I hate to admit it, but I often stare at my closet full of clothes and think, ughh I have nothing to wear! When I first heard about the challenge, Six Items Or Less, I couldn’t believe that there were people out there who would voluntarily cut their wardrobe down to six measly articles of clothing for an entire month’s time. But after reading more about the project, I realized how interesting and potentially meaningful this challenge could be. And thus, my next HC Intern Experiment was born…
I am not quite ready to take on the full 6 Items or Less Challenge and have modified it in a way that I believe achieves a similar goal, but with fewer restrictions. Every day for an entire week (Monday-Friday) I will wear the same shirt. Each day, I will post a picture of my outfit and at the end of the week, I will reflect on whether the challenge made me think about my clothes differently, as well as whether people noticed.
The Shirt:
You would have thought that in creating the 1 shirt/5 days challenge, I would choose to wear my favorite, most adorable top. But rather than rely on something adorable that I can easily pair with 5 different types of bottoms, I decided to really challenge myself and stick with something plain and simple. I decided on this simple, white ¾ length button-down from J.Crew. This is a shirt that I’ve owned for over a year but have only worn a handful of times. I know this choice will really push my creativity and accessorizing abilities to the limit and I’m looking forward to documenting how it turns out!
Day 1
It’s my first day of the 1 Shirt/5 Days challenge and I’ve already noticed a difference in the way I view my wardrobe. Whether I mean to or not, I tend to fall into wearing the same cycle of clothes for months at a time. But this experiment refreshed my entire perspective, and I am now considering pieces that I haven’t worn for years. Enter in my purple Nanette Lepore tweed shorts! These babies have been sitting in my closet since fall 2010 and I’ve only worn them a few times. I paired the look with a velvet purple blazer, black braided belt and my favorite black booties. I knew I was going to be working in the HC office today and it’s always important to me that I look professional but with a fun, editorial twist at the same time.
Day 2
I don’t know what it is about this challenge that reminds me of old clothes I haven’t worn in years! This skirt is 6 years old and from one of the very first limited edition Target designer lines. I wore it with a gray cardigan, black headband, beaded necklace, and oxfords to complete the preppy look. I got a few compliments on my outfit from some friends but hope they didn’t pay too much attention because I will be wearing the same shirt tomorrow!
Day 3
Today is another in-office day and I’ve decided to keep it simple with a Theory skirt and black pumps. This mustard-colored skirt reminds me that it is officially spring, because the freezing temperatures here in Boston certainly make it feel like winter!
Day 4
Today it’s raining out and I am visiting a mosque for a class assignment, so I need to be modestly dressed and somewhat rainproof. This is definitely my simplest outfit of the week and I think the most boring. But the hot pink scarf (which doubled as a head covering in the mosque) jazzed the look up a bit and I got it while studying abroad in Israel, so every time I wear it I’m reminded of my amazing memories from there.
Day 5
I wanted to celebrate my love for Friday (cue the Rebecca Black song now…) by wearing an outfit that was fun and hip with a little pizzazz. I love fedoras and think they add a funky touch to every outfit. The black wool shorts are from J.Crew and the vest is from Target. This was definitely my favorite ensemble and the perfect one in which to celebrate the end of my experiment!
At the end of the week, no one had noticed that I wore the same shirt every day! Furthermore, this experiment made me realize the surprising, yet significant way my clothes impact my spirit and sense of self. Even though I wore the exact same top every day, my mood and self-perception definitely shifted depending on my “look du jour”. On Monday I felt very chic and pulled-together but with an edgy vibe, while Friday’s fedora ensemble made me feel carefree and excited for the weekend. I also realized that great style does not require owning large amounts of clothes. Every time I get sick of my wardrobe, I instantly think I need something new and head to the mall. But next time I feel this way, I’m going to spend a little more time staring at the clothes hanging in my closet and see if I can style them in a fresh, new way. While this experiment certainly provided some challenges (FYI: I will not be wearing that white shirt for a very, very long time), I did appreciate the way it fostered my fashion creativity and made me appreciate each and every item I own.
Have you ever participated in a fashion challenge like this? What are your thoughts about them and what do you think of my experiment? Please comment below!