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Trying something different.....

Staysfit

Veteran

I have hectic mornings in which I squeeze my daily workouts, laundry, and some other tasks. I waste a lot of time picking my clothes daily. I certainly have better uses for that time so I have been trying to figure out if there is a quicker way for me to manage my morning routine without giving up my workouts.

When I chose my daily outfit, I probably change 3 or more times before I am happy with the result. I also sit and stew over what to wear for accessories and change them around until I like the result. This clearly takes too much time which I need for other tasks on a work day.

I am going to try to plan my outfits in advance, but I'm not sure of the best way to approach this?

For those of you who plan outfits in advance, what strategies work best? Do you do this the night before, or do you do an entire week? Do you plan a group of outfits from which you choose so you have a range of options depending on the weather, or do you have one outfit per day that you stick with regardless of the weather? How do you keep track of these outfits so you know what they are? Do you hang them together in your closet? Do you write them somewhere in a notebook or a spreadsheet? Do you photograph them? Does this system really save you time?

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33 replies

Latest reply was from binkle

Runcarla

Veteran

I have no time to fuss in the am since work mornings are very tight. Sunday I put together a capsule for the week. Based on projected weather and my planned activities at work, I put together 5 outfits with mix and match possibilities (including a casual Friday outfit that might include jeans.) i switch out my bag for one that co-ordinates with my capsule, and identify the outerwear that goes best with the outfits. Coordinating scarves/pashmina, gloves, hats, go in a neat pile on a shelf in the closet that hold the outerwear.

anchie

Veteran

I also do similar like Runcarla, I plan for the week, but not the full outfits, I just select set of mix and match items that is appropriate for the weather and activities for upcoming week. I make sure that I have all needed accessories available, laundry done, appropriate undergarments, etc. It is usually only one handbag in the set, but at least 3 pairs of shoes. Then just the night before I decide in my mind which combo I will wear tomorrow.

Lucy

Veteran

I had to get used to wardrobe planning when I had a job where I had to travel 2 days a week. It meant 2 work days had to be packed up on a Sunday night!
These days, I still do two things. First, I do write a quick list on my phone of outfits I will wear that working week, looking at the weather and my diary (some days are more formal than others!). Occasionally I do change my mind, but less often than I'd expect. Second, I still get out my outfit the night before, and hang it over the end of my bed. Then, in the morning I just need to get shoes and accessories out.
I find this really helps to avoid too much last minute fiddling about. And as I'm not a morning person, it seems to take stress out of it

Grey Rainbow

I plan my outfits for the week every Sunday. My days start very early, often end late, and I'm not a morning person. I check my calendar and weather reports, try outfits accordingly including shoes, outerwear and accessories, and take pics to check against what I see in the mirror. I keep a record for each week in a table in Pages (easier for me than a spreadsheet): columns for date/weather/determinant meetings; bottoms; tops; toppers; shoes; accessories; and outerwear. End of day I add notes about how I felt (emojis do for that), and anything like too cold or feet hurt. Probably sounds like more work than it is -- after 5 years of this YLF-inspired tracking its speedy for me. Gives me quick outfits from previous weeks and years to copy/paste. Also helps me enjoy favorites, find FFBs, and integrate new items seamlessly.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

Reading with interest as I'm so bad at pre-planning my own outfits, I could use some advice too!

Ginger

Veteran

I have had little success planning outfits in advance. I'm an emotional dresser, and when I've tried, I'm often "not feeling" the planned outfit and waste more time changing. Or the weather changes quickly, so a pre-planned outfit won't be the best choice any more.

But like you, I would spend a lot of time in the morning making up my mind. I will try different things and combinations, and waste time getting stuff out and putting it back.

What I do is plan a single outfit ahead. Usually the night before, while I am taking off makeup and washing my face. Often I've checked the forecast right before then. I may consider ahead for the week (certain weather or meetings may call for something specific), but that's just to make sure I don't use a garment too soon. I just plan the next day.

This is a mental exercise, and does require that I know my wardrobe and combinations well. Occasionally a planned outfit doesn't work, and I have to make up something else. But on the whole it's worked extremely well, with a minimum of effort.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm an emotional and "weather dependent" dresser who has the luxury of working from home most of the time, so I only plan outfits for travel. Having said that, I plan like a general for trips.

