How I plan my outfits

Since starting to share some of my weekly wardrobe edits, I’ve received a few questions about how I plan my outfits. I recently confessed that up until now, I’d been spontaneously putting together my outfits each morning. It’s something I’ve done for years, and there’s been more than one occasion where I’ve found myself changing multiple times before finally finding an outfit combination I actually like.

While I’ve now given a loose structure to what I’m wearing each week, there’s still a large element of spontaneity. I’ve been selecting key pieces that I want to wear for the week ahead based on the weather, what I’m loving, and what’s new, and developing a theme around this. It’s a bit of a mini capsule wardrobe edit of sorts, and I love that it’s removed a lot of the guesswork by pairing up complementary wardrobe staples.

That being said, how I get dressed each morning is still the same. I pick a focal piece, and go from there. It’s not a perfect science, but usually, it tends to work for me. So much of what we wear is an external expression of ourselves, and I feel like this is reflected in my own personal style. Times where I’ve been stressed or felt a little ‘lost’, my style has been much the same: haphazard and not thought out. A large part of how I’m dressing at any given time is usually influenced in some way by a new wardrobe addition, or perhaps a stylish outfit I spotted on Pinterest. So, let’s dive into how I actually plan my outfits.

Step 1: Start with your focal piece

Practicality doesn’t seem to prevail here. Before I’ve checked the weather, I’ll usually have a focal piece in mind that I want to wear that day. In summer, this might be a pair of linen shorts, whereas in the dead of winter, it could be my favourite Joseph rollneck sweater. These tend to be items that I’m really excited to wear, new and old.

Step 2: Check the weather

The second step when I plan my outfits is to check the weather. This informs the rest of my outfit, and is the basis on whether I’ll need to rug up, or opt for lighter wardrobe staples.

For my weekly wardrobe edits, I’ve been taking a peek at the advance weather forecast and using this to loosely select what to wear for the week ahead. Granted, this does mean that what I’ve set aside may not always match the actual weather, so here I dip back into my closet for anything else I might need to wear.

Step 3: Build the outfit

Once I’ve settled on my focal piece and checked the weather, I’ll scan my closet – or weekly rail set up – to start building my outfit. What I pair that focal piece with will depend on my activities of the day. If I’m working from home, I’ll usually want to make sure whatever I wear is comfortable. If I’m attending an event or have meetings, I’ll make an effort to wear something that looks smart. This also feeds back into what I want my outfit to say. Do I want it to look elegant and refined? Or am I after something cosy and relaxed? Colour palette is also a consideration, however somewhat of an afterthought given the majority of my wardrobe is black, white or grey.

Step 4: Pick a ‘third’ piece

I’ve always felt that the key to a great outfit is that third piece. A great blazer, a chunky knit cardigan, or an investment-worthy coat. This tends to come into play during the cooler months, and is what makes autumn through to spring my favourite seasons for getting dressed. Proportions are key here. If I’m wearing straight leg jeans, then I’ll opt for a jacket which is hip-length or below, as it helps to balance out their loose fit. Cropped jackets work best with anything high-waisted, and a good midi or ankle-length jacket is great as a showstopper piece.

Step 5: Finish with shoes & accessories

The last step when I plan my outfits is to add in shoes and accessories. How much do I need to carry? Will this outfit look good with flats? Those are the two questions I ask myself before selecting the final elements of my outfit. Contrary to what you may think, I’ve come to the realisation that black shoes aren’t always best, and sometimes it is the bag or the shoes that are the hero of the outfit. Proportions are again key here (I like trying to look taller), and I work to balance my outfit as a first priority, and choosing something ‘fashionable’ as my second priority.

Final thoughts

I’m only a few weeks into creating a seven-day wardrobe edit, but I’ve been enjoying the experience so far. Having shared my entire wardrobe (of which has had some further additions since, down to the very nature of my job), I’m well aware that I have a lot of clothes. These weekly edits have given me an opportunity to select what I’m wearing in a more focused way, rather than relying on intuition to cycle through everything I have. Not only that, it forces me to stay agile with my style rather than fall into a rut of the same combination day in and day out, something I know I can easily fall victim too, particularly during the colder months.

How do you build your outfits? Do you plan them down to the detail, or do you enjoy the spontaneity of getting dressed in your favourites each morning? x