Timed Style
By Bridgette Raes
Last Monday I went out to Pennsylvania with some friends. At 6:30 on Monday morning, I took the bus back to New York City with my one friends. Monday is the day that I devote to spending in my office, which is conveniently situated in my home. Because of this, I don’t have to think too hard about what I am going to be wearing. That morning I got up, threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater and put my hair up in a clip. And after dabbing on minimal makeup, I was ready to go. I mean, at this ungodly hour, how much more could I do?
When we got to the bus station I found myself amongst commuters who were getting on the 6:30 a.m. bus for work! I was stunned! Every day these folks get up, and not only have to catch a bus at 6:30, but they somehow have to manage to pull themselves together and look work-appropriate. While I was standing there, in the jeans that I lived in all weekend and my sort-of-brushed-hair, I was in extreme admiration of these people, and okay, I also thought they were slightly insane for putting up with a commute like this daily.
As I looked at the women, some looked nice and others, well, not so nice. Regardless of how they looked, I was certain that these women didn’t have the luxury of dawdle time that or any other workday morning. I am positive that many of these women don’t grab a cup of fresh coffee and watch the weather report with their feet up while their iron gets hot enough to get the wrinkles out of their silk blouse.
No, these women move in the morning. Many of them probably dress in the dark and blindly feel their way through their closets, needing to grab and go and have it be as no-fuss as possible. On top of everything else, women, in general, are multi-taskers and I would guess that on top of their own morning issues, some of the women probably had to deal with at least one unruly child or a husband who suddenly forgot how to dress himself.
Nine out of ten of my clients tell me that they feel rushed in the morning. Be it the act of juggling a family and all that comes with it, or the career clients who have high pressured jobs that get them out the door at the crack of dawn for a lengthy commute, many of the women who work with me want to look good, but they want to look good quick and fast.
So if you are one of those women who needs your style to be like fast-food, then here are some things that you can do to ensure that your time-starved mornings don’t comprimise your style.
Grab and Go Separates
I have a client who is a lawyer and who has a lengthy commute to New York each morning. Her one complaint about her wardrobe was that it took too much time to think about it, and time was something she just didn’t have. I remember saying that her wardrobe needed to be grab and go. It needed to be so stupid-simple that looking good required next to no thought in the morning. My client whole-heartedly agreed.
Just because a wardrobe is grab and go, doesn’t mean that it lacks style or flair. What was probably the most amazing was that after working with this client, her outftts were more thought out and accessorized than they were prior to working together. There were more steps to her outfts each day, but the difference is that these steps were clear and obvious.
Many of you are familiar with Garanimals http://www.garanimals.com/girls_clothes_infant_panda.htm. Garanimals are clothes for children that mix and match. When a parent buys Garanimals, they match up tags that have the same animal on them. As you can see from clicking to the site, the tags of each animal create a group of pieces create mix and match outfits. This is going to sound crazy, but a woman on the go would benefit from thinking about her outfit in a Garanimals manner.
By having mix and match options, you will be able to grab and go quickly.
Keep it low maintenance
I don’t know about all of you, but in the mornings that I can’t get out of the house fast enough, if something requires ironing, I don’t wear it. I hate high maintenance clothing, and I would imagine that any woman who is rushed in the morning feels similarily.
When shopping with clients, especially for spring clothing, if we find something we like but we aren’t sure if it will wrinkle easily I will often scrunch up part of the garment and then release it. If the garment holds the wrinkles, we leave it at the store. After all, who wants to be bothered? Just like people want wash-and-ear hair, rushed women need wash and wear clothing. Choose knits over button-down shirts, fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily, and anything that has easy-care options on the care label.
If you always rush or don’t have enough time make your closets as stylishly low maintenance as possible, this will give you a few extra seconds in the morning.
Keep your closet organized
Everyone should have an organized closet, but women who rush in the morning need to pay particular attention to this. This past week I received a phone call from a gentleman who wants to hire me for his wife who has a high pressure job, a long commute to work and often gets dressed in the dark. The biggest obstacle that his wife dealt with was rummaging through her closet. She grappled with dry cleaning bags, piles of shoes in no order, and no breathing room to easily thumb through and make clothing decisions. Sound familiar?
As a result, many mornings this woman would wear whatever she could easily grab and throw on. As her husband pointed out to me on the phone, these choices were definitely not the best ones. I wasn’t surprised.
So, time-starved readers out there, keep your closet pristine, organized and clear. Get rid of dry cleaning bags, they aren’t good for your clothing anyway. Make your closet hassle free. I don’t care if the rest of your home is total chaos, just make sure that your closet is navigable.
Lay it out ahead of time
You have probably heard the importance of laying out your clothing ahead of time. I have never gotten into the habit of doing this, however when I do lay my clothing out ahead of time I am ALWAYS glad I did. My mornings seem to have a seamless flow to them when I lay my clothing out the night before.
If you are someone who doesn’t do this, or feels like it is a hassle to lay your clothing out, remember that it takes time for a new habit to stick, so give yourself a chance with this one. Perhaps make a promise to yourself that for the next month you will, no matter what, lay your clothing out the night before. After a month of giving it a chance, see how it has affected your ability to get out the door more quickly in the morning. If you find that it makes no difference, then let it go and try something else.
Also, if you have others who depened on you, like your children, or a husband whose dressing ability seemed to regress once you got married, than lay their clothes out the night before, too. Well… lay your children’s clothing out the night before and tell your husband that he is a big boy and he can find his own clothes to wear.
