Mornings are not my thing. Somehow on the weekends I wake up bright and early, but during the week I am constantly pressing snooze on my alarm. I am rushing to throw together my lunch, do my make up, get dressed and get out the door.
I used to thrive off getting a new outfit. I felt as though I should show up to work in different clothes otherwise people would think I had none. I realized that no one pays that much attention to what I wear. Lets face it, I am not Kim Kardashian, no one really cares what I wear.
I read an article called Project 333, where you have 33 items of clothing and keep them for three seasons. In order to introduce a new time, an old item has to be replaced. I decided that I should try to simplify my closet. I had gotten a seasonal job at Tiffany and Co to make extra money to travel and the dress code was very strict. I bought three or four items, so with my busy schedule I would have a set wardrobe similar to a uniform to wear each day I had to work. I loved the structure, I knew what I wanted to wear and I was never running around in the morning trying to pick out my clothes. I decided that my regular 9 – 5 should be the same.
I started being choosy with my pieces. I picked good staples, I invested in good quality brands and good fabrics. I decided that if I was having fewer items I wanted to love them. A few pieces I actually took in to get altered so they fit exactly how I wanted them to. I also tried to stay away from any fabrics that needed ironing. I am already so rushed in the mornings, I will never wear it if I need to press it before leaving the house. It ends up looking like a crushed paper bag by the end of the day.
Investing in high quality clothing not only made me look more put together but it actually ended up saving me money and time. If I do get tired of some of my clothing I have the option to consign it or give it to charity and replace it with a new item. Of my whole wardrobe I was only utilizing 30 percent of it. The rest were fashion pieces that I somehow had become attached to, or an item that I think I will need to wear sometime down the road, but it hasn’t happened yet.
My office place is business casual. In the summer it is easier to lean more towards the casual side. The A/C is always on so I make sure to pack a sweater every day, otherwise I would freeze. My spring and summer staples are:
- A good shift dress with sleeves
- Neutral tone blazer
- Navy/Black maxi dress
- Cotton short sleeve dress
- Tailored shorts/skirt
- Empire waist summer dress
- 2 blouses – one dark, one light
- Fitted cardigan
- Oversized cardigan
- Ballet flats
- Leather sandal
- Professional looking bag
