It’s been a while since I’ve shared a 10x10 challenge here on the old blog. I’ve jumped in on a few challenges over on Instagram, but something about all the writing I’ve been doing for work has been motivating me to write for my favorite space of all, this one!

Style content creators Bri Lamberson and Jessica Harumi are co-hosting another round of the Parisian Style 10x10 and I’m so excited to share my picks and outfits with you!

HOW TO PLAN YOUR CAPSULE

There are a few steps to planning any capsule wardrobe and the 10x10 challenge is no exception.

WEATHER

The first thing I do is look at the weather. I’m one of those people who kind of obsesses about what the weather’s going to be like on any given day, so I grab a notebook and write out the forecasted temperatures and weather conditions for the 10 days. This is especially helpful when planning for a spring or fall challenge since the transitional seasons can often mean big changes in weather within the 10 days.

This year’s spring challenge is taking place in mid-April. The forecast here in Northern California swings from cloudy, windy, and a little rainy to mild and sunny.

LIFE

The next thing I make note of are events. On our calendar during the challenge is a birthday party and Easter, so I made sure to pick pieces I would want to wear for those events. Day-to-day, I also have to consider that I’m five months pregnant, work from a coffee shop twice a week, and spend the rest of the week chasing my toddler children around. I can afford to dress up a little more on my coffee shop days, but for mom days, I want to make sure I have the freedom to sit on the floor with my kids.

OLD RELIABLES

The best place to start is with our favorite pieces! Think about which clothes have been getting the most wear lately and incorporate a few of those. This way, you’re sure to want to reach for something in your mini-capsule.

BRING IT ALL TOGETHER

Start pulling pieces all while keeping the weather, your lifestyle/social calendar, and which items you’ve been reaching for the most in mind. You’ll probably notice a color palette forming on its own, but if one of your go-to color’s isn’t represented, see if you can work it in. This is the point where I also start imagining how the different items can be put together to form outfits (which I make a note of, too).

The beginner’s formula for a 10x10 challenge is: 2 shoes + 4 tops + 1 dress + 2 bottoms + 1 outer layer

A few years ago I decided I wouldn’t include either shoes or outerwear for my challenges. I wanted the flexibility to wear whatever shoe I wanted and to play with my outerwear choices since I tend to favor one coat or jacket for long stretches of time.

I always like to say that no one is grading our capsule wardrobe choices. If including shoes and outerwear feels doable to you, go for it. If it seems daunting, then don’t do it! Find what works for you!

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MY 10 ITEMS

v neck sweater | similar blouse | cardigan

linen blend pants | similar maternity denim | similar straight leg pant | midi dress

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I made some adjustments to my picks mid-challenge because the weather forecast shifted pretty significantly. I would have had to make adjustments anyway because it turns out I picked eleven pieces, not ten. 😅 Pregnancy brain strikes again!

One really good lesson that came from my counting mishap and from the coldsnap that threw my outfit ideas off course was that I was able to identify a gap in my closet. I’ve had a chunky knit cardigan on my wish list for a season or two, but wasn’t really sure if I just liked the trend or if it would end up sitting in my closet taking up precious space. I also didn’t want to go out and buy clothes specifically for the challenge, so I held off.

I ended up wearing nine items (not including shoes and jackets) throughout the challenge, but I kept wishing I had that chunky knit cardigan.

This is something I talk about in my post about personal style. Noticing these moments when we wish we had a specific item of clothing is such a good indicator of a piece that we not only want but want to wear!

Needless to say I’ll be buying a chunky knit cardigan in the near future!

WHAT I WORE

Mondays are one of my client workdays. I head out in the morning to a local coffee shop and knock out as much work as I can. It was a chilly day, so I reached for my cable knit sweater, maternity jeans (that have seen me through each of my pregnancies), a coat, and rain boots since rain was in the forecast. I never did see the rain, but I was glad to be bundled up, warm, and still comfortable.

