​I know the feeling.  You're standing in the doorway of a clearly FULL closet, yet figuring out exactly what to pull out still seems impossible in the moment.  Now how is that possible? 

Or maybe this sounds familiar:  You have an outfit that you felt was a winner for sure. Until... you are getting dressed and realize that although that top and pants were fine worn separately, the match together... not so great. (sigh)

Now based on just these two dilemmas alone (because I am pretty sure there are many more), I want touch on a few tried and true ways that will help save us all from this! 

• First, it may be very helpful to reorganize your closet.  I know, I know... but it it really would help! You may not be physically able to because of time or space, but just try to do the best you can with what you have.  The goal is to organize it in a way that makes the best sense to you and your lifestyle.  What does that look like?  By tops versus bottoms?  Color or occasion?  Weekend wear versus work week attire?   

 

• Next, how do you want to feel today? I know that "comfortability" is a big one, but to take it a step further, quickly zoom in to the "future" you. Not how you’re feeling right now or when you first get up, but that ideal feeling you'd really like to have for whatever is on your schedule.  This doesn't have to be super deep!  For example, for an outdoor lunch with friends you've been invited to, you may just want to look and feel good without literally "melting" in the heat and humidity!!  The point is, when you clearly figure out how you want to feel, it will be a lot easier to pick out both tops and bottoms that fit that criteria.  I'm a believer that since both the clothes and the colors we wear have the power to evoke feelings (positive or negative!) we should definitely be using their positive powers to help bring on the feelings that we want!

 

• Also, using the right mix of silhouette shapes will also help us with that feeling we're after AND the put together LOOK we want.  So how do we figure out these shapes??  First, do you know or have a pretty good idea of what your body shape is?  That’s the first step, you probably know  But did you also know that clothes also have shapes, better known as outside lines?  Yes, our clothes shapes generally fall into 4 shape categories to coincide with 4 general body shapes: Triangle (aka pear), Rectangle, Inverted Triangle, and Hourglass.  (Please note how I used the word general above, since we are all different and can not all be placed in placed into a neat little box! That's where more individualized advice comes in handy!  If you'd like to chat about that, let me know!)  Anyway, you can use this outside lines trick to easily narrow down a few of your go-to shapes and to more easily weed things out of your closet too.  Now this step is a little more advanced so I just briefly touched on it here, but I break it down and demonstrate more in this video, or you can just  view it below...

Bottom line? When we know our right mixes -and combine that with how we want to feel that day  (and what we’re doing of course!) getting dressed becomes a whole lot easier overall. That's definitely my goal, how about you?  Hope this helps!
​

If you’re like me, you probably own at least one denim or jean jacket, right? I mean, they’ve come long way over the years!  It’s very hard to talk about basics without at least mentioning this as a possible closet must have. 

​I personally love the versatility of denim jackets for several reasons:

• They often come in neutral colors, like blue, black, or white, providing ample options for COORDINATING them with different things.
• Denim jackets are generally lightweight making them ideal LAYERING pieces.
• You can usually find them in different styles for complementing both casual and more dressier outfits too, when needed.

I especially love how denim jackets worn over sleeveless casual dresses, tunics, or jumpsuits can be used to quickly change up the look — and from a practical standpoint, keep you warm when you need it!  This is especially useful for the in-between season weather we sometimes have.

So here are 3 ways you can experiment with your denim (see pics below)... or maybe make you ready to buy your first one??

1.  Over a printed dress.  When layering denim over dresses, the more casual the dress (in terms of material or elaborate details) the better.  In the example shown here, the jacket breaks up the pattern a bit, instantly giving this otherwise dressier tunic dress, a more casual vibe.


2. With a t-shirt and skirt.  Sometimes you just need a 3rd piece to make an outfit look or feel more polished, without making it look too dressy. A well fitted denim jacket, may help with that.  And here's a tip: Adding a 3rd piece like a jacket, scarf, necklace, etc., to any outfit is also one unspoken way of showing more credibility when you need it, especially in work or business situations.

3.  Over a single color outfit, like black.  This is just one way to ease out of the all black rut you may find yourself in often!  I get it. No judgement here.  

​But consider this as an option....

Adding a denim or jean jacket in other colors, like my pale pink one shown, is a simple way of exploring outside of your color comfort zone, in a noncommittal way.   It’s a layering piece after all, so if halfway through the day you don’t like it, just take it off — and try it with something different next time ;)

In conclusion, besides a denim jacket, there are many, many other ways to maximize your closet staples, if that’s what you desire.  See here how I did this with a blanket scarf I bought...

Now, what’s been your experience with denim jackets... or maybe even denim button front shirts?  (I’ll probably discuss those in a later post though!)