What is a Wardrobe Challenge? (+ Why and How to Do It)

Would you like to have more fun and get less stressed about what to wear when you wake up? 

Sounds like you’re ready for a wardrobe challenge — a personal approach to dressing that helps you understand and refine your relationship with the garments you own. Get prepared to change your approach to dressing up each day with these fun wardrobe challenges and find one that works for you. 

What is a wardrobe challenge? 

A wardrobe challenge is a way to curate a wardrobe based on your own personal styling goals. 

Those could vary from being a minimalist and having a few pieces that you wear on repeat, to owning a wardrobe with only sustainable and high-quality garments. There are many different types of wardrobe challenges that you can try. Here are a few, more popular challenges.

Wardrobe challenge types 

Capsule wardrobe challenge

A capsule wardrobe challenge is about owning the minimum number of items to make the maximum number of outfits when combined. Depending on how you mix and match the items that you own, you can end up creating endless looks. It requires you to choose a few garments that you love and know you wouldn’t mind wearing on repeat.  Some examples of this minimalist wardrobe challenge are the 7X7 challenge (wear 7 items for 7 days) or the 10x10 challenge (wear 10 items for 10 days). You would need to try and choose a mix of tops, bottoms, and dresses that can be worn together or interchanged. When combined, these outfits would give you endless looks.

Shop your closet challenge 

Many of us find that we wear the same outfits on repeat, often forgetting about many clothes we already own. With a shop your closet challenge, you have access to possibly the biggest library of clothes ever — your wardrobe. You can pick and choose any items to wear and re-wear, and ideally reach for all those garments that you have forgotten. 

The catch is that you cannot buy anything new to wear while doing this challenge so you give the clothes you already own a fair chance. Some people do it for 30 days straight and others, for up to 100 days. 

Why do a wardrobe challenge? 

Wardrobe challenges are fun but also intimidating because they intend to get you out of your old habits and find new ways to approach dressing. Before choosing a wardrobe challenge, it is always good to ask yourself, what you aim to get out of the challenge. 

Is it decluttering your closet and getting rid of things that no longer spark joy? Is it working with fewer garments to take away the stress of planning what to wear each day? Here are some takeaways you can expect after completing a wardrobe challenge.

  • Buy less and wear more. You’ll find that you don’t really need more clothes. You just need to rediscover and wear the ones you own, even trying new ways of styling them. The next time you plan to buy something new, you’lll probably ask yourself, do I really need this? 

  • Simplify your life. Owning and wearing a minimal wardrobe can do wonders for your laundry as well, as you would only need to wear those items regularly. A few good quality garments that are dependable reduce the amount of time you would take every morning to choose your outfit as well. 

  • Purge your closet. During your wardrobe challenge, you’lll most likely discover items that either don’t fit or don’t suit you anymore. If you’re someone who enjoys frequent shopping, it’s also likely that you will discover that your high-quality items have lasted more wears than your fast fashion items. Wardrobe challenges are one of the ways to clean out your closet and only keep items that spark joy. 

  • Creativity. Wardrobe challenges tend to inspire creativity. You can choose to be team basic and do nothing with your outfit, keeping it simple. But you can also get creative and accessorize your look, especially if you’re wearing the same piece more than once (or twice) a week. 

    • How to do a wardrobe challenge

    There are three key steps to take when doing a wardrobe challenge. Let’s review them.  
    Identify your challenge: What kind of wardrobe challenge do you wish to do? Do you want to choose a capsule wardrobe of limited pieces and wear them on rotation, mixing and matching each day for a set period of time? Or do you want to dig into your closet and find forgotten garments to wear again? Assess the type of challenge before you begin. 
    Survey your closet: During the challenge take a deeper look into your closet and use this as an opportunity to purge your closet. Recognise those garments that you love and enjoy wearing over those that don’t suit you anymore. Maybe this is the good time to find a new home for your worn but loved garments? 
    Motivate yourself! Most wardrobe challenges can feel difficult initially as they get you to dress differently than you are used to. Find a way to motivate and encourage yourself so that your challenge is fun! This could be getting a group of friends to join in, or you can record your progress through photos so you know you’re getting closer to your goal each day. 

    Examples of fun wardrobe challenges 

    You can create your own wardrobe challenge (with friends or alone), or you can join a community of people participating in a branded wardrobe challenge to guide you and help you stay motivated. Here are a few examples.  

    Julahas 15 day challenge


    JULAHAS 15-Day Challenge

    As a brand that believes in doing more with less, we wanted to create a fun challenge that champions outfit repetition. If you wear your JULAHAS every day for 15 days in a row, you can earn a 15% discount. During this challenge, we hope to encourage people to explore new ways of wearing their JULAHAS, while rediscovering forgotten garments in their wardrobes.

    Wool& 30 day dress challenge

     

    Wool& 100 Day Dress Challenge 

    This wardrobe challenge isn’t for the faint hearted and is one among the many fun challenges run by clothing brand Wool&. You can choose to wear one of their dresses for 100 days in a row or 30 days in a row and earn a gift card in return. Thousands of women around the world have completed these challenges and have admitted that it simplified their lives. 

    CApsule

     

    Project 333 

    This Minimalist Wardobe Challenge by Courtney Carver requires you to wear 33 items for three months. These 33 items must also include shoes, jewelry, and accessories so that you can mix and match these items to create new looks each day for three months. If you’re planning to try this, you’ll also want to consider what the weather will be like for the next three months before starting.  

    Ready to get started with your wardrobe challenge?

    Find the wardrobe challenge that fits you and your closet best, and always begin by thinking about what you want to gain from your clothing challenge. Once you get started, you’ll discover and refine your true clothing style. 

    Have you completed a wardrobe challenge? Tell us about your experience in the comments below! 

    October 12, 2022 — Kanak Hirani
    Tags: Sustainable Fashion Women's Outfit Ideas
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