Dawn to Dusk Dressing

AND The Two Tools that WILL Improve Your Style!

Happy day, reader dear!

Laundry. Love it? Or hate it? I’m not a huge fan. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE fresh clean clothes! It’s the cycle of wash, dry and (only sometimes) press that I don’t love. I try to remember that I have clothes and a way to wash them right at home which is a privilege, but sometimes that gratitude slips… Please tell me I’m not the only one! Truth be told, I much prefer laundry to unloading the dishwasher. I have no idea why, but that chore is the rock bottom of my list. Thank you Mr. CP for handling that in the mornings. I love you.

Which means that I do NOT want to make more laundry than necessary. I’m sure I did that in my teens, dressing and discarding outfits higgledy-piggledy. I didn’t do laundry then. Yes, I was spoiled. Mama did my laundry until I left for university. AND she did it when I came home to visit with a bag full of dirty duds. I don’t love my children that much. Actually, I do, but I decided that sending males out into the world who knew how to do their own laundry would bless the world and their future partners. Megan and Monica, you’re welcome!

Another laundry lessening tip? Wear your clothes more than once before you wash them. I know, that’s anathema to many people, but unless it is dirty or smelly, a good airing is all that pair of jeans, trousers, blouse, etc. needs. Most of us in the West wash our clothes FAR too often. Washing is harder on clothing than the wearing! (OLD video. Don’t know WHAT was going on with my hair that day…Ugh.)

Since laundry isn’t my favorite, how do I make less of it AND keep a modicum of style? Think Dawn to Dusk Dressing! (Here’s another post about D2DD.)

NOTE: Dawn to Dusk Dressing doesn’t work for ALL personality styles. OR for special occasions like weddings and galas! Unless you are a wear-the-ballgown-to-the-grocery-store kind of woman. Then run with it! XO

You’ll Need:

• A wardrobe that splits the middle. That means having plenty of pieces you can dress up or down. To learn more about the building blocks that make up a versatile everyday wardrobe, read this!
• A weather app.
• Your calendar.

If all you own is yoga pants and tees and cocktail dresses, you are lacking versatile pieces that can go anywhere with a little styling and some awesome accessories. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Why the weather app and your calendar? Because part of style is being appropriate for the circumstances! If you don’t know what your day and the weather holds, style will elude you. The cutest outfit won’t be stylish if worn in the wrong context! Even better? Knowing what your day holds allows you to make choices that span the day instead of requiring a run home (Or worse–A quick shop!) for an outfit that works for that Fill-in-the-Blank that you forgot about.

Here’s how these factors played out for me last week…

The weather was warm and I was working from home. No real outdoor activities besides the daily photo! I had an online business meeting Friday morning, a client call later, and a pile of deskwork. No, the life of a blogger isn’t all cute photo shoots and coffees at outdoor cafes. Sorry to disappoint. Maybe I’m doing it wrong? No evening plans other than dinner at home with the fam and some time to relax with Mr. CP.

Work (Business Casual)

The thought process here? No one will see me below the belt, so jeans and an untucked blouse works perfectly. The blazer adds professional polish, and the sparkle and pearls reflect light back to my face and keep the dark navy from looking too heavy. Why pumps? Heels tell my brain I’m at work. Crazy, right? We all have sartorial signals we can use to our benefit! Heels are one of mine.

If jeans weren’t acceptable, I’d swap for a pair of dress trousers and tuck the blouse.

Work from Home

Same basics. Lose the jacket for work-from-home style. You already know why I’m wearing heels. If the weather was really warm, I might trade the pumps for sandals. (But they’d still have heels.)

If the dress trousers were in play, I’d still be wearing the blouse untucked. It’s #wfh for goodness sake!

Play

Day is done. The computer is off! Lose the jeans and grab the shorts to head out to the patio for tall, cold drink. Then back inside for some kitchen time with Mr. CP! (I’ll pop on some flats. I won’t cook barefoot.) The weekend begins… If this evening was out with drinks for work or someplace more posh than my kitchen, I’d have thrown on some metallic sandals, grabbed a clutch and unbuttoned the blouse and popped the necklaces inside. Easy peasy! need more polish? Tuck in the blouse. Done.

Dress trousers? If out for drinks, the metallic sandals and clutch swap would be fab! For the back patio? Yes, I’d change into shorts. Cooking? I ALWAYS wear an apron!

How About You?

What’s your least favorite chore? How do you feel about laundry? Do you air your clothes between wearings? Or wash after every wear? Do you prefer to dress once for the day or change as circumstances require? What’s your go-to super flexible outfit? Are you an apron wearer? If so, what does your favorite look like? Do tell! I love to hear from you…

Stylishly yours,