capsule wardrobe challenge: the end

day five: all set for the rain


So I completed the wardrobe challenge!
Using only five main items of clothing (a Tshirt, a pair of jeans and a pair of capris, a sundress and a bright red cardi) I got thru the week ...... in questionable style.



That's all folks!


So what have I learned from the experience?

• Well, five items is not very much. Since I won't wear the same top again without washing it it I also had to practice strategic laundering. Maybe I should have cut down to only the jeans and the dress but the weather has been too variable to guess the depths of heat/cold to be experienced.
• Getting ready in the morning was much faster - I didn't waste as much time on selecting an outfit. However, the evening before and the strategic laundry planning did take more time than expected so I'm not sure if I gained at all.
• I was a little bored ..... the weather wasn't much help either.
• I don't consider throwing a vest into the mix as cheating - it's an undergarment.
• I'm not too good at accessorising with scarves - in fact I suck! Must do more homework on that one.
• I used my tripod to take some almost OK self portraits of each outfit - will definitely do this again.

Did I cheat?
Not really though I did make a subsitution halfway thru. My original choice included another T shirt but by Wednesday I was crying out for some colour so in came the red cardi (a good choice IMHO). No, I didn't get changed immediately after taking the day's photograph!


What will I take from the experience?
I think I will start planning my clothes for the next day as having an unhustled morning start was a luxury. I think I'll start being a bit more creative with my clothing choices and maybe making them multi-task more.



my week's wardrobe

What next?
Well, there are other documented wardrobe clothing challenges. The first one which springs to mind is Andrea Zittel's uniform projects where the artist makes a piece of clothing which is worn for a period of time. In one project dresses were made, each appropriate for a season and then worn for a period of six months. The exhibition I saw at Vancouver Art Gallery included her fibre uniform series which are made by directly felting wool into a dress form. By creating a uniform a lot of the choices, impositions and requirement for different outfit each day are removed. Her latest clothing project, smockshop, involves other artists interpreting her design into their own garment.


Another formidable project is MakeShift where only handmade clothing (including underwear, shoes, socks, coats etc.) will be worn for an entire year. The project has been running since September 2009 and the amazing wardrobe is being blogged.


Other challenges include little brown dress, in which the same handmade little brown dress was worn every day for a year, and a one year 100% recycled wardrobe project in which all clothing was sourced from within the same collection of clothes.


And the originator of this wardrobe challenge pledged a whole year of not buying new clothes ... and she succeeded.


So what next for me?
I've done A Week of Skirts (which got me out of a jeans/Tshirt/sweats rut) and started me thinking about pulling myself together appearance-wise. Could I wear the same dress for a week? - well, probably no as I have issues with underarm stinkiness and unnecessary loads of laundry. A Week of Trousers (that's pants to you N Americans) lacks impact but a Week of Formal Attire would be fun. I could wear some gorgeous dresses which currently rarely see the light of day due to my limited social life and I'm sure the other parents on the school run would be amused (community service). A Week of Thrift is a possible - wearing nothing but charity shop or upcycled items, including shoes but not knickers or bras (ewww) - and of course would earn me extra points on my Good Mother Chart.


Otherwise ....well, I have some lovely thrifted jeans I cannot wait to try in some new outfits, and a couple of items bought Friday from the Roots factory outlet sale ..... and there's a dress I rescued from my charity bag ...... and hopefully it will be summer soon ........ in fact I may just change outfits several times a day just for the hell of it.