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Thoughts on outfit creation and the nature of time

unfrumped

Veteran

Or, the nature of time, of humans, of procrastination.

It's s no/ brained that having an outfit picked out the night before can save time in the morning.

Still I resist it for unclear reasons, maybe a combination of too many choices, as well as various flaws and foibles! But that is not the thing whereof I ramble!

I know the time that is used up standing before the closet rails and going, hmmmm, as well as time switching gears and tossing things on& off.

But I've been tuning in to the " hidden" time lost as all aspects of getting ready may get subconsciously drawn out, as if to avoid the final reckoning. And mental processes tied up in thinking about it.

Of course that applies to other tasks, too("pack your lunch the night before!"), but they are not as fraught as " the outfit".

It's caused me to re- evaluate how long it actually takes me to get ready.
If I have a great outfit picked out, it's amazing how much faster I can get through the whole getting- ready
sequence. It even feeds back to rousting out of bed in the morning.

I may want to try Brenda Kinsel's Outfit charts also. I know many folks use photos or computer spreadsheets. But I kind of like low- tech and have made index cards and added to them. So I might play with other paper systems.

22 replies

Latest reply was from Sara L.

Brooklyn

Veteran

Yes, it is a proven fact that time in the morning spent getting ready for work goes twice as fast as time actually spent at work.
I keep photos of outfits that I have worn and that I was happy with on my phone (my wiw photos and also mirror selfies taken at home). At the beginning of each week I create a folder called "next week" and I put in the outfits I feel like repeating (based on how keen I am to wear it again, when I last wore it, weather predictions etc). I try to look at that folder each night to decide what I am going to wear the next day. (I also check laundry to make sure I can wear it!) It is amazing how much time it saves in the morning. But sometimes the weather can intervene on the day, and I decide I can't wear my choice because it's too hot or too wet or whatever. Then time speeds away while I procrastinate over choosing something else.

LaPed

Veteran

While I don't have an ordered system for outfit planning, I do generally figure out what I'm wearing the night before. I don't even physically lay it out or anything, but part of my evening mindfulness is visualizing the morning ahead: what I'll make for breakfast, what I'll put on, etc. Helps me relax at night and feel more calm and prepared the next day.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

"It's caused me to re- evaluate how long it actually takes me to get ready.
If I have a great outfit picked out, it's amazing how much faster I can get through the whole getting- ready
sequence"

I call this an ah ha moment. For me I realized this a few years ago. I had part if my wadrobe which I loved an part which I was indifferent about.

I decided to get rid if v the things ifelt b indifferent about. Take the time to build a wadrobe that I felt great ahout. Yes even the foundation garments. Now from that I was able to put together a wadrobe that I can easily pick from.

I'm in transition (having my b 1st baby at 43 ) but the good news is that I know myself and my wadrobe well enough that I can put c together my outfits for a few weeks so that I don't have to think about getting dressed early in the morning for work.

Looking forward to seeing your style journey moving forward.

JAileen

Veteran

Since I don't have a job I have more time and fewer dress up opportunities. When I worked I thought about my outfit the night before. I didn't bother laying it out. Now, I do have a few engagements where I might have special clothing needs, such as going to court, where I need easy to remove shoes because I go through the metal detector. Usually I don't have specific needs like that. My outfit needs to work for the weather forecast. So I might start with the coat and shoes, and work back from there.

Runcarla

Veteran

I wake up at 5:45 and I must be at my train station by 7:00. Dawdling will cost me! On Sunday pm I do a capsule with mix and match for 5 days with a general idea of what I will wear the next day. Sometimes I change my mind (like today - pants vs a skirt 'cause it was COLD!).

There is no way that I could not think of my work outfits ahead of time. The weekend.....that's a whole 'nother thing!

Joy

Veteran

Like La Pedestrienne, I find outfit planning for the next day relaxing the night before. While I no longer am getting ready to go to a job, I do dress for early morning Mass and do not think clearly when I am only half awake. Planning the night before and often even laying everything out gets me out the door more happily. I consider weather and activities for the day, starting my plan with footwear.
When I was working, I often planned outfits for the whole week to be sure that the needed laundry, shoe polishing and ironing was done.

anne

Veteran

At the moment. I am pretty much putting on what is work suitable - and clean. I have a small wardrobe, made smaller by the amount on my mending pile. I repeat a lot.

rachylou

Veteran

I've laid my closet out like Geranimals (sp?)...

Barbara Diane

Veteran

rachylou :).

Anonymous

I'm so tired at the end of the day that I can't plan anything. The whole family is a little fried and frazzled.

I'm like Anne in that I have a small wardrobe, so I don't have many choices to make. I have a stack of pants and a stack of sweaters, and I just pick from the bottom. It takes me 20 seconds to get ready. It's awfully boring but I don't waste time, that's for sure.

