My Favorite Winter 5×5 Wrap Up

This post was sponsored by Lucy Avenue but all thoughts, opinions, and ideas are always my own. Even if I hadn’t been sent some items to review, I would buy from this small boutique. Every piece was unique, well made, and high quality. I love supporting small business and you should too. Hop on over and use my code Mommy15 for 15% off your order and enjoy.

They say you shouldn’t pick favorites, but out of all my 5x5s, I feel like this has just hit the nail on the head. The pieces, the locations, the photos (thanks to my photographer husband;). Why did it work so well? The color palette. The details on the pieces. The interest of 5 different locations (I once did my 5×5 all on one wall for continuity but it was so boring).

The FIVE:

1. Striped Dress c/o Lucy Ave Boutique (use code MOMMY15 for 15% off), sold out, similar

2. Black Overalls c/o Gleam Boutique (use code MOMMYINFLATS10 for 10% off)

3. Black Cut Out Shirt c/o Lucy Ave Boutique

4. Grey ruffle Shirt c/o Lucy Ave Boutique

5. Faux Leather Leggings from the clearance rack at Loft (similar by Svelte)

The Outerwear:

1. Suede Jacket c/o Thacker NYC

2. Jean Jacket by Liverpool Jeans

The Shoes:

1. Black flats c/o SAS Shoes (read more about these shoes here)

2. Grey Heels by Rockport

3. Brown Mules by Dansko

4. Boots c/o Bearpaw (use code BPAMBJF for 20% off your entire order)

What worked: The color palette and the details. The pieces were all twists on very classic looks. I think the black gave the overalls an edge that blue ones may not have. The ruffles and cutouts on the shirts made them stand out even though they were in neutral colors. The faux leather leggings were a solid surprisingly comfortable piece. And, the dress kind of brought everything together with the melding of grey and white. It also added a vintage flare which gave the whole collection a pop. I could have easily created another look or two with that dress given the time and opportunity. The last element that really brought everything together for me and made me feel confident in every pick was the outerwear. It gave a touch of color (even though brown is a neutral, when paired with black, white, and grey, it adds a rich warm element otherwise lacking).

How about shoes. I almost went 5 days, 5 pairs. It’s amazing how a shoe swap can change a whole outfit. On day 1, I chose a feminine bootie with my rather artsy outfit. But on day 5, I paired a ruffled top with the rugged boots to give me a completely different vibe. I really could have worn my Rockport heels every day (they’re that comfy) but I love the monochromatic look I got on day 4 with my SAS flats. And, it just proves that you can create a sassy look without heels.

What didn’t work: The only confession I have to make is that I did do this in four days instead of five (I wore one outfit to brunch and one to church in the same afternoon). It was cold some of the days so I would not have been able to use this capsule for standing outside in the cold- though the overalls would have been great for that, I would have needed thicker jackets for sure. Other than that, this capsule just really worked well for me. It was comfortable and fit my lifestyle well.

I am moving my wardrobe to more and more neutrals as I’m finding that’s what I enjoy wearing (I used to think that was so boring but it makes getting dressed so much easier!!). Doing these mini challenges has really helped me narrow down what I like and what I don’t like in my closet. It’s helped me focus my wardrobe building going forward. If you’re feeling in a fashion rut, I really recommend you try it. You don’t need to take photos or follow any strict rules but maybe it will give you some insight into your own closet and what do you have to lose?