A LOT of listmaking, I decided to give this thing another go. Have I got spirit? Have I got determination? You bet. See for yourself:

Impressive, right?

I'm actually really looking forward to this! If you're participating in the 30x30 (or some alternate version that works better for your life), DEFINITELY let me know so that I can follow along.

Here are the items in my 30-day rotation:

As I said, a lot of intricate listmaking went into deciding on these 30 items. I've compiled a bunch of outfit ideas based on these choices, mostly to make sure that 30 cohesive outfits are actually possible, so I think that list will help out on the inevitable mornings when I'm feeling creatively stuck.

In choosing my clothes and shoes, I wanted to consider comfort above everything else. None of my options hurt or bother my body in any way, and I know that will be important if I really want to wear and re-wear everything I picked out. After taking comfort into account, I wanted to make sure to find a balance between the familiar and the experimental. About 2/3 of my picks are things that I wear all the time, and the other items (including my pink pants, my old-fashioned boots, my purple skirt, etc.) are either new additions OR they've been tougher to wear on a regular basis. I'm hoping that this 30x30 remix challenge will force me encourage me to work with these items and find stylish ways to implement them in my wardrobe.

Something interesting that I observed in my obsessive, methodical listmaking process: 4 of my 30 items were gifts, 16 were thrifted/purchased secondhand, and the other 10 were purchased the old-fashioned way. All told, the money I spent on these items comes to about $300. I feel like my 30x30 will be a great way to see how well (and how creatively) a person can dress for that dollar amount. The gifted and thrifted components definitely saved me a boatload.

Well, this should be fun! The 30 days will start on February 1st. And between now and then, I will be savoring the rest of my closet with the ferocity of a kid at the end of summer, soaking up every sunny moment until the school year starts again.

(How'd you like my analogy?)