Hey y'all! Is it just me and my family, or are you, too, constantly running from one thing to another with barely enough time to mentally switch gears, let alone outfits!?
Out of necessity I have become quite practiced at changing really fast into a new task-appropriate outfit several times a day. I thought I'd share one outfit I wore for about 3 hours last Thursday. :)
The day's task was to move some dirt around with a rented Bobcat. It's a muddy job that I needed to do as long as possible before leaving for my dentist appointment, so I came in at 10:08 and changed into this outfit, did my hair and make-up, and ran out the door at 10:18, 3 minutes later than I was hoping.
- It was cold out, so that meant I needed leggings.
- I didn't have nice leggings clean, so that meant I needed a long skirt to cover my ugly ones.
- I didn't have time to iron, so I had to choose a skirt that could pass without it.
- I needed a shirt that didn't have a tight collar because I was sore from the machine work, so that eliminated all jacket+tank combos, all button-ups, all 3/4 sleeve shirts that would need a coat, and all long shirts were already eliminated due to the skirt style.
- I grabbed the first tank (the sweater has holes) that sort of matched that I could find. I would have preferred brown, but those are a commodity in our house.
- I threw on the first earrings I laid hands on.
- I had three pair of brown boots to choose from (flat, heeled, and these cowboy), but I chose these because they look fine enough covered in mud, which they most certainly were after the dash to my car.
Now, I admit, I did not feel stylish in this outfit whatsoever. I wanted to stay in the closet and work on the outfit, but instead I looked in the mirror and forced myself to think, "You look classic. Neat. Presentable. And with a smile, happy and friendly! Own this outfit. You're just going to the dentist."
I share this to say, sometimes I just have to relax. Not every outfit needs to be a "winner" and frankly, having a bigger purpose for the day besides how I looked when I went into society (granted, the dentist's office is a double-wide trailer) made me so much less self-focused and worried about my appearance. I made my clothes work for me and didn't let them rule my attitude, time, or activity.
// outfit details //
Sweater: Ralph Lauren Polo: ThredUP
Skirt: ING brand : ThredUP
Tank: Forever21 : $1.80
Boots: Ariat: Store on Broadway in downtown Nashville: $130
Earrings: Droplette
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| Really glad the mouth-numbing shots don't make you swell up! ;) |
6 minutes after these pictures, I was in rainboots and jeans, back to working on the task at hand.
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| Bobcat Selfie. |
Love it! On Mondays I work both my jobs, one after the other and I need to wear a uniform for the first one. I can wear whatever I want for the second so unusually wear a dress or skirt. I have literally no time to change so i wear rights under my work pants, a nice long sleeves top under my work shirt and i try to wear flats. All I have to to after is change from pants to skirt and take off my work top. I am ready in about 30 seconds!
ReplyDeleteAwesome outfit! That is totally my style! Whether out of necessity or not, I do my best never to take more than a few minutes picking out and throwing on an outfit and still look presentable.
ReplyDeleteI think you look adorable! I kinda have a thing for sweaters this autumn/winter, so anytime I see one I'm like "SWEATER!" on the inside... he he. That skirt also looks really comfy!
ReplyDelete-Marianne
Love the outift! I normally don't change too much, but if I'm lazy one night and fall into bed, I race to get something on that will suit the day the next morning. :) Even though I have ten minutes to get ready, I put a dash of mascara and chapstick (must have!) and then I"m usually good, since I normally don't have a problem with acne too much. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing...I love the boots and sweater! Nice selfie too. :)
What's the fabric of the skirt? It looks like linen.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a plain thin cotton. :)
DeleteI used to have 2 jobs in the afternoon/ evening. I could wear whatever I wanted to the first job, and then a uniform to the second job. I always brought my uniform in a separate bag, and changed within the 30 minutes between jobs. It worked pretty well (minus forgetting socks once!).
ReplyDeletecraftswithoutborders.blogspot.com
Usually, if I have to change quickly, I don't look in the mirror :)
ReplyDeleteYou look very nice and put together. For sone reason I revert to my pants when I need a quick outfit!
