How to Look Put Together With Minimal Effort
There might be something to that old adage “you never get a second chance at a first impression.” First, and even second and third, impressions are important, and that’s why we sometimes spend countless hours agonizing over what we’re going to wear. We’ve all been there, staring at our closets, thinking there’s absolutely nothing to wear. It can be overwhelming, even exhausting, to get dressed when you’re feeling like that. Isn’t there an easier way?
If you’ve groaned at the thought of piecing together another outfit that’s put together, fashionable, and flattering, you’re not alone. You don’t have the time to spend 30 minutes or an hour each morning picking out the perfect outfit, and you just want to look put together with as little effort as possible.
We’re here to help, and you may never have to face that dreaded closet indecision again if you follow a few simple steps. Looking put together doesn’t have to be hard work, and with our tips and tricks, you’ll be on your way to a wardrobe that looks and makes you feel great. Now that’s what we call a win-win.
Reorganize Your Closet
Reorganizing your closet may seem like a lot of effort, but trust us, this move will save you time in the long run. Throw on some music and devote an hour or two to parsing through all of your clothes and figuring out what should stay and what should go. By paring down your wardrobe, you’ll eliminate the enemy of fashionistas everywhere—wardrobe choice overload. Simply put, choice overload burdens your brain with too many options, making it harder for you to come to a decision quickly. To minimize your daily efforts while getting dressed, simply remove the hard choices from the closet.
Once you’ve pared down, you should organize your wardrobe to help you find your favorite outfits faster. We suggest following some common techniques, like grouping similar items together (pants with pants, shirts with shirts, and so on), and even color-coding. Or you can go the extra mile and group your wardrobe by outfits by hanging fully dressed looks next to each other in the closet. That way, the next time you’re hunting for your blue top, white jeans, gray sweater combo, you’ll have it right in front of you. Whichever method you choose, it should destress your closet time and make getting dressed in the morning fast and simple.
Update Your Closet Staples
Looking put together with minimal effort starts with the basics, and that means it’s time to update your closet staples, or your go-to outfits, to fit in with what you actually do on a day-to-day basis.
The easiest way to begin is by assessing the activities you normally need to dress for and make sure you have the closet staples to support them. That means, if you find yourself slipping on the same women’s joggers every day, it might be time to invest in a few more pairs. It also means letting go of or storing the items you don’t wear regularly. Unless you lead meetings in the boardroom and attend black-tie events frequently, you can push your evening gowns and professional suits to the back of your closet (or put them in the donation pile). They’ll just take room away from the essentials you need now.
You should also add to the mix a few staples you really love, like a women’s tunic top in your favorite color or a super-soft cashmere turtleneck sweater. Filling your closet with items you love that look great with everything will get you excited to put them on. With that excitement, you’ll find that the effort of getting dressed feels a little less effortful.
Layer Your Looks
Another easy way to make sure you’re ready for anything is to dress in layers. You won’t have to spend too much time thinking about your outfit in the morning when you know you’ve got every scenario covered. For a layered look that takes little effort to throw together, always remember the rule of threes. You should always have three articles of clothing on your body in addition to your pants and top. A blazer or women’s cardigan sweater pulls together any layered look, and a belt or scarf adds a stylish touch. Don’t forget dangly earrings or a structural handbag to complete the outfit.
Lean Into Your Accessory Game
Speaking of accessories, you’ll want to up your accessory game to make sure any outfit you choose looks polished and presentable. Adding a statement necklace to a white women’s t-shirt and ripped jeans or stacking sparkly bangles with a peasant top takes your look to the next level. If you like to follow the trends, consider experimenting with headwear, like a felt hat or a plush headband, to pull it all together.
Footwear Can Make All the Difference
When you’re choosing a polished outfit, your footwear choices can make or break your final look. No matter what you’re wearing up top, a great shoe can always help pull a whole look together and make all the difference. You can’t go wrong with a kitten heel or a pointy-toed bootie to top off any presentable ensemble.
If heels aren’t in the cards for you or they just aren’t your thing, try riding boots over skinny jeans or paired with a midi dress or skirt. In the summer, you can top off several outfits with squeaky clean white sneakers. For a casual look, just add shorts, and for a professional outfit, choose a breezy maxi dress.
Consider a Capsule Wardrobe
Does the thought of too many choices in your closet still overwhelm you? Well, then you might like to consider whether a capsule wardrobe is for you. A capsule wardrobe is all about paring down your closet to the bare necessities and building your daily outfits by mixing and matching closet essentials. A capsule wardrobe isn’t for everyone, especially if you like to buy statement pieces or special occasion outfits. But, if you can commit to the pared-down lifestyle, you’ll always look put together and you’ll never put in too much effort.
Now that we’ve covered how to look put together with minimal effort, you’ll realize you have so much more time on your hands to spend on other things instead of hemming and hawing over the options in your closets. Maybe it’s time to pick up a new morning routine, like conquering the daily crossword puzzle or finally getting around to reading that novel you’ve been putting off, or, let’s face it, hitting that snooze button one or two more times. Whatever you decide, we know you’ll look great doing it.