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I’m back in Mom Mode until the end of the week, so I went for a more casual look here. I took the kids to get donuts in the morning then headed off to the park for a good, long playdate in the afternoon and was comfortable the whole day. I paired the striped long sleeve t-shirt that I swear I’ve had for six years with some new-to-me pants and my converse and I finished the look off with my sherpa jacket and a wool beret.

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Day 3 was another full on Mom Day. I took the kids to the carwash for the fun lights and colors and on the way home, my son asked me if we could go to the zoo. I was a little tired from the horrible night of sleep we had despite an almost three hour park playdate the day before, but I decided to be a Yes Mom and take them on an impromptu trip to the zoo. We had a great time. Truthfully, I didn’t wear the leather jacket to the zoo. I’d forgotten to grab a jacket and dug one out of my messy car, but I couldn’t resist adding some edge to this mom outfit!

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It was a rainy (and cold!) day so I bundled up to keep cozy. Our park playdate got rained out so I took the kids to the Railroad Museum just to get us out of the house for a bit! This is one of the days where I wish I could have layered a cardigan. Also, let’s talk about how my black converse are having a huge moment in my closet? I went years barely wearing them and now they’re all I want to wear!

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Good Friday arrived which meant the start of a very busy weekend for us. We spent half the day in the car, running around town buying groceries and wrapping paper and trying to knock out all of our errands since we wouldn’t really be home until after church on Sunday. This was the perfect errand outfit — it was incredibly comfortable (something I have to mention constantly now that most of my clothes don’t fit) and perfect for the weather we had. There’s something satisfying about putting together an outfit I’m not too hot or cold in.

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We celebrated my nieces and nephews at their cowboy-themed birthday party and this was as cowgirl as I could go with a 19-week pregnant belly. I wore my ruffle blouse with denim and paired that with a sherpa jacket and boots. It felt more inspired by Spirit Wild and Free than by an actual Western, but I liked it!

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Easter Sunday! We headed off for church in the morning, hung out after service for donuts, coffee, and an egg hunt, and then headed home to meet one of my sisters. I wore this dress to church and it was truly so comfortable that I kept it on for the entire day, no changing into “more comfy” clothes needed. We grazed on cheese and charcuterie, caught up on life, painted egg sugar cookies with food coloring, made our own little egg hunt using cascarones instead of candy-filled eggs, smashed those cascarones on our heads to reveal the confetti, and finished out the day by enjoying some cedar plank grilled salmon (one of Brandon’s favorite things to make). It was a low-key, beautiful day celebrating the Resurrection and spending it with family. I want every Easter to be like this.

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Monday was spent mostly at home recovering from the busy weekend. I technically wore this for maybe an hour and a half, but I really did love the way this outfit came together! This whole look just gave me a 70s vibe and I really enjoyed this play on a monochromatic outfit. The pants (which I have in a couple of sizes bigger than what I usually wear) are starting to be too snug with my growing belly. It’s wild how they were perfectly comfortable just ten days ago and now, I wouldn’t be able to last a whole day with them on! I’ve really avoided buying more maternity clothes this pregnancy since it will be my last, but I’m getting to a point where I have almost no pants to wear and I’m barely halfway through!

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The mornings are still chilly but the afternoons are warming up, so I started the day off with a cable knit sweater and ended it with a button-down. I love how this shirt and pants work together as a coordinating set even though they’re from two different stores. It feels like something I would wear on vacation! It’s basically as close as I can get to wearing pajamas out in the world while still feeling dressed up!

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The final day!! We made it! I’d been trying to figure out how to incorporate this camel blazer into an outfit since I find blazers to be a pretty Parisian outerwear choice. I decided to dress up this otherwise casual outfit of a linen shirt and maternity jeans with the blazer and the woven mules. And then, to make sure the outfit still felt effortless, I messily pulled half of my hair back to give the air of not trying too hard.

As always, I really enjoyed the challenge of incorporating French Girl Style into my everyday, casual mom life. Big thanks to Bri and Jessica for hosting the challenge! Which look was your favorite? I want to know! I think Day 2 is mine.