I’ve always been one of those people who planned my outfits the night before. It’s a habit that is hard to break. I don’t physically lay them out, but I definitely visualize the outfit.
Things were no different this past weekend. I planned to wear a pair of knee-length shorts and a cap-sleeved T-shirt. There was nothing wrong with the outfit. It worked for the plans I had the next day.
The next morning I woke up, pulled out the clothes and started getting ready for my day. But in the middle of it all, I changed my mind. The outfit wasn’t what I wanted.
I went back into my closet and pulled out my Mia Palazzo jeans and a red boatneck T-shirt. As soon as I put them on, it felt right!
I thought kitten-heels would finish off the look. I wanted polished, but not that polished. I landed on white sneakers.
Mind you, the basic outfit didn’t change: denim bottom, T-shirt on top. But how I felt in the clothes did.
I looked in the mirror, did that little turn to check myself out from all sides, smiled and thought, Yes, this is how I wanted to feel today!
Why did I change my outfit when absolutely nothing about my day changed? I wasn’t going anywhere that required a nicer outfit. I was heading to the airport to drop my daughter off, get gas, and run into the grocery store. Not that the shorts outfit was a sloppy one. I just wanted more from the outfit of the day than it was giving me. I was looking for a feeling, and the Mia jeans and red top gave me exactly what I wanted: pulled together, in a casual sort of way.
This isn’t unusual for me. Some days my mood chooses my clothes. Other days I think I’m using my clothes to change my mood. Honestly, I’m not always sure which one is happening.
I can wear denim with a T-shirt and sneakers one day and feel perfectly relaxed. The next day I might put on wide-leg jeans, a dressier top and heels because I want to feel more polished.
It’s still me. I’m just looking for something different from my clothes that day.
Some days I get dressed in a skirt, button-down shirt and heels when the only thing on my agenda is a Zoom meeting. There are certain outfits that make me feel unstoppable. Not in a “notice me” sort of way, but an “I’m here with intention today” kind of way. Even if “here” is home.
I don’t need somewhere special to go to want to feel that way.
Some days I’m staying home. Sometimes I am running errands or playing with my grandsons. Other times, I’m the only person that sees my outfit.
And yes, there are days when my mood calls me to sweatpants and a vacation T-shirt. And on those days, that’s exactly what I need from my clothes.
Maybe that’s a question worth asking the next time you’re standing in your closet. How do I want to feel today?
You might want comfort. Or polish. Energy. Ease. You might want to feel like you can take on the world.
Or you might want sweatpants, a cup of coffee and everyone to leave you alone.
Maybe getting dressed isn’t about where you are going, but how you want to feel.
This speaks to me this morning 🥰 I think I will wear orange.