The guide to casual outfits for work, play and everywhere in between
In a past life, I ran a short-lived blog called I Hate Sweatpants. And you know what—I stand by it. As I once wrote so poignantly: I hate that the one allowance to slack that most women give themselves is in their appearance. Sweatpants represent defeat, apathy and a saggy butt. You cannot tell me that it's easier to put on sweatpants than this shift dress. It's one piece. You don't get much more magical than that.
I deeply believe that we need to redefine casual.
Casual wear gets a bad rap because one day, someone somewhere decided that leggings qualified as actual clothing. (Just to be clear, they do not. They are either pajamas or very thick tights for dresses. If leggings were pants they would be called pants.)
The fastest way to begin to establish what casual means to you, in your life, is to intentionally curate an efficient wardrobe.
I would bet real American dollars that the reason many women choose their version of sweatpants, whether it's a baggy pullover, flip flops or ill-fitting slacks, is because the idea of dressing with intention is so dang intimidating. It's easier to dress the way you always have, even if you know it's unflattering, because change requires taking risk.
My hope is that if you walk through these steps with me, you'll see that redefining what casual means for you could seep into other, bigger areas of your life. And if you read nothing else, please skip to No. 5 right now.
1. Buy only clothes that you love
My personal rule is that if I don't love it in the store, I certainly won't love it at home. How many times have you bought a piece, only to let it sag on a hanger in a sad little corner of your closet?
Not only are you wasting money, but you're left with the guilt of buying something you didn't need and an underlying feeling of inadequacy because "you don't look good in it."
There is something crucial I need you to understand about those clothes. You don't have some crazy body that clothes just don't look good on. It is the clothes that don't fit, not you. Please don't leave a dressing room believing that there is something wrong with you. Try a different size, style or fit than you're comfortable with and see if you aren't surprised.
2. Dress your body as it is—not as you want it to be
How many pairs of jeans have you saved hoping they would one day fit again? How often do you avoid shopping because you don't want to try on clothes in your size? You will never feel good in your clothing if it doesn't fit you properly. And you will continue to take forever to get ready if your clothes (that are the wrong size!) inevitably highlight each of your so-called flaws. This is the opposite of efficiency. Buy. your. size. today.
3. Believe in neutrals
As a rule, any neutral can be paired with any other neutral. These include black, gray, white, brown and metallics(!). Navy and forest green can be considered pseudo-neutrals, as well. To put that into perspective, if your closet were strategically stocked with neutrals, you could pull virtually any two pieces, throw on some metallic jewelry and roll out the door.
4. Spend intentional time defining your style
Defining your own style takes practice. I would truly encourage you to spend some time on Pinterest pinning anything you love onto a style board. It doesn't have to be what your style is today—I'm talking what you want it to be. Take some time to analyze what the images have in common. Are they more edgy? Feminine? Preppy? Vintage? Minimal? What are the specific elements that make up that style (e.g. a leather jacket, an A-line skirt, a slouchy V-neck)?
5. Value yourself enough to change
You were made on purpose for a purpose. Does your personal style (or lack thereof) define you? Heck no!
But if you wake up with enough confidence to pull something off of a hanger that truly makes you feel beautiful, maybe you can start believing that you have something of worth to contribute.
Perhaps if you believe you're worth investing in on such a simple level as a wardrobe, you can start to understand why you are worth investing in as a person.
What is it that you need confidence to do? To ask for a raise? To quit the job you hate? To listen to the still small voice in your heart that whispers, “Yes, you were made for more!”
You were made for more
Hear me—every marathon starts with the first step. Will you run your race well? Your first step could be cleaning out your closet because of the literal and emotional baggage it carries: T-shirts from exes, pants from when you were that size. It is all holding you back. It may seem like just a pile of thread and grommets, but I guarantee there are some memories you haven’t yet dealt with hiding in those old J. Crew sweaters and low-rise jeans.
So, if your first step is a ruthless closet purge, please make the time. Like, now. That's why I made you this free mini-course.
And then tell me how good it felt. And then give me your phone number so we can be best friends and eat Jeni’s ice cream and relish in our clean closets and Snap everyone we know with our ice cream and enviable closet space.
Please take this to heart. Don’t pin this and forget it without first taking a look inside yourself and knowing that you have a purpose and a huge, important role to play in this life that no one can play but you.