(c) Bridgette Raes Style Group 2005
Last Monday I went out to Pennsylvania with some friends. At 6:30 on Monday morning, I took the bus back to New York City with my one friends. Monday is the day that I devote to spending in my office, which is conveniently situated in my home. Because of this, I don’t have to think too hard about what I am going to be wearing. That morning I got up, threw on a pair of jeans and a sweater and put my hair up in a clip. And after dabbing on minimal makeup, I was ready to go. I mean, at this ungodly hour, how much more could I do?
When we got to the bus station I found myself amongst commuters who were getting on the 6:30 a.m. bus for work! I was stunned! Every day these folks get up, and not only have to catch a bus at 6:30, but they somehow have to manage to pull themselves together and look work-appropriate. While I was standing there, in the jeans that I lived in all weekend and my sort-of-brushed-hair, I was in extreme admiration of these people, and okay, I also thought they were slightly insane for putting up with a commute like this daily.
As I looked at the women, some looked nice and others, well, not so nice. Regardless of how they looked, I was certain that these women didn’t have the luxury of dawdle time that or any other workday morning. I am positive that many of these women don’t grab a cup of fresh coffee and watch the weather report with their feet up while their iron gets hot enough to get the wrinkles out of their silk blouse.
No, these women move in the morning. Many of them probably dress in the dark and blindly feel their way through their closets, needing to grab and go and have it be as no-fuss as possible. On top of everything else, women, in general, are multi-taskers and I would guess that on top of their own morning issues, some of the women probably had to deal with at least one unruly child or a husband who suddenly forgot how to dress himself.
Nine out of ten of my clients tell me that they feel rushed in the morning. Be it the act of juggling a family and all that comes with it, or the career clients who have high pressured jobs that get them out the door at the crack of dawn for a lengthy commute, many of the women who work with me want to look good, but they want to look good quick and fast.
So if you are one of those women who needs your style to be like fast-food, then here are some things that you can do to ensure that your time-starved mornings don’t comprimise your style.
Grab and Go Separates
I have a client who is a lawyer and who has a lengthy commute to New York each morning. Her one complaint about her wardrobe was that it took too much time to think about it, and time was something she just didn’t have. I remember saying that her wardrobe needed to be grab and go. It needed to be so stupid-simple that looking good required next to no thought in the morning. My client whole-heartedly agreed.
Just because a wardrobe is grab and go, doesn’t mean that it lacks style or flair. What was probably the most amazing was that after working with this client, her outftts were more thought out and accessorized than they were prior to working together. There were more steps to her outfts each day, but the difference is that these steps were clear and obvious.
Many of you are familiar with Garanimals http://www.garanimals.com/girls_clothes_infant_panda.htm. Garanimals are clothes for children that mix and match. When a parent buys Garanimals, they match up tags that have the same animal on them. As you can see from clicking to the site, the tags of each animal create a group of pieces create mix and match outfits. This is going to sound crazy, but a woman on the go would benefit from thinking about her outfit in a Garanimals manner.
By having mix and match options, you will be able to grab and go quickly.
Keep it low maintenance
I don’t know about all of you, but in the mornings that I can’t get out of the house fast enough, if something requires ironing, I don’t wear it. I hate high maintenance clothing, and I would imagine that any woman who is rushed in the morning feels similarily.
When shopping with clients, especially for spring clothing, if we find something we like but we aren’t sure if it will wrinkle easily I will often scrunch up part of the garment and then release it. If the garment holds the wrinkles, we leave it at the store. After all, who wants to be bothered? Just like people want wash-and-ear hair, rushed women need wash and wear clothing. Choose knits over button-down shirts, fabrics that don’t wrinkle easily, and anything that has easy-care options on the care label.
If you always rush or don’t have enough time make your closets as stylishly low maintenance as possible, this will give you a few extra seconds in the morning.
Keep your closet organized
Everyone should have an organized closet, but women who rush in the morning need to pay particular attention to this. This past week I received a phone call from a gentleman who wants to hire me for his wife who has a high pressure job, a long commute to work and often gets dressed in the dark. The biggest obstacle that his wife dealt with was rummaging through her closet. She grappled with dry cleaning bags, piles of shoes in no order, and no breathing room to easily thumb through and make clothing decisions. Sound familiar?
As a result, many mornings this woman would wear whatever she could easily grab and throw on. As her husband pointed out to me on the phone, these choices were definitely not the best ones. I wasn’t surprised.
So, time-starved readers out there, keep your closet pristine, organized and clear. Get rid of dry cleaning bags, they aren’t good for your clothing anyway. Make your closet hassle free. I don’t care if the rest of your home is total chaos, just make sure that your closet is navigable.
Lay it out ahead of time
You have probably heard the importance of laying out your clothing ahead of time. I have never gotten into the habit of doing this, however when I do lay my clothing out ahead of time I am ALWAYS glad I did. My mornings seem to have a seamless flow to them when I lay my clothing out the night before.
If you are someone who doesn’t do this, or feels like it is a hassle to lay your clothing out, remember that it takes time for a new habit to stick, so give yourself a chance with this one. Perhaps make a promise to yourself that for the next month you will, no matter what, lay your clothing out the night before. After a month of giving it a chance, see how it has affected your ability to get out the door more quickly in the morning. If you find that it makes no difference, then let it go and try something else.
Also, if you have others who depened on you, like your children, or a husband whose dressing ability seemed to regress once you got married, than lay their clothes out the night before, too. Well… lay your children’s clothing out the night before and tell your husband that he is a big boy and he can find his own clothes to wear.
(c) Bridgette Raes Style Group 2005
posted by Unknown @ 4:22 PM
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