outfit planning - have you a system?

[itallwentwrongat30]

Every day I think I am going to be more organised and plan my outfits so when I am at work i feel a bit more "put together" and less "dressed in a state trying to wing it!" I always think it is as easy as talking 10 minutes at night to plan my outfit and accessories. But I go through my evening routine, crawl into bed then forget. Cue scramble in the Morning.

Does anyone have a system as such? Or should I just leave myself a big note on the fridge ??

It's not so much about looking out together it's more about feeling put together. I took years to find my style and to grow into my self. I suppose my style would be described as unique and maybe twee. I get that's not everyone's thing, but then is anything everyone's thing.
I have my dresses planned for the week.
Nail polish must match or at least compliment what I'm wearing
Same for hair accessories.
I have bags and coats in a,variety of colours. All bought of eBay.
most of them through bids so not expensive.

I have a selection of set ‘outfits’ which are combinations I have worn before usually.
So I don’t decide which of those outfits I’m going to put on in the morning (because I like to see how I feel and if it’s raining) I just choose a whole outfit rather than having to choose every item in the madness of the morning rush.

I have a lot of skirts and trousers, which I have all hanging next to each other, as well as jeans. They all go with either choice of a white or black t-shirt, my go to biker jacket and handbag, and my array of footwear which are all black: trainers, smart boots, causal boots, or sandles (summer).

Each morning I just have to think black or white t-shirt, pick a skirt or trousers, put on my jacket and bag, pick one of my scarfs that hangs next to them, and then pick a footwear usually dictated by weather. Whatever I pick it will go, and I have massive Primark stacks of all basics, so it's very rare to have run out.

I swap things out as they wear out, I get sick of it, or have a new favourite. If I find something I really enjoy wearing I'll try and buy another. I wear something out and still like wearing it I'll buy a better quality version of it.

I think this is what I need to do. I have a clothes shopping habit and think I actually have too much and that makes it more difficult. I need to do a little wardrobe edit and sort/keep set pieces which work together well

I like to choose the night before - but any time after dc home from school works for me. Too close to bedtime and i can't think of anything!
It makes me feel in control of the morning

I leave my nails a neutral colour so that I don't need to worry about changing them to match my outfit. I also have a couple great 'go with everything' handbags. One in tan and one in black. They are great quality leather and very nice. I basically just move my stuff between them.

I essentially wear the same tyoe of thing every day. I have a blueprint for putting together an outfit! Lol. Jeans/chinos or a dress. If jeans/chinos then I wear a cute top with nice necklace or earrings and nice shoes (now though I am living in over the knee boots in one of three colours black, tan, grey as it is cold). If a dress then I just add accessories and boots or shoes.

A few tips I have gathered over the years:

1. When going shopping never buy something unless you already have two other items that can go with it to make a whole outfit. I.e shoes and an accessory
2. If you buy something that matches nothing else in your wardrobe, buy the entire outfit. (Commit to buying matching shoes, accs etc) If you don't want to do that, put it down. You don't need it and you won't be wearing it any time soon anyway.

1. Be aware of buying prints. There is only so much wear you can get out of them before you look like you are always wearing the same thing, especially if you like to take a lot of pics for the 'Gram or Fbook. Stick to solid colours.

1. Invest in some very good quality pieces. (A linen blazer for summer, a wool blazer for winter, leather handbag, leather belt etc) these pieces can be worn again and again and will elevate any outfit and make it look more expensive. You will also just feel good and well dressed wearing them.

1. Hang items that go together next to eachother in your wardrobe or on the same hanger even. Makes it easy to see what you have available to wear each day and put outfits together faster in the morning!

I have the Stylebook App and bought the Basic Bitches and Capsule Wardrobe ebooks from Styled by Susie.

I don’t change handbags v often so do so every few weeks then theme my outfits round them
For work I always get out outfits night before - in fact on a Sunday will look at my work diary and choose at least Monday n Tuesday - sometimes even Wednesday

• At the weekend I plan my outfits for my office days. I also work from home a couple of days and try to make an effort but sometimes I fail . I put all the bits I need together & hang in spare room for minimal faff in the morning.

• I have downloaded Stylebook app in the hope that would enable me to plan outfits on my long & tedious commute but I’m finding the process of entering all my clothes tedious! So it’s not up and running yet

• I de -cluttered my wardrobe so I could see all my clothes rather than having stuff at the bottom of piles! And organised it logically.

• I threw out anything that made me feel really scruffy / horrid or anything that gapes, twists, rides up etc . Also anything that is more than a dress size too small think my size 6 days are behind me

I joined the outfit of the day threads on here to give me motivation to make an effort. Also photographing my outfits makes me access them and sometimes I realise things do or don’t work!

