Wow, Friday already?! Things have been slow on my blog lately because – let me tell you – the first two weeks of this year have already been CRAZY. I can’t keep up. I already need a mental health day. I’m so thankful that Monday is a holiday because I need a break! Until then let’s talk about getting dressed, because at least getting dressed is always fun!
1. How do you determine what you will wear that day?
Sometimes I start with one piece that I want to wear – maybe a necklace, skirt, pair of shoes, or anything else – and I build the outfit around that, based on what complements it and is weather-appropriate. Other times I go by how I’m feeling – do I want to go prettier or more adventurous? I also try to alternate heels with flats, and jeans with skirts and dresses – just to make sure I’m getting a good rotation through my closet.
2. Do you plan outfits out in advance for a whole week, month,
weekend?
If I have a huge party coming up I’ll start thinking about my look ahead of time, but only if I’m faced with a suitcase do I plan out my outfits that far in advance. It’s stressful for me to try to anticipate what I might want to wear because for me that’s equated with anticipating how I might feel. Who knows?! I wake up and look at my clothes and gravitate here or there… and when I pack i’m always afraid that once I get to my destination I’ll hate all my options. Which isn’t the end of the world, of course (uh, first world problems anyone?) – but when clothes and personal style are important to you it can definitely damage your mojo.
(Getting from A to B is actually quite stressful)
3. Do you have any specific way of tracking outfits and items already
worn so you don’t repeat?
I don’t track outfits. My dad actually expressed amazement that I could come up with different things every day. But I do have patterns, or certain pieces that I tend to wear in certain ways. I have this one low-cut t-shirt that I tend to wear with my Gr.Dano scarf necklace. In fact I put it on one day and was like hm, this is really low-cut, how did I fix that last time? I couldn’t remember, but I thought the scarf necklace would be a good idea. Later after looking at the outfit photos I took I was like oh wait – that is exactly the same thing I did before! I also have this one vintage printed top that I usually wear either tucked into a black skirt, or under a black dress (next time I should try wearing it with jeans). Even if I repeat certain elements of an outfit, I’ve never repeated the exact same outfit. My wardrobe is varied enough that I’m inspired by different things each day.
(The afore-mentioned t-shirt/scarf necklace combo)
OH WAIT. There was one time I wore an outfit but it was a really hot day in SF (miraculously too hot for a linen skirt) so I had to change. But I loved it, so I recreated it to attend a friend’s BBQ in Oakland the next (not as warm) day.
(As it turns out I actually changed the shoes. And added a sweater.)
4. How do you discover new combinations of items in your closet?
(Trial try-ons? Hanging items together?)
This is going to sound crazy: I like to let my clothes marinate. I don’t like to wear new clothes as soon as I buy them. I just let them sit in my closet where I can see them with all my other clothes and feel out how they might work together.
5. To streamline the process for 2011 what is one new thing you can do to cut down your dressing time?
RE-ORGANIZE YOUR CLOSET. Sorry for the all-caps, but it’s true. Think about your process for getting dressed in the morning, and reorganize your closet to reflect that. I have all my easy tops in a dresser drawer and my more challenging tops hanging in my closet. If I wake up and I’m still tired or in a rush I know exactly where I can turn to get dressed quickly. Alternately, if I have a more relaxed morning I can easily turn to the pieces that require a bit more attention.
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What about you – what’s your method for making fashion-magic in the morning? Do you plan stuff ahead of time or get dressed on the fly? Do you have any tips for making the most of your closet? And is packing for trips as stressful for anyone else as it is for me? You can check out what other fashion & beauty bloggers have to say about this topic at Modly Chic.
What's your opinion?