The 5x5 Style Challenge: Part 1

Hi! Today I'm sharing half of my first ever 5x5 style challenge! If you're accustomed to capsule wardrobes and lean towards organization in most things, a challenge likes this may be child's play for you. However, as a last-minute-spontaneous-hotmess there's a modicum of emotional danger in challenges such as these. Then I saw Ruth from My Little Nest inviting others to join her and her blogging friends in the Instagram challenge so I decided to reach out to her for more details. Why not??  It was a rainy evening and I had some free time. How hard could it be??


What is the 5x5 challenge?

So in case you're like me and miss out on details, let me take a paragraph to tell you what this challenge is. You simply choose 5 main pieces from your closet...pants, tops, dresses etc that coordinate well together.  Then you style those pieces accordingly changing up your looks, adding accessories along the way over the course of five days.

Here's my main FIVE:

1. One burgundy dress.
2. My favorite ripped up green denim
3. My grey leather coated jeans
4. My plaid top
5. My black and white Striped turtleneck. 

Day 1: Purple Dress

Day one begins and I'm excited to start the challenge. Already an idea forms as I glance out to see dreary clouds... a certain pink rain coat hangs in my closet begging to be used. It's spring. It's time.  A friend gave it to me after cleaning out her closet and I'm happy to find new life in cast offs.  From there I pull out my leopard tights and reach for my moto boots.

I add a ring and then I can't stop. Last month I participated in a gift exchange hosted by the Blended Blog and I was paired up with the sweet Andrea from Living On Cloud Andrea Nine. Some of the rings pictured above were in my surprise box. The gifts that keep on giving. ;)  Hop on over HERE and check out more details if you haven't seen the full review.

Outfit Breakdown

Dress: Hand-Me-Down

Jacket: Hand-Me-Down

Boots: Thrifted

Tights: Old

Shades: Shop NYC
Necklace: EXACT
Flower Ring: EXACT

Outfit 2: Plaid Top & Coated Denim

I love how this outfit turned out, but the road getting there proved more challenging that I imagined. The pants and top were fine but the finishing touches were driving me crazy, especially the shoes!

Once again the day started dreary and cold so I spent a chunk of time changing out cardigans, blazers etc to achieve a desirable look. With the chilly weather I wanted to wear socks as well, so I added my argyle gray socks and continued the bottom-half-monochromatic look with my grey oxfords.

Didn't like it. Everything about this next picture is wrong...and comical...here I am wedging myself in the corner to get out of the glare and the shoes are a no.

STILL NO...

Wow! Shoes can make or break an outfit! That's why I changed them as soon as I returned home and then went for a cupcake and round two of pictures...

Outfit Breakdown

Cardigan: LOFT Old

Plaid Top: Francescas

Coated Denim: WHBM

Shoes: Altar'd State

Purse: The GAP

Ok my friends, that's probably a lot for today so stay tuned for the final three outfits in the next post! Hope you join me again and click HERE for a list of the fabulous bloggers I'm linking up with this week!

Chrissy