City Chic: Drapey Camel Layers

*Snap!* And just like that, the first month of 2017 is history and February has officially made its entry.  I feel like January passed just as quickly as most of my weekends do!  I prize my weekends because I never have to turn on a morning alarm; or if I happen to accidentally do so, I can promptly and unapologetically turn it right off!  Too bad the same doesn’t apply for most of the week.  But luckily, I have a few tips for making those weekday mornings a little easier.  And following those tips are exactly how I ended up with this city chic outfit with drapey (my word for “of a drape-like nature”) camel layers.

So, what’s my tip for easier weekday mornings?  Choosing an outfit the night before!  Having something ready to wear in the morning not only gives me a stress-free start of the day, but also a confidence booster knowing that I’ll have an outfit that I’ll feel good wearing, and look good in.  (Or, at least that’s the hope!)

As far as choosing the outfit itself… here’s a breakdown of a few key points that I live by and follow:

1. Know your wardrobe.  
   It’s so useful to know what exact pieces and articles of clothing you actually own!  Try to recall the different colors, patterns, and material you have in your closet. If you think of your wardrobe as ingredients, then think of the end goal as making a meal.  You’ll need to know which ingredients you have at your disposal before you can actually decide on what to make
2. Check the weather.
   You probably don’t want to get caught in the rain in a pair of suede booties, or in sweltering heat in a wool sweater.  Much like you wouldn’t necessarily find a hot bowl of soup as desirable in July as you would in December.  Yes, back to the food analogy–I’m sticking with it!
3. Work outside in.  
   Does the weather call for a thick winter coat or miscellaneous accessories–like an umbrella?  Or maybe just a simple cape coat?  Think about those bigger items first and then determine the little details later.  And with cooking or baking, thinking about primary component first–what protein choice, steak or tofu?  Or what dessert type, cake or cookies?  The details can come later once that primary component is selected… what flavors go well with the protein choice, or what type of buttercream best compliments a stout cake?
4. Use colors schemas and complimentary palates to guide your clothing choices.  
   An easy rule of thumb is to stay within a color family for safer or more muted outfits, like the camel and black scheme I chose for this outfit.  Alternatively, try complimentary accent colors for a more bold look!  Should you make a traditional chocolate layer cake with a matching chocolate frosting?  Or maybe give the dark chocolate cake a bit more boldness by frosting with a bright strawberry pink buttercream instead?
5. Prepare your outfit.
   This might include needing to steam or ironing out wrinkles and then laying out your full set of clothing choices on your dresser, or hanging by your door.  Having all the elements in hand ensures you won’t need to go digging around for that gold necklace you were hoping to wear from the deep abyss of your jewelry box.  In cooking or baking, mis en place is the term to describe preparing all the ingredients prior to starting the recipe procedure to ensure that you don’t forget that teaspoon of vanilla in the batter!
6. Don’t forget the bling! 
   A little accent piece goes a long way.  In my outfit above, I choose to wear very minimal bling to showcase the patterned cardigan, but sometimes having a statement piece really pulls the look together!  Just like how a bit of garnish on a finished dish–like some fresh mint— really elevates the final product.

Now, by no means do I claim to be an expert here but I can speak from experience that this approach works well for me!  Sometimes, I go so far as to pre-plan multiple days’ worth of outfits to be just that much more ahead!

I hope that maybe you can find a tip or two in here helpful.  What are some of the ways that you make your weekday mornings easier?  I’d love to hear from you so please leave YOUR thoughts in the comments below!  As always, thanks for stopping by and please visit again soon :)
– E

floppy hat | old navy 
cape coat | alfani, also in plus size 
cardi-coat | old navy 
dress | loft (old)
tights | loft 
booties | bar iii

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