Planning *always* involves consideration of weather and the activities I will engage in. I then go from there. I consider whether I'll be getting dirty (i.e. getting down to floor level at school) or whether I'll be giving a presentation (I usually want a jacket and a distinctive colour or cut -- or something luxe or new (ish) to make me feel my best). I consider the setting and how I want to present myself, and also comfort (i.e. am I walking? will I be travelling in a car or plane?)

I would do something similar if planning outfits for the week, and probably I'd do it the night before, as Ginger suggests, vs. doing a whole week at once. I know i would not stick to a week-in-advance plan anyway.

Anonymous

I plan my outfit the evening before. I lay everything out (including lingerie and jewelry) the night before.

There are times when what I planned the night before just doesn't speak to me the day of. Those times are much more rare than you would think though. When this happens, I switch things up according to my mood.

anchie

Veteran

Forgot to say, when planning for the week I like to do little challenges for my self, so I usually have 'theme' each week, like skirt week, orange week, no black week, only old things week etc. This is just to make things more fun, but it also helps me with the planning if I have something to plan arround.

Dianna

Veteran

I plan my outfits for the week, depending on weather and activities but instead of five, I plan for 6 in order to have a wild card outfit ready. Since I am an emotional dresser, I also try to have one or two additional tops I can mix and match with that week outfits, in case I don't feel something in one of my planned outfits I can make an easy change. That way I can easily change the top and/or bottom without taking too much time to think. It also helps that I love dresses and probably half (if not more) of my work wardrobe are dresses. It makes morning decision-making easier.

Sara L.

Veteran

I lay out the next day's outfit the night before. I check the weather and think of any activities I will do during the day. I pick everything out, including lingerie and accessories. I hang my clothes on a hook on the back of the bathroom door. Occasionally I change my mind but it's not that often. If it's a new outfit combination, I might try it on the night before or I'll have a back up plan. For example, I may want to wear a new top with a skirt and don't have the time or energy to try out the combo the night before. I'll also pull out an old top that I know works with the skirt in case the new one doesn't look right.

Dianna

Veteran

Anchie, I love your challenges, it helps you getting more creative and makes things more fun.

Anonymous

Y'know - I ALWAYS did this when I was working. I had lists of outfits I liked best for work and chose a few on Sunday based on weather, meetings, variety, etc. I also had a list of combos I wanted to try it "in the wild" (meaning I'd seen them in front of the mirror, but wasn't sure if I'd necessarily like them for a busy day of wear) and would add some of those into the mix as well. Once choices were made I would move the pieces of the outfit to a designated part of my closet, and drape over the hanger any special undergarments, hosiery, jewelry etc. the outfit needed and also insure that the shoes needed were polished and readily accessible. Same for any bag changes required. I usually chose one extra outfit for unexpected weather. Sometimes the weather changes more dramatically and then I would have to regroup on Tues. or Wed night, but it did seem to save me a lot of time.

I haven't done this at all since I've been retired and I wonder if I should. I've deluded myself into thinking that I don't know ahead of time what my week will look like, but honestly most of the time I do. Dog walking happens everyday unless it's raining heavily. Errands are at least a couple of different days a week. Meetings, lunches and happy hour/dinner with friends is usually scheduled in advance. DH and I try to have dinner out together once a week, so there's really no reason I can't plan an outfit ahead even if I don't know what night that will be.

I'm re-arranging my closet today and I think I'll plan for leaving a designated space for planned outfits again and join you in this endeavor. Just because I have more leisure time in my day doesn't mean that I want to spend it figuring out what to wear.

I really enjoyed reading the responses about different people's routines. And I look forward to reading whether and how you institute a planning process, Staysfit!

AndiB

Veteran

I love to spend time rummaging through my closet, usually on a weekend day that isn't over committed, and making outfits. They are not necessarily for the upcoming week, but l put together full outfits, hung together, with accessories and shoes. I have taken apart wire hangars which I loop on the bottom to hang skirts and pants from, and then hook the hangar part through the regular hangar with the shirt and sweater/jacket/scarf. I start with one piece usually, and that could be anything from shoes to a necklace to a dress, and build around it. I usually have 5 to 8 full on outfits hanging from my door or clothes rack in the spare bedroom, ready to go. this is mostly for work outfits. I should do the same with weekend attire, as I do tend to fall back on jeans/tee on weekends when adding a jacket or scarf even for Saturday errands would really elevate things. I have a lot of clothes, and taking a couple hours really helps me think of new ways to use things I have.