I also have Style book but got bored of photographing everything half way through. I decided I had too much stuff so I’m in the middle of a purge. My plan when it’s finished is to create a capsule work wardrobe and to keep those items separately in my wardrobe. ( I work a 4 day week so I’ll put 8 or so outfits together and record them on the app). I have bought these white plastic rail dividers to put on my clothes rails which I shall use to label the rest of my wardrobe so hopefully getting dressed at any time will be easier. At the moment if I like an outfit choice I make a note in my diary but the app obviously gives you the freedom to record it visually. I have a number of books on the subject of personal style but my first choice is probably the Curated Closet. I’m a work in progress at the moment.

“‘Gram”
Vomit

I avoid the problem by wearing dresses with opaque tights and ankle boots and I pop on a couple of necklaces if relevant to the dress. My nails are done (very dark blue at the moment) and its just a choice of a couple of coats. Simple.

Ah yes wearing dresses is another tactic as only one thing to think about (far too hot in my office for jackets / cardigans etc)

I plan all my work outfits in advance on Stylebook. Yes the set-up is laborious, but I find googling my clothes and saving pics (you can import them direct from the internet) is much quicker than photographing everything, though there will always be things you can't find online so have to take pics of.

The big plus is having ready-made outfits at hand. No more remembering which tops/trousers or dresses/shoes go together, once you've logged an outfit you can easily refer back to it.

Not having to stress in the mornings about what to wear is a godsend.

Yes to mainly dresses! So much easier. I stick to a colour palette for work (navy, grey, green, burgundy in winter, brighter for summer). I put it all out right down to underwear the night before.
I also do the "does it go with anything I already own" thing. If I don't have the necessary other clothes and shoes to make it work I won't buy.
I also put away anything summery in autumn and anything wintery in spring (in vacuum sealed bags) this means I'm only looking at things appropriate for the season. Same for shoes, all my sandals are packed away. Means you aren't lost in a sea of clothes.

I also don't buy things unless they work with at least two other outfits. That avoids a cupboard full of mismatching stuff.

I separate by type of item eg skirts or trousers, then by colour. Sometimes if I have spare time I'll pull out half a wardrobe and try new things together or reorganise stuff.

I think about pattern with plain and also colours and textures. I think about necklaces etc which work with outfits, and have them all permanently visible.

I store things which are a size to small or big in a separate place (DHs wardrobe 😄).

If I can be bothered, I move things which are not seasonable out of the way, eg to the edge of the wardrobe.

Wow thanks so much for all the helpful responses - and the one unnecessary post (there is always one!)

Lots of good ideas. I will need to check this app out! I think I also need to do a little wardrobe "edit"/clearout :)

I have started noting outfits that make me feel good into a small notebook that I carry around in my bag (for shopping lists or a sudden realisation of something I need to do when I get home lol)

I am just fed up of feeling rubbish about myself - but equally fed up by the time I get home and sorted to be planning outfits. Think I need to shift the mindset and get into a routine!

All of my clothes are on my Stylebook app so it’s easy to pick an outfit I know goes together. If I’m at work the next day, I try to get all my clothes out the night before

Could you make a slot of time at the weekend to sort out outfits? Like you I’m so tired at the end of the day I just want to flop! Once your wardrobe is de-cluttered & organised it shouldn’t take long.

Planning in advance is definitely key. Actually before Christmas I planned about ten days outfits for over the Christmas period in advance as I was determined not to look a complete state but knew I was going to be mad busy.

I think buying clothes around a basic colour scheme works well. So colours that work together brown and cream etc.

I always lay an outfit out the night before for work. I tend to hang it in the bathroom (including underwear) so that any creases drop out overnight/with the steam from morning showers. I pull out shoes/boots too. Very occasionally the weather scuppers things and I need to change my plan, but I religiously check the forecast in the evening.

My style is pretty much the same for work/not work, but I don't wear the same actual things, so there's a clear division between work stuff and other clothes in my wardrobe. I have work outfits I mix and match, so I'm wearing things in different combinations.

At this time of year I tend not to wear dresses much, mainly short skirt, opaque tights, flat boots or trainers, and fitted jumper, or the same with cropped wide-leg trousers. In summer I wear a lot of midi-dresses, so it's one and done!

I went to a JL personal stylist session today as needed a few pieces for work, but also wanted some pieces for weekends etc. Said I wanted to start building a more capsule wardrobe where I am mix and match stuff bit actually have less items. She was amazing and helped me with my colours, shapes and styles which suit me best so when I go out I know what I am looking for.

Retired so no work outfits needed, but I hate looking blah. My criteria are fit, cut and colour, and I mainly wear cool neutrals from black, via charcoal, grey, navy and olive to white, plus a few hot corals and oranges. I look dead in anything pastel, but it took a long time to learn that. Pale blue reduces me to needing A&E intervention, unless I am really tanned, and I don't do that any more.