Hi Readers,
I hope you are having a wonderful week so far!
Welcome back to part II of getting dressed with more ease.
Some context for today’s post:
I have been living out of a suitcase while we wait for our boxes to arrive from our move and its always freeing to me to not have so many options to choose from.
It reminds me that less is more and I find that when I’m not having to think about “what to wear”, I free up a bit more creative headspace for other areas of my life and it allows me to just be more present in my day-to-day. As a stylist and someone who has always been into personal style, I think about outfits and styling A LOT but I also welcome the space to not think about what I’m wearing at all if that makes sense.
My day-to-day since we moved has been pretty low key and casual so I’ve been wearing a lot of easy shorts + tee or leggings + shirt combinations. While its nice to just throw on whats easiest and most comfortable and not think about what I’m wearing, I definitely notice when I get in a bit of a “comfort” rut. I find that when I take that extra 5 minutes to get dressed in the morning, it really does set the tone for my day in a positive way. The power of dressing for yourself!
Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite practical tips for getting dressed when you don’t know what to wear.
Wear what you wore yesterday but swap out one thing.
Why do I love this approach?
It helps when you feel overwhelmed with your choices because you can just start with what you wore the day before. So if you wore your favorite dress one day, don’t be afraid to wear it again the next!
You create more time for yourself in the mornings because you are working with less of your wardrobe. Think of it as a mini-capsule! I like to rotate out pieces in and out as the season continues so I can make sure I’m wearing the majority of my wardrobe. If I find I’m not wearing pieces and don’t love to style them, they are most likely something that can be edited out.
It helps you flex your creative styling muscle! Strong personal style comes from how you put an outfit together with what you already own. If you are constantly buying new things, you never really get to “sit” with your clothes in order to understand how you want to feel in your clothes and how you style things to express those feelings.
You end up wearing more of your wardrobe as you are finding ways to wear items in multiple ways. I realize this is why I love traveling with a carry-on. It allows me to wear a small set of my wardrobe in multiple ways for multiple end uses within a time frame.
Lets take this past week of outfits as an example of this approach -
I only wore 8 items and typically swapped out my top or bottom, along with accessory changes. However, it can be as simple as just swapping out a shoe or adding a layer or an accessory. It doesn’t need to be a huge change to create a different look and vibe.
*apologies in advance for the poor lighting! Still trying to remember to take photos of all my outfits so these are screenshots from my content video :)
Day 1 - Said “comfort” rut look for WFH. The shirt has a bit of polish for Zoom calls and I can just throw on a sandal or loafer when heading out into town.
AYR shirt | Splits 59 legging | Flattered Loafers
Day 2 - I swapped the leggings for nylon shorts and put on easy flip flops. I love a non-neutral neutral color, like the poplin blue and the color paired with green feels fresh for Spring, yet still classic. An easy look for hanging out in town.
AYR Shirt | Wardrobe NYC shorts | Target Sandals
Day 3 - I swapped the button down for a linen vest. I go back and forth on vests but I packed this one as I wanted to have a couple tops that weren’t just a basic tee or tank. As I was running errands all day, comfort is key!
GAP vest | Wardrobe NYC shorts | Adidas Sambas
Day 4 - Just a simple swap from shorts to jeans and added a belt. Back to sambas! TBH, I don’t know if I love the sneakers with this look so I would probably switch out for sandals next time.
GAP vest | Pistola Jeans | Dehanche Belt | Adidas Sambas
Day 5 - One of my favorite looks for the week. I kept the same base as the day before but swapped for sandals and added a trench for a dinner look. I feel like with just a couple simple tweaks, this look feels so different than the day before.
GAP vest | Pistola Jeans | Dehanche Belt | Old Mango Trench | Zara Sandals
Day 6 - Keeping the same trench + jeans, I swapped the vest for a basic tee and switched out my belt and shoes for another dinner look. This is a go-to outfit formula for me (tee + jeans + outer layer). Its also the first day I used a bag. I both LOVE bags but also find myself not using them super often. Most days, if I have large pockets I just carry my keys and a card holder and shove everything into the pockets as its easier for me :) Belting the trench is another “swap” to consider!
Leset Margot Tee | Pistola Jeans | Old Mango Trench | Vintage Belt | Old Celine Bag | Old Massimo Dutti Heels
Day 7 - Last look of the week! A practical option for the grey drizzly day we had. Kept the trench and swapped for my comfy leggings and threw on a sweater over the shoulders. One of my favorite styling tips to create interest with layers for that “effortless” feel! Another outfit idea is the look from Day 1 with the trench + sweater!
Leset Margot Tee | Splits 59 legging | Old Mango Trench | Quince Sweater | Flattered Loafers
Hope this helps next time you wake up and just don’t know what to wear!
Remember, outfit repeating is a good thing! And when we make small tweaks or swaps to our looks, it means we are confident and creative with our style and our wardrobes!
xx
Angie
*Note that this post contains some affiliate links. They are no extra cost to the reader but I may receive a small commission for your purchase. I only link products that I personally wear or recommend to my clients and I link them should you have a wardrobe gap or be looking for something similar.
Great outfit ideas, love every single one of them 💕
How does the Gap vest fit? I am looking to buy online, is it true to size? It looks cropped online, but looks a perfect length on you.
So glad we found each other 👯 this was such a great post and a visual of how it looks to change one thing! I am extra excited to find you because our closets have lots of overlap, cannot wait to be further inspired!