One of the goals I set for myself this year was to become a morning person: get to work early and leave by 5pm. This is no small feat considering that starting at 10-10:30am and ending around 6:30pm was the norm for me at my previous company. A new job provided the perfect excuse to adjust my schedule and have my evenings to myself again. After a few exhausting days last week, it seems to be working out well. I get so much done before noon and when I come home I can work on my blog or go to yoga and dance classes.
The only downside: to maximize sleep and minimize prep time, I have about 3-5 minutes to get dressed before moving on to the rest of my morning routine. Rifling through drawers, flipping through hangers, and pondering what to wear is a luxury reserved for someone who can afford to hit the snooze alarm a couple of times.
That being said, here are my tried-and-true strategies for putting together a stylish outfit when pressed for time:
- Check the weather forecast and lay out your clothes and accessories the night before. (If you do this the battle is already half-won.)
- Stock up on variations of the pieces that you wear most often. For some it might be dresses, tights, costume jewelry, and waist-cinching belts. For others it could be delicate blouses, cashmere cardigans, and skinny trousers.
- Try to work in some pattern and/or colour.
- When in doubt, have a "fallback outfit" (or five).
What is a fallback outfit, you ask? It's that easy, comfortable outfit formula that you know is guaranteed to work 100% when you're too tired to layer and tuck, experiment and accessorize. Here are some fallback outfit formulas that work for me and my work environment (casual, no dress code), courtesy of Polyvore.
MondayEarly Monday mornings are particularly brutal if you've had a full social calendar all weekend. A colourful cardigan, simple blouse, and dark wash skinny jeans look put-together and are a no-brainer to throw on. Feminine accessories complete the look.
TuesdayWith Monday blues wearing off, Tuesday is bound to be more productive and busy. Look chic but stay comfortable in a sweater dress cinched with a red patent leather belt and tall black leather riding boots.
WednesdayReuse the red patent leather belt from yesterday's outfit to give a patterned blouse and camel trousers a slight jolt of colour.
ThursdayOver-the-knee boots, a patterned shirtdress, leggings, and a crossbody bag are low on fuss and high on style.
FridayLace tops are surprisingly demure with a cami underneath and a blazer on top. When it's time meet up with friends or that special someone for drinks or dinner after work, put on a sparkly necklace and some bright lipstick.
Do you have any tips or tricks to get yourself ready and out the door in no time on early weekday mornings? What are the fallback outfits that work for you?
