Taking the Bull by Its Horns: Planning Your Weekly Outfits

As I may have mentioned a time or two before on the blog, I try my best to lay out my outfits on the weekends during the school year. I have a few shelves in my closet labeled with the days of the week, and last Christmas my mother even bought me these little plastic strips to connect hangers (like you see in the stores, so you can attach whole outfits) as well as days of the week clips for the head of each hanger. While that may be a bit extreme—although super fun for my inner OCD—there are still plenty of ways you can and should plan your weekly outfits. So this school year, buck up, take the bull by the horns, and spend a little quality time in your closet each weekend to save you a lot of time during the week.

Why should you bother wasting precious weekend time planning outfits, something that’s part of your morning routine anyways? I get it—I understand the immense value of a lazy Sunday afternoon. But let me try to convince you that a sacrificial 30 minutes of your weekend can be a great investment.

• Reason #1: It saves you time during the week days. I know girls throwing clothes all over their room and running late for school because of an outfit is a cliché found in many teen movies, but it does hold some truth. I’ve been known to waste 10 or even 15 minutes trying to figure out what to wear in the mornings. When you already have your outfit pre-planned though, you don’t have to waste that time. Which means less stress in the morning. Which means you can sleep in a little longer. Which means you will be much happier and your friends might actually want to be around you.
• Reason #2: It saves a mess from forming on your closet or bedroom floor. While I’ve never frivolously thrown clothing all around like in the movies, I do tend to pick out a blouse or pair of pants, try it on, and then throw it back on the ground instead of a hanger. Sound familiar? Then when I get home that night, I find a pleasant surprise of clothes on the floor which I now must clean up. Save yourself the hassle.
• Reason #3: You’ll never worry about if an item is clean or not. When you plan your outfits on the weekends, you assure yourself that your favorite sparkly top is washed and ready for Friday night, and you won’t have to wear those same jeans for the 5^th time in a row. There’s nothing I hate more than wanting to wear a specific item only to find it lurking in the bottom of the laundry hamper. But you can easily bypass this frustration!
• Reason #4: You’ll always be stylish. I feel like the top instigators of a lame outfit are time crunches and laziness. How many times have you been running late in the morning and just grabbed a t-shirt to throw on so you weren’t naked? Or how many times have you wandered into your closet, drool still coming from your mouth and eyes half closed, and just grabbed sweatpants so you’re comfy all day? Or how many times have you been so incredibly lazy in the morning that you can’t even pair two pieces of clothing together? If your outfits are already planned, you won’t ever run into those issues. You’ll automatically have a seriously cute look to throw on, boost your self-esteem, and get you ready to take on the day!
• Reason #5: You’ll wear more of your closet. Because you won’t be rushing in the mornings, you won’t default to reaching for your favorite sweater over and over again. Putting some thought and time into your outfit allows you to consider different pairings, unique combinations, and experiments with those obscure pieces you only wear twice a year. I’m all about getting the most wear out of the most pieces in your closet, and this will allow you to broaden your fashion horizons.

Have I convinced you yet?! I could probably keep making that list forever because I am SUCH a proponent for planning your outfits. If you just spend 30 minutes every Sunday afternoon, you can save yourself so much trouble during the week and actually enjoy more of your closet. Getting dressed becomes something exciting to which you look forward, not just a chore you’re forced to do in the morning because walking around in your PJs is socially unacceptable (unless you’re in Walmart, sadly).

Those thirty minutes don’t have to be boring, either! Turn your outfit planning into something fun—cue up your favorite music, play your guilty-pleasure Netflix show on a nearby laptop, eat a few snacks in between looks (of course, Cheetos or other crumby/powedery/sticky foods are probably a no-go).

Don’t feel restricted to wearing one of your outfits only on the specific day you assigned. Often, I’ll switch Monday’s outfit with Thursday’s the morning of, just because I’m not feeling the first look that particular day. And that’s okay! The whole point is to just have 5 outfits in general to get you through the week, they don’t necessarily have to be specific to the days. This also works great for unexpected weather. Turns out it’s colder today than you expected? Just grab that warmer outfit you laid out for Friday. Here’s a tip: check the weather report for the week while planning your looks to help get the ball rolling with your outfit ideas.

I know you may not want to spend the time laying out weekly ensembles, but if you just grab the bull by its horns and do it once, you’ll probably find that it is SO worth the effort. I’d love to know, do any of you already practice planning your outfits? Do you think you’ll start after reading this post?

Have a great Monday (and school day, if you’ve already gone back)!

Miles of smiles,

Grace

P.S. I’m not sure where exactly I’ll put my outfits once in the confined space of a dorm room, but I’ll keep you updated. 😉

Denim Floral Blouse: Levi’s via JCPenney, $30 // Green Eyelet Shorts: Loft, $25 // Taupe Fringe Booties: Sam Edelman via DSW, $90 // Aviator Sunglasses: Icing, $16 // Pink Leather Purse: gift, from Italy