30x30 Recap

I think this might be my best remix yet as far as quality of outfits. Usually a 30x30 has a few duds, but I think most of these are pretty solid. Most of the items got pretty equal wear as well. The only things that were worn once, and thus not remixed, were the polka dot maxi skirt, the Arkansas tee, and surprisingly my chambray shirt and yellow polka dot blouse. So I really could have done this challenge with 26 items, but that always seems to be the case with a 30x30. No matter how carefully you plan and pick your items, something is underutilized.  It's interesting to see how my fashion choices have changed since I participated in my first, second, and third 30x30 challenge. How's that for style evolution?

30x30 - Outfit 30!

Blouse -Go International Target, Thrifted

Skirt -Vintage, Thrifted

Wedges - Jeffery Campbell

Belt - Vintage, Antique Mall

Last one!  Audible sigh of relief.  It's been a fun challenge but a long one. To celebrate the end of my challenge, I decided to go out with a bang!  Floral! Polka dots! Yellow! Red! A cacophony of pattern and color.  I think it's a fitting last outfit for this challenge.  Check back tomorrow for a recap of the whole challenge.  I'll be back to regular posting (and the rest of my closet) next week.

30x30 - Outfit 29

Blouse - Old Navy

Skinnies - Bullhead Black, Resale Shop

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Necklace - Vintage, Antique Store

Bracelet - Vintage 

I actually wore this outfit last week, but didn't have a chance to photograph it.  I wore it on a day trip for work.  My boss and I went to measure a volunteer fire station for a small town.  I couldn't find any data on the town's population, but the county seat has a population of 1,355 and the entire county has 8,195 people.  So needless to say this town is tiny.  While having lunch in the county seat, I remarked to my boss that I was probably the first person to wear red pant in the town.  He replied that I was at least the first person to wear red pants and mean it to be stylish.  Haha.  Kara, small town trend setter.

30x30 - Outfit 28

Cardigan - Gap

Blouse - Old Navy, Resale Shop

Skirt - Jason Wu for Target

Wedges - Jeffery Campbell

This outfit is almost unphotographable.  You are witnessing my third separate attempt to capture it.  Any amount of sunlight and this blouse turns into a white blob near my equally white face.  I even photographed yesterday when it was overcast.  Still didn't work out.  Just for kicks and giggles, I'm going to post one of the terrible ones.

Here it is.  Wooo! Ghost blouse.

This one too.  Giant hands are funny.

30x30 - Outfit 27

Cardigan - Gap

Tee - Gap

Skirt - Elle, Kohl's

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Necklace - Vintage, Antique Store

Belt - Thrifted

Yes, I'm wearing the same shirt as yesterday.  This 30x30 challenge is going down hill.  Quickly.  Good thing there are only three more outfits left.  Eek!  Next week I can finally break out the rest of my closet.  I'm quite excited.  This challenge has drug out a little too long.  The other times I participated I posted up to 7 outfits per week so the whole thing was over in a month.  This time around I tried to post 5 outfits a week so I wouldn't bombard you, the readers.  Add in a work trip with inconsistent posting and this challenge is going to be 7 weeks by the time it's finished.  That's almost 2 months.  I bet y'all are really ready to see me in some different clothes.  I'm definitrly ready to wear some different clothes.

30x30 - Outfit 26

Blazer - Gap

Tee - Gap

Skirt - Vintage, Thrifted

Wedges - Jeffery Campbell

Necklace - Vintage, Antique Mall

Belt - Vintage, Thrifted

Yes, I am wearing the same red skirt from Outfit 25 and yes, is does break some kind of 30x30 rule to wear the same distinctive piece two days in a row.  You've got to spread them out for maximum outfit diversity.  In my defense, Everybody, Everwear snuck up on me this month.  In fact, I didn't realize it was all going down today until I saw one of Liz's tweets yesterday.  Out of my 30x30 items what is more nautical than red, white, and blue?  Perhaps only stripes and rope!

30x30 Week 5 Recap

Well I didn't get very adventurous in my poses this week, did I? Except Outfit 25, foot behind leg and hand on other hip. Daring! My outfits were also rather subdued, mostly in the blue family, except for Outfit 25 once again.  Red!  One more week to go.  I have plenty of options left so I'm not sweatin' it.

Outfit 21
Outfit 22
Outfit 23
Outfit 24
Outfit 25

30x30 - Outfit 25

Blouse - Go International Target, Thrifted

Skirt - Vintage, Thrifted

Wedges - Jeffery Campbell

Belt - Thrifted

This outfit is another one that just seems so "me". Maybe it's just the red skirt. As I get older, I am really beginning to get a sense of the types of clothes I like to wear as opposed to the types of clothes I am drawn to in stores. It's import to distinguish between these two so that you don't have a closet full of clothes that you never wear. A lot of times I'm drawn to girly, frilly outfits. Ruffles, ruffles and more ruffles, but I know that in reality I wear items with a cleaner cut. I like my outfits to get interest from color and pattern, but not necessarily from shapes/adornments.  I do love a tie neck blouse though.  Do you find a disparity between what you are drawn to in stores and what you wear in real life?

30x30 - Outfit 24

Jacket - Mossimo, Thrifted

Tank - BDG, Urban Outfitters

Skirt - Elle, Kohl's

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Necklace - Vintage, Grandma'd

Belt - Thrifted

Another good thing about a 30x30 challenge is that it actually makes me crave items that are in my own closet.  Things that I already own seem tantalizing, just out of reach.  I'm not really yearning to go shopping, but I am dreaming up outfits I'll wear when I have my entire closet at my disposal.  I guess that's the whole point of this challenge.  Realizing that I already have enough clothes for years of outfit remixing.

