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I love planning my outfits as it helps me feel in control of my style and my day!
Most nights you will find me browsing through my wardrobe to create and plan my outfit for the following day. I usually select two to three outfits perhaps using the same base colours (normally black & white as this is my favourite combination!) which could be mixed and matched depending on how I feel and what I’m doing the following day.
I find doing this eliminates decision making in the mornings when time is at a premium and I have two small people and various furry pets to feed and get ready for the day as well as getting myself ready for work – all the usual myriad essentials that most households go through everyday!
Having a few outfits laid out and pre-planned right down to shoes, accessories and coat/jacket really helps as I’m able to get dressed, feel great and get on with my day . Another advantage to what has become an evening ritual is that I have more time, so when I look through my wardrobe I often find things I haven’t worn for ages and can add them to the mix to create a whole new look. It’s like getting new clothes without going shopping. Bonus!
Pre-planning can help you fall in love with your clothes again
When you plan ahead you also have the opportunity to eliminate potential problems in the morning…ie no clean tights when you wanted to wear that fantastic leather skirt, as the saying goes ‘Plan to succeed’. I tend to pick out pieces from my wardrobe, lay them on the bed in an artful mess then hang them on the back of my door so I can see it at eye level. You may have seen some of these images on my Instagram stories. It’s up to you how you create the looks and you may need to play around with how you prefer to do this…but persevere as it’s really worth it.
I plan looks depending on how I feel, what the weather is doing as I hate being cold, where I’m going, who I’m seeing and importantly how far I have to walk (how on earth did I walk so far and so fast in huge heels in my 20’s??!) and of course what story I’m creating. Every outfits tells a story whether we like it or not and if you want to be in control of the narrative, then get planning.
Another advantage to pre-planning and getting to really know what’s in your wardrobe is learning where your style weaknesses are…ie if every time you put together an outfit you’re saying to yourself ‘This would look great if I had a biker jacket’ then add a biker jacket to your shopping list. Actually a great biker jacket is a #wardrobehero and every girl should own at least one…but that’s another blog entirely…
See this as an investment in you – we all lead busy lives and often put ourselves at the bottom of a long ‘to do’ list and just shove on what’s close to hand or stick to our ‘safe’ outfits. Sometimes having a sort through our wardrobes is a great way to start this process and evaluate truly what works and what doesn’t and just getting rid of things you no longer wear or that don’t fit can be really liberating and also makes space for new items.
I’m not saying wearing stylish clothes/outfits will make you invincible or cure world poverty (if only) but a great outfit really helps to lift our mood, create a sense of empowerment and ownership of our own success and that can only be a good thing. So tell your style story and be the best and most beautiful version of you – you are totally worth it after all.
My top tips for planning outfits;
1) Think about what story you want to tell and what you will be doing the following day ie. Are you going to an interview, taking the kids out for the day, meeting friends for lunch – will you be sitting/standing/doing lots of walking etc? A bit of pre-planning can eliminate a lot of stress in the mornings and ensure you are conveying the real you.
2) Select two or three outfits to give you a choice according to the above – it helps to use similar colours as a base. Owning a few great quality basics will help – these will depend on your lifestyle/career and if you need help with working our what your key basics are drop me a line storieswithclothes@gmail.com or check out my services page…
3) Select accessories and shoes for both outfits inc jewellery, bag, jacket, hat, shoes and scarf (all are obviously not essential – just don’t forget them as accessories can elevate a simple outfit really easily) Make sure these also work in relation to point 1.
4) Enjoy the process and have fun with it – you will most likely find clothes you didn’t realise you had which you can incorporate into new outfits without spending any money. Win win!
Good luck and let me know how you get on with planning your outfits and what gems you unearth when you really look through your wardrobe.
Until next time,
Abbey xx
Have fun with it!
Get in touch with me if you’d like a hand sorting out your wardrobe – a Wardrobe Refresh is one of my best-selling services not only will I help cleanse your wardrobe, I will also create outfit ideas and highlight what new pieces would be a good addition to style up your look to help you look and feel the best version of you – storieswithclothes@gmail.com