In the summer, it's a different story. I enjoy clothes more, so I do stand around thinking about my outfit. I don't think of this as a negative though.

shedev

Veteran

I usually have that one item that I want to wear, and then I pick things that I like with it. I only preplan when my needs fall to a higher level of dress than usual.

cindysmith

Veteran

I'm one of those people that can't figure out simple things like "who am I and why am I here?" before my second cup of coffee, so I've had to start putting something out the night before when I have to get moving early. Now, if I could just streamline the process of actually getting out the door (or get DH to help with minutiae), I'd be doing all right LOL

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I'm so color motivated (as opposed to silhouette motivated) that I've created a new "system" for myself. I have a warm/hot/cool weather option for nearly every color of top I own. My closet is arranged by color now. Patterns are arranged by the dominant color theme. Often I own multiple tops of favorite colors like navy or burgundy - some lightweight, some medium weight. In the morning I typically want to choose an outfit based on the color so having varied options in fabric weight and sleeve length works well for me.

Like I have a couple of navy long sleeved or slightly heavier fabric options, a few navy tees and a couple of navy 3/4 sleeve tops, one in linen, one in slub cotton. I also have a navy sweatshirt.

I've worked on this for quite a while and am only really missing a warm/hot option in a few of my favorite colors so those are on my shopping radar, which also kind of keeps me in line when I'm browsing.

The bottoms are pretty easy for me because nearly every one of my bottoms are neutral and go with most of my tops. My bottoms are typically denim, olive, tan or white at this point.

I keep a few wildcards and patterns so it's not boring.

BrieN

Veteran

I have 9 winter work outfits. So while they took a lot of time to shop for and put together, I'm now on autopilot in the morning.

Sal

Veteran

I do a mix -I usually work from the footwear up. If I need covered shoes (for work) that means one choice, can I wear heels, is it raining?

When I have meetings, early gym etc I plan and layout the previous night. For general work from home not so much.

harmonica

Veteran

What La Pedestrienne said because all kinds of reasons and that I'm only human after lunch and coffee.

Maybe you are a mood dresser? I know I am. Sometimes I can't wear this or that because I'm not in the mood. Or I have to wear that. That's one reason for the difficulty of doing i.e. a weeks work wear or MOTG capsule.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I have the luxury of deciding what to wear in the morning for work because I drive myself and don't start until 9 am, a 10-20 minute drive. Occasionally I plan the night before but more often decide that day depending on weather, mood and which shoes I feel like wearing. It is summer here, but an odd summer where some days it felt like the toes would be too cold in sandals. So on those days I would pick ballet flats or loafers, which then determines the pants or occasionally dress. My skirts are going unworn. At least 2 days since Christmas I have actually worn thin socks with my loafers or my pink leather sneakers. Those were cooler days and I wore full-length pants. This is kind of unheard of usually in summer, and is the sort of thing that makes me think, huh, global warming? And then remember, nope, "climate change".

RobinF

Veteran

I have to pick out my clothes the night before because I am pretty much on auto-pilot in the morning. I get up at 5:45 and am out the door by 7:15 and like to sit with a cup of coffee for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30. I also make my coffee the night before and have it dripping when I come downstairs

Penny

Veteran

Even though it doesn't take me long to pull something together in the morning (dress + tights / blazer / cardigan as needed), sometimes on the weekend I place mini hair clips on five hangers of dresses I'd like to wear the upcoming week, and then select among them based on my mood and the type of day I anticipate (more formal for a day with several meetings, more comfy for a day when I need to be highly productive). Sounds like you have some good ideas to help you organize potential options, too!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm really enjoying the responses. It seems everyone has a slightly different pattern based on personality and lifestyle.

I do a lot of planning for special event and for travel capsules. For ordinary work at home days, I don't plan but go with weather and activities. But since I'm pretty much wearing a "uniform" of denim plus cashmere sweater or merino at home and pretty much all the same silhouette, it's not hard or time consuming -- just a little boring.

tulle

Veteran

Home most of the time now, I've become very lax, and an invitation to lunch can throw me into a tailspin. When I know I'll be going somewhere the next day, I'll put together a couple of possible outfits to ease my anxiety, then end up wearing whatever suits my mood and the weather.

Sara L.

Veteran

I pick my outfits the night before. I only started doing it when I started going to work earlier than my husband. I don't want to be turning on lights, opening drawers, etc. while he's sleeping so I pick out my clothes the night before. It's forced me to be more organized and I wouldn't go back even if our work schedules changed. I usually start with one piece I want to wear and build the outfit around that. Like I got a new necklace or scarf so I pick the sweater to go with it and then that decides the bottom. Or I want to wear flat shoes for a day I'll be on my feet, so then I pick a bottom based on what goes with those shoes.

I find it enjoyable - I usually do it while my kids are getting ready for bed since all the bedrooms are together in our house. They're slow and dawdle and it gives me something to do other than get impatient about how pokey they are.