JuniperGreen

Veteran

I feel your struggle Seasonal transitions are particularly tough for me and result in many abandoned outfit pairings each morning, so I'm a little resigned to it for the next few weeks... but I'm trying to come up with a few Fast Fall-Back Outfits for this weather and maybe that'll help.

Curious if your closet/wardrobe storage suits your needs. Are you able to see the items clearly and access them easily? For me that's half the battle.

This summer I got a hanging rack to pull items out of my closet (which is sizable but has a narrow opening, gotta love old houses) and it's been very helpful for me to create outfit pairings and also to see what's getting worn more frequently (when I look at what I'm pulling on the rack vs what's staying IN the closet).

Laura G

Veteran

Wow, I am in awe of you ladies! When I had an office job, I never managed to plan more than one outfit at a time, unless I was traveling.

My secret weapon now is my outfit selfies. I choose a bottom and then scroll through my pictures of complete outfits with that skirt or pants. I spend a lot of time on those selfies (like an hour or two styling one skirt), but that's fun time, unlike the frantic "styling" that litters the closet floor in the morning when there's somewhere I gotta be.

I also keep an outfit journal, noting briefly what I did that day and how I felt in the outfit.

gryffin

Veteran

Does anyone else follow flylady? I always pick my outfit out the night before. It is rare I do not wear that outfit. First I check and weather report and my calendar. If the weather in inclement that will determine my footwear choice. Then I will build an outfit around it. If the weather is nice, I will pick a focal point the jacket, maybe skirted leggings, jeans etc and build the outfit around that. I'm a huge repeater. I may take selfies early in the process but usually I will default to favorite combos or variations on the favorites. For me there is more uniformity. Black underlayer, jacket, footwear etc. I don't change accessories or bag (watch, fitbit with bytten slide, wedding set, diamond studs, dog necklace. They are trademarks. It only takes me a minute or two, unless it's a new item. But I usually do try ons when I get a new piece so I have combos in mind. So much easier. Big thumbs up to outfit selection at night!!

rachylou

Veteran

Gosh, 3-4 changes is a lot... My whole closet is organised, as I always say, like Garanimals. Different major capsules are together - bakery, office, at home. Within them, tops over bottoms. For any outfit, I basically just pick from two places...

Jane

Veteran

During the working week, I think about it the night before and in the shower in the morning and when I'm making tea! I can get confused and then change an outfit, but ordinarily don't. I risk missing trains if I am indecisive! My work outfits are limited in colours and overall approach - they follow a theme so it's more of a formula. I'm grateful sometimes for the uniformity and the need to wear conservative clothes as it leads to simpler decisions!

This is an interesting thread!

Anonymous

I share gryffin's approach. I do the planning (just in my head) the night before ,based on the usual factors. I have zero patience/interest/time for farting around with clothes in the morning and trying out new combinations and I do the same outfit-building process that g mentions too. There is nothing worse than heading out the door unsure of what you're wearing. I remember when I had my first "real" job as a buyer for a clothing chain WAY back when I was in my 20's , and I actually wrote the outfits on a chart so that I could remember what I wore when. Now, I can't even conceive of caring that much, or having the headspace for that kind of mindless detail. Ah, the joys of youth

Vix

Veteran

Hi Staysfit --

I prefer to be a morning-of person but have done all the strategies mentioned above: night before, half-week, week-long.

When it's a half/full week, I always add in a couple of extra variations to allow for mood dressing. And as mentioned above, put everything (underwear/shoes/socks) in one handy spot.

I found a missing core piece, job change, seasonal switchovers and/or body shifts were the main reasons for dissatisfaction. I really try to do big boring try-on sessions when those things are happening so I can get back to my "2-minute closet" ways!

JAileen

Veteran

Assuming everything fits, I try things on in my head, including accessories. I must have lower standards, because if the first outfit is okay, I go with it!

