30 Outfits, 30 Pieces, 30 Days

Those of you following the blog know that I’m a big fan of style versatility, whether it’s slinging my button-down around my neck or finangling two shirts & a skirt into a week’s worth of outfits.

So, you can imagine how excited I was to discover the 30 for 30 Challenge, a DIY version of The Uniform Project. Started by Kendi, this challenge asks for 30 different outfits over the course of a month, composed of– and here’s the catch— of 30 items of clothing, including shoes! Just when you think this can’t get any trickier, a monthlong shopping ban also goes into effect.

I caught up with Frances of Mad Dress Game, who completed the challenge in July! Read on for major inspiration & tips for anyone stuck in a style rut, looking to mix it up, or just curious about a limited wardrobe!

[A photo montage of Frances’s favorite looks!]

What inspired you to take on the challenge?

The superficial reason was the World Cup— when all you’re doing is watching sports on television, it’s easy to get into a style rut, and I was on my way there.

The deeper reason is that my husband and I are moving to Costa Rica in early January. We’ve been talking about fitting our lives for the next three years in two suitcases and a carry on, and I’ve been wondering how I’ll survive without my shoe collection and all my clothes. Part of me resisted the 30 for 30 just because I thought I should wear as much of my closet as possible before I had to give it all away, but the practical side of me thought this would be a really good way to figure out how much I can do with a limited selection.

In art, I’ve often found that imposing limitations on myself gives way to unexpected creativity! Did you find your restyling abilities surprising at any point?

Oh, yes!  Since I started blogging, I realized that I’m not often very creative with my clothes – I do some pattern mixing, I layer a bit, I mix fancy things with casual things, but for the most part, I wear things as they were meant to be worn.  With this challenge I wore some color combos I’ve avoided in the past (purple and yellow – it has always reminded me of my rival high school) and started wearing dresses as shirts.

The latter is what most surprised me, especially when I started putting more structured dresses under skirts.  I think that I’ve been looking at my clothes differently since the challenge- trying to wear things differently from the way they were meant to be worn- skirts as shirts, shirts as skirts…

Haha! (See first link)

Also, I purposely included things that I rarely wore and I think I got some creative use out of them as well, though I will admit to some super boring outfits along the way.

What is the most fascinating style discovery you made along the way?

I threw this bold, patterned skirt into the mix because I hardly ever wear it, and it turned out to be one of my favorite pieces to remix. I’d thought certain items were too wild or too bold to wear with anything but a plain tee, and it turns out that they are super versatile.

Also, it’s possible to stay true to my style while also stretching it.  I like a classic silhouette and would describe my style as “classic with a twist”.  I like the stuff that never really goes out of style, that’s maybe a touch retro but still modern, not too trendy but not too stodgy, either.  I found that being more creative stretched that a bit, while still looking like ME.  I guess sometimes I’m afraid that stepping too far out of the box is going to make this shy girl feel like she’s in costume and everyone’s staring, but my style is still coming through. It just exercises my brain and stretches my closet while staying true to my look.

What advice would you give to someone looking to try out a similar experiment?

1) Throw in some items you rarely wear.  Some will really surprise you.

2) Stay true to your look.  Not negating the first item, but if you wear pants all the time, don’t throw four skirts into the mix – one or two will suffice.

3)  Throw in an extra pair of shoes. You’ll be glad you did when your feet start hurting because you’ve been wearing the same shoe style to death.

4) Consider the weather.  It hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit in Philly during the challenge and I don’t have AC.  The last thing I wanted on those hot days was that stinkin’ knit pencil skirt from my pile of available skirts. Easy, breezy pieces were ideal for this weather, and I was glad to have them in my mix

5) Throw in some items that you can dress up or dress down. You never know what’s going to happen- I ended up having two interviews, and was glad I had some polished, professional pieces in my 30 for 30!

6) Make it work.  Some people plan their outfits and have them all figured out when they start the challenge, whereas I go with my gut, throw in items that I think will work, and hope for the best. When I had no idea what I’d do at outfit 10, I stood in front of my closet and told myself, “Make it work,” in a poor impression of Tim Gunn, and did just that.  When you kind of let go of the planning and start throwing things on, things work out in pretty amazing ways.

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There’s a lot to be said for intuition, when it comes to style! Thank you for the awesome interview, Frances, and congratulations!

My Take

Okay, so this is a little scary for me, but I’ll throw this out there:

I’m considering doing this challenge myself in September (first month back at school, ack!) but I’m going to need your support!  I’d love to try it no matter what, but the prospect of tossing this minx into my crazy upcoming agenda is daunting! If you want to read about 30 for 30 escapades on Rethinking Style—or even want to join me— write me a comment below! If I get 15 or more supporters, I’ll dive in! Spread the word!

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