WEEKDAY WARDROBE
Fingers crossed people are going back to work and school, in a safe and healthy manner, and this post can be useful. If you are on a new schedule and/or routine, now might be the time to implement a new system!
This idea is going to sound crazy to some. But I SWEAR the stress it relieves is worth it. When I was living in DC, I was lucky to have a short commute to work, whether walking (weather permitting) or public transportation. However, I am one of those people that wakes up at the last possible moment to squeeze in every minute of sleep (now, I need every extra moment because…. well, toddler time). So any scrambling around in the morning can leave me stressed…and late.
MRS. B. ORGANIZED WEEKDAY WARDROBE SYSTEM. On Sunday of every week, I would pick out my outfits for Monday through Friday. I’m talking the entire outfit…tops, skirts, dresses, blazers, shoes, undergarments, accessories. If it was a week I needed to go to the dry cleaner, I chose outfits from my non-dry cleaning clothes. If something needed to washed or ironed, I could take care of it right then. If I knew I had a big meeting one day that week, I could plan accordingly for that day.
I use an over-the-door valet storage hook (linked here) that I put on the back of my closet door and I hung each outfit, front to back, Monday through Friday. I paired this with a hanging closet organizer (linked here) with five cubbies, one for each day, to put accessories and items I could not hang up. (The hanging closet organizer by itself would also be a wonderful option for implementing a system for kids, or if your weekly attire does not include hanging clothes.) Using this system, everything was clean and ready to go before my week even started. Then, during the week, there was no scrambling for a shirt to match, no searching for a specific dress only to find out it was wrinkled or not dry cleaned, no (or extremely limited) indecisiveness about what to wear.
Yes, there were mornings I did not want to wear what I had picked out earlier in the week, or it decided to rain on the day I planned to wear a silk suit, but adjustments were an easy fix during my morning routine. Overall, this method took so much stress out of my work week and only took a little planning and organizing before the weekday craziness. Once I got into the habit of setting aside the time on Sunday to get my work wardrobe together, it never seemed like a big deal or a chore. And the time it saved me during the week was wonderful!
With kids, this system is great to implement for school clothes AND weekday activities. For example, I can put everything we need for the day plus ballet class in the Thursday cubbie of the Hanging Closet Organizer. I have a strong-willed toddler so I understand there can be struggles with picking out clothes ahead of time when the “I do it” phase hits (or becomes a daily occurrence), but like my silk suit on a rainy day example above, this system can minimize the morning scramble and, at the very least, ensure that the soccer jersey/baseball pants/tap shoes are located ahead of time and are clean. This can be a great chore and system to incorporate for kids to help on a weekly basis… they can pick out their clothes, find what is needed for the week, and help with laundry. It can also help them develop a habit to look ahead and be organized for the upcoming week!
This organization system not only saved me time and stress in the morning, but it had a few unintended perks too:
I could squeeze in a few more minutes of sleep every morning (or likewise, a few more minutes to workout, relax, make breakfast, study, etc.).
I had a better understanding of the laundry/dry cleaning status of my clothes.
Going into my week, I had a general idea about the weather and my weekly schedule.
It made me very aware of the clothes I did not wear, since there were always items that never quite made the lineup week to week.
Just try it. And, also important, try to stick to it for a few weeks. Like any habit, it takes a little time to get used to, but it can make your life easier during the craziness of the work week!