The Cat

Veteran

My brain works very slowly in the morning, but most days I have to get up early. So I plan my outfit the night before. I start by checking the weather forecast and considering what kind of appointments I have. After selecting the clothes, I hang them together and place the shoes nearby. Before I go to bed, I make sure that everything--including underwear, jewellery, and my bag-- is ready. It saves me a lot of time in the morning.

Brooklyn

Veteran

I plan the night before. If I plan too far ahead my mood can change (and the weather). I use outfit pics on my phone as an aide-memoire.

Anonymous

I walk with my dog for an hour in the morning in exercise clothes and form an opinion of what the day is going to be like during that time. My wardrobe is always relatively limited and with few pieces, and when I buy things, I already know how I'm likely to wear them and how they'll look. If I don't overthink it, I'm drawn to certain fabrics and colors depending on the weather.

I used to change over and over but now I really just go with that first sense of the day. It's a little bit "leap of faith" but I've gotten better at it. It used to just upset me to doubt myself, I never really felt that much better, and that really gets old.

Staysfit

Veteran

There are some great suggestions here. I have read everything carefully and considered my situation. My closet is very organized and everything is easy to find and see. I have a large number of items to select from and I certainly allow emotion to rule which is why I end up changing so frequently. If it doesn't feel right I don't want to wear it. In my head, the same item that was perfect two days ago seems awful at the present moment, but objectively no one else would see anything different.

Planning in advance sounds great in theory, but putting it into practice may take some effort. Looking through everyone's responses so far, it seems that preparing one outfit the night before is the most popular method. Some people prepare more than one outfit at a time. I like the idea of preparing a selection of outfits that I can have hanging and ready to go in my closet. My closet is large enough that I can designate space for these outfits for the week. I also can find space for the coordinated shoes and accessories. My thinking is to look at the weather forecast for the week in advance and prepare 5-6 outfits appropriate for the temperature range and planned activities. Then I would check the night before for the hopefully more accurate forecast, pick one of the outfits and if needed make a quick adjustment if there isn't one for the expected weather. I am going to start tomorrow. I am putting together three outfits to finish out the work week and then I will see how it goes.

L'Abeille

Veteran

When I started following FlyLady I resisted the night-before prep for the longest time, citing a desire for spontaneity and mood dressing. When I finally gave in, my life was SO much easier. I have gotten away from it in recent years, as an empty nester without others to worry about. But I am so NOT a morning person, and my morning routine is getting longer and longer as more bits need moisturizing or medicating, so it's time I got serious about it again.

One of the essentials, for me, is to actually put the stuff on the hanger together the night before. Otherwise, the right bra will turn out to be in the laundry, or the shoes left at the office, or the main piece of the FFBO will have inexplicably gone missing, as happened just this Sunday when I thought it all out the night before in theory only.

Until I got out of the habit, I was using Evernote to lay out my weekly schedule and plan appropriate outfits, then keep the monthly records. This has proven particularly helpful in transitional seasons, since I lack the imagination to picture what I'll want to wear when the weather is other than "now". I also keep a folder of ideas I'd like to pursue: an Angie ensemble or new-season trends enacted with items from my wardrobe, or challenges to myself to wear as many jackets as possible before coat season arrives. I also add in new wardrobe items here and work out potential combos before trying them on.

I'm glad you posted this, because I really need to start doing it myself but I didn't realize it till now!

Anonymous

Congratulations on your new system. I hope it works for you. Let us know how you like it and what tweaks you've made to make it work.

BTW, I can plan the night before with ease. I could never project out several days with any accuracy. It is not weather, but work meetings that get spontaneously scheduled through the week that warrant changes.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I can see most people are much more organised than me! All the same I do think about it the night before but not so as to actually get the stuff out. This year because I am tracking wears I might look at my lists of clothes before bed and think what would suit the likely weather and get me to wear stuff that may not be so good when weather changes in a few weeks. Like I've picked a shirt for tomorrow that will have a camisole under if warmer and a black merino as well if colder( Spring weather is unpredictable) and also a jacket, these are all hanging near each other with the camisole on a shelf above. Looking at the lists daily helps to see what needs more wears. I try to change up shoes every 2-3 days for interest. So sometimes the shoes determine the outfit. Some are only worn with a couple of outfits, teal example below. Those shoes mostly mean that outfit cause it's all planned ahead, even to the earrings.

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