Fall 30x30 Round Up

Let's start with the easy part. Here are my top eleven looks. It was going to be a top ten, but I couldn't choose just ten looks. In fact, I'm still thinking about some of the runner ups. Did I say easy? I meant easier. Easier. Not easy.


And in case you want to revisit those posts, that would be outfits 31, 28, 27, 23, 21, 17, 15, 12, 10, 9, and 8.

After the last 30x30 challenge back in the summer, I felt like I'd come away with some lessons learned. This time around, I'm feeling less Eureka-y and more...cold. But, that doesn't mean I haven't learned a thing or two this time around.

1. A smaller closet makes your life easier. This has been a supremely stressful time for us what with the holidays, an impending move, family stuff, work, volunteering, etc., etc., etc. It was nice to have one part of my life that was relatively uncomplicated even if it did mean that I often wished for warmer sweaters.

2. Fall is a crazy season. The temperatures ranged from the 70s to the 20s and I was so not thinking about the 20s when I was picking out my 30x30 pieces. If I do this during another indecisive month, I will try my hardest to choose my items with the coldest part of the season in mind. Part of me thinks this will be easier to do in spring when things start out cold and get warmer. Of course, I hate the cold and I'm always in denial when it comes to wintery weather, so who knows.

3. Skirts are my favorite. My basic skirts got a ton of play this time around. I wish I'd worn my patterned full skirt one more time, but it's unlined and it got way too cold for that quickly (see point #2). I'm going to wear it lots and lots this spring, though.

4. I need more color in my (cold weather) life. I chose way too many black items, which meant I was pretty bored with my options pretty quickly. Part of that is because I just really love black, part of it is because I really, really love black when it's cold out, and part of it is because I am practical. Anyway, I am not allowed to buy any more black for a good, long time.

5. I get creative when I have fewer options. My absolute favorite outfit never would've happened if it weren't for the 30x30. A super femme embellished cardi with leopard print? Black and bright yellow? But then it just worked so stinkin' well and I loved it. Yes, there were some boring outfits, but that's mostly because I am not really a risk taker when it comes to choosing items to wear for 30 days. Most days, I found myself gravitating towards the more distinctive pieces: pattern, bright colors, and embellishments, please.

6. There are so many amazing bloggers out there. This I knew before the challenge, but then, you know, I was faced with a list of over 300 fellow bloggers who were also embarking on the challenge, and I discovered so. Many. More. I've got to update my blog roll, for real. You know, sometime in January.

7. The jury is still out on whether or not it's a good idea to do a 30x30 challenge before moving out of the country. On the one hand, it's helped me to focus on the moving aspect of my life; on the other, I really have to make some decisions about my closet, and it would've been nice to see just how useful some of these cool weather pieces (which I will need in the Costa Rican rainforest) will be. Instead, I was playing with a few pieces I already knew I liked. Oh, and one never worn dress that is now in the give away pile.

So what do y'all think? Do you have any favorite 30x30 looks? Any lessons you've learned either as a participant or an observer?