Natasha
A modest fashion blog: www.natashaatkerson.blogspot.com
You really did own this outfit! I think it's gorgeous, Olivia, even if you didn't particularly like it at the time :-)
ReplyDeleteMy secret to being able to change reeeaaaaally fast is wearing my clothes "in order." This is a bit hard to explain in a comment, but I wrote a blog post on it (please excuse the blurry photos--my 55-200mm lens is not conducive to taking indoor photos, and at the moment I'm saving money for things other than my desired 50mm) CLICK HERE. Since I do that, I always know what outfits go well together. I've gotten ready to go somewhere in about 4 minutes before because of that ;)
dance a real
Though I haven't really had to do a quick change before heading somewhere else I have done a quick change for a play before, and I know how it is with running from one thing to the next.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you may not have "felt" stylish in this, I think it is beautiful :)!!! Totally my style (and colors I love!), it looks "simply elegant" to me :). I have an outfit similar, but since the shirt isn't patterned (I love that knit cable top!), I wear a scarf with it, and it's become one of my favs :). Or sometimes I will wear the dark blue shirt with a jean skirt, with a pink-floral layering shirt for a pop of color :).
ReplyDeleteBeing able to pull an outfit off in minutes is SUCH A CHALLENGE!! Last sunday my mom tapped on my door and said we were leaving in 5 minutes and without thinking i responded i would be out in a sec. I dont wear makeup yet so it is quicker to get ready, but i still made it out the door presentable. I think scarfs are great in a rush, they look so trendy my friends would never guess i threw my outfit on in 5 minutes!
ReplyDelete- Cora
Lovely outfit! I will often go from work outfit (long skirt, long-sleeve T, tights, boots) to going out (pants, and the rest of the above) outfit with just the change of the bottoms & addition of a vest.
ReplyDeleteI would dare say that almost any outfit is less important than how you carry yourself when wearing it. People with humble confidence and a pleasant smile almost always look good, and even the nicest outfit can be tainted by one's attitude while wearing it.
ReplyDeleteLOVED the practicality of this post! I completely agree with everything said. We don't have to perpetually look like a barbie doll, and as another person who is constantly running around (yes, so is our family!), this is super encouraging. :) There are many times when we have to remind ourselves of the same thing that you told yourself. After all, life is not a fashion show, and sometimes we just need to keep our minds on our duties. ;) If I have to make quick changes in a day, I usually like to put on a stud pair of earrings if I wear earrings at all (actually, lately, I've hardly ever worn big earrings, as much as I love them) and the proper undergarments needed at the beginning of the day, to make the clothing shifts easier and faster. Also, I actually began reading this post thinking this was such a nice outfit!
ReplyDeleteI love the outfit...the blue sweater was beautiful on you!! Isn't it funny how we might think that the outfit doesn't look that great, but it is what you have and you don't have time to find something else...and that seems to be the outfit that people comment on and say you look great :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you and have to switch outfits on a regular basis, farm work clothes, town errand clothes, workout gear,...it's a challenge when you know that there is a good chance you might stain your clothes from the work you are doing, but still want to look neat and feminine!
Oh my, you put so much more effort into it than I do. I throw on a sweatshirt, a maxi skirt (I never iron jersey cotton anyhow), a messy bun and a bandanna and call it a day. You did a fantastic job for such quick work!!
ReplyDeleteI have a skirt exactly like that and I LOVE it!!!
ReplyDeleteAh, yes, the harsh reality always eventually sets in. We don't always have to look like a model in a clothing magazine! (Or a certain blogger who always looks so pretty in her photos. :)
ReplyDeleteEven if you didn't love this outfit, I think it's pretty! It's everything you said: classic, neat, and presentable. I'm always surprised when you pull of dark blue and brown! For some reason that color combo never occurs to me when I stare at my closet. :)
My family and I just got over that phase where everything seems to have fallen on the same week, praying for your guys' sanity to hold up!
Blessings!
~Abby
I love this outfit! This is the kind of stuff I wear ALL the time!
ReplyDelete~Grace P.
I think wearing colours that suit you improves any outfit 100%, even if the clothing items themselves aren't great or you haven't done your make up etc.
ReplyDeleteI tend to ignore fashion trends and instead focus on buying pieces only in colours that really suit me. It really helps narrow things down whem shopping.
This sweater is a great colour on you, so to me the whole outfit looks very wearable and lovely!
~Esther of Oz