 

30x30 - Outfit 23

Blouse - Old Navy

Jeans - Gap

Boots - Frye, Resale Shop

Necklace - Vintage, Antique Mall

Bracelet - Vintage, Garage Sale

Belt - Gap

One good thing about a 30x30 challenge is that it makes me want to do a major closet clean out when I'm done.  That shirt I bought on a whim that never fit? And is still hanging in my closet a year later, unworn? Gone!  That funky vintage blouse that was just a bit too funky? Gone.  When I realize how many interesting outfits I can make with so few pieces, it makes my bulging closet look excessive and sickening.  Sometimes more is more (like in pattern mixing and accesorizing), but sometimes less really is more, especially when it comes to my closet.

30x30 - Outfit 22

Shirt - American Eagle

Skirt - Jason Wu for Target

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Belt - Thrifted

Sometimes I think fashion blogging is all about seeing what wacky combinations you can get away with.  The statement jewelry, the layers, the pattern mixing. For this outfit I went with a gingham and floral combo.  I actually wore this to work.  I don't just blog these outfits, I wear them as well.

30x30 - Outfit 21

Jacket - Mossimo, Thrifted

Tee - BDG, Urban Outfitters

Skinnies - BDG, Urban Outfitters

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Necklace - Resale Shop

Alright.  I substituted this olive army jacket for the red cropped trench coat.  Red cropped trench coats are cute, but not particularly versatile for layering.  You see, trench coats usually look better buttoned, ergo obscuring anything underneath.  No fun for a remix where layering is key.  Thus this jacket.

30x30 Week 4 Recap

Well, I've already photographed Outfits 21, 22, and 23, so things are definitely shaping up for next week and for the last stretch of the challenge.  Still plenty of unworn outfits, so it's just a matter of wearing them at this point.  I had a good variety of outfits this week.  I finally managed to wear the gingham shirt and the white tie-neck blouse, two of my stragglers for this challenge.  Now about that pesky trench coat...

Outfit 16
Outfit 17
Outfit 18
Outfit 19
Outfit 20

30x30 - Outfit 20

Cardigan - Loft

Blouse - Old Navy, Resale Shop

Jeans - Gap

Belt - Gap

True Confessions Time:  I'm a little bit over this 30x30 challenge by now.  I wore my first outfit March 25, so I've been wearing these 30 items for 30 days already, even though I've only posted 20 outfits.  I have more or less been wearing these items on the weekend as well just the "boring" outfits, jeans and tees.  Despite the whining, I'm not going to quit now.  I'm going to power through.  Ten more to go!

 

30x30 - Outfit 19

T-Shirt - Gap

Skirt - Vintage, Thrifted

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Necklace - Vintage, Antique Mall

Belt - Thrifted





 

30x30 - Outfit 18

Shirt - Gap

Skirt - Elle, Kohl's

Boots - Frye, Resale Shop

Necklace - Vintage, Great-Aunt

Belt - Thrifted

Kind of crazy week last week.  Real life definitely superseded blog life.  This week I'll be playing catch up.  I actually wore this outfit a week ago Saturday.  A house my firm designed was part of a home tour and I acted as tour guide.  About 50% of the people that came through ask if my (younger) co-worker and I were the homeowners.  Yeah right.  What could two people in their mid/late twenties do to be able to afford a million dollar home.  The sad fact about our profession is that most architects/designers can't afford the homes they are designing.  One day my husband and I will be able to design and build our own home.  It might be a yurt, but it will be ours.

30x30 - Outfit 17

Shirt - American Eagle

Skirt - Vintage, Thrifted

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

Necklace - Talbots, TJ Maxx

Belt - Vintage, Thrifted

This is what a real girl looks like after she spends 8 hours working at a real job.  My life isn't picture perfect.  I'm too lazy to iron my skirt before outfit photos (or even before work for that matter).  I'd like to think that y'all keep coming back for this very reason.  To see outfits that are affordable and appropriate for life outside of a style blog.  What's your take on real life versus blog life?  Do you read blogs for the fantasy aspect or do your enjoy blogs that focus more on attainable styles?  Is your own job more fantasy or reality?

30x30 - Outfit 16

Blazer - Vintage, Thrifted

Blouse - Jason Wu for Target

Jeans - Gap

Boots - Frye, Resale Shop

Bracelet - Vintage, Mom'd

Belt - Gap

I'm starting out the week with a retro look that still manages to be professional.  I mix my vintage items with modern pieces to make them work appropriate.  I find the full-on vintage look can be hard to pull off at work, perhaps because it can come across as costume-y.  But vintage inspired items topped off with a vintage blazer? Just right.  I'm once again practicing my new catch phrase "Put a blazer on it." 

30x30 Week 3 Recap

I had quite a bit of variety going on this week.  I only repeated the navy blazer (and some shoes). Amazing I still have a few lingering tops and a jacket that haven't made an appearance.  I've worn them, just not on days that I got a photo.  I'm trying to stick to my 30 items for weekend wear as well.  I didn't wear any of the items for yard work or hiking last weekend, but I'm sure you'll forgive me for that.

Outfit 11
Outfit 12
Outfit 13
Outfit 14
Outfit 15

30x30 - Outfit 15

Blazer - Gap

T-Shirt - Arkiestyle, Etsy

Skinnies - Bullhead Black, Resale Shop

Flats - Calvin Klein, Dillard's

I'm ending the week with a pop of red.  A tee and jeans is the perfect casual Friday (posted on Saturday) outfit.  Throw on a blazer and it's suddenly office appropriate.  I have a theory.  I believe you could throw a blazer on anything, literally anything, and make it work appropriate.  I've even thought about doing a theme week called "Put a Blazer on It", just to prove all the wacky outfits you can get away with if paired with a classic blazer.  Maybe that will be my next project after this 30x30 challenge....