We have all been there. We threw on random clothes or maybe still in our pjs, no bra, and nothing matches to run an errand or do drop off/ pick up…and then we are hit with one of the worse dilemmas – we need to get out of the car. Dear Lord it sucks. We are so embarrassed and we want to hide inside our oversized, gross tshirt that we found in our husband’s drawer. I have so been there and after one too many times – I vowed to never let it happen again. Friends – I am sharing with you today, my no fail, EASY, “Getting out of the car” capsule wardrobe.
When I first heard this BS about capsule wardrobes, I was insulted HA! But for real, I love clothes. I love having special outfits planned for pretty much everything. I am not a fan of wearing things more than once (special stuff that I get lots of pics, I know, still ridiculous). So when I heard about this concept, I just knew that it was NOT for me. It is SO smart and should I do it? Yep. Baby steps y’all HA! One thing I noticed after I quit my job and started staying home full time – I did not have a lot of casual clothes. I had dressed up for work every day for many many years and I spent most of money on that. After a month of looking homeless at drop off in the mornings, I decided to invest in some clothes for just that and my days at home. Then a lightbulb went off – this is my chance to create a mini capsule wardrobe just for this! I wanted to have a set of clothes that I knew that at any given time I could get dressed and look great and be comfortable. I am a big believer in being prepared when it comes to clothing. I know what a bad outfit can do to me (us) – it can freaking ruin your day! Or when we cannot find anything to wear – oh the horror, right? So I am going to share with you the tips I have on ensuring you feel better and willing to get out of the car :)…these are my tips for mostly mornings are easy days. I will share my top Fall picks later 🙂
First let’s discuss logistics. I am serious. You need to clear out a spot in your closet or a drawer for these items. A place that they can immediately go from the laundry. This needs to be SO easy. One of the reasons we look homeless is because we are damn tired, stressed and just need to get out of the house on time. SO we need to make this an easy as possible, no thinking, being able to get dressed in like a minute.
Ok what items do we need??
- Leggings. Leggings. Leggings. I hope for your sanity, you have found a big love for leggings. If not, it’s time friend. They are easy, comfy, and when buying the right ones and worn correctly, actually slimming. 90% of the time, I am wearing leggings. They are just easy and even on my bloated, feeling fat days, they don’t fail me. I have many pairs – expensive to cheap. It is good to have quite a few pairs as you will feel better to pull out a fresh pair, rather than a pair from earlier in the week from the floor that are all stretched out. One thing I want you to do if you are already a leggings fan like me – go in your stash and GET RID OF every pair that don’t fit, are faded so bad you aren’t sure what color they are, have holes (that are not intended to be there HA!), or just gross and old. Go on. DO IT. You can have the cutest top in the world, but if you are leggings are gross, you won’t look or feel great. I don’t care how comfy they are, at the very least move them to the pj drawer and promise me you won’t wear them out anymore :). Now, I am a big believer in having nice pairs. I was not always sold on this theory – I assumed all leggings were the same and it was just marketing. Yeah…NO. My lulu leggings are by far my faves and I think every woman she eventually treat herself to a pair. Another place to find nice leggings at great prices is TJ Maxx – I have many pairs from there that are super cute and wash up nice. Leggings are our friend – when we wear them right…which leads me to the next item…
- LONG TOPS. Ok – leggings can quickly become a problem when we are wearing the wrong top. Look… many of you skinny minis look amazing in your short tops and leggings – I am not hating on you. I would love to do the same – more power to you. I just know this mama has a c section ledge and a lumpy booty – I am covering that shiz (and camel toe HA!) up! Years ago, long shirts were hard to find, but now? They are everywhere! Tunics are the best! Here is the thing – you do NOT have to spend a ton of money on tops. Walmart, Target, Amazon, Old Navy, TJ, are all great places to shop for them. Get you a gray, black, white, and your favorite colors. Even if they are all the same style, just different colors – do it. Also, don’t shy from sleeveless – sometimes they are the cutest and I am going to talk to wearing them year around shortly :). Also – I LOVE me a graphic tee! These are fun and easy – just make sure you get one that is a unisex so it is longer. I usually have to go up a size to get it long enough. They are cheap too so you can get fun seasonal ones and actually enjoy this 🙂 . Don’t stress if you are freaking out a bit about wearing just a top and leggings, keep reading…
- Cardigans and jackets! This is KEY! Most mornings are cool, if not cold, right now and a top is not enough. You need to get out there and find pieces that match pretty much everything and you can wear over tunics, graphic tees, and long tanks. I honestly believe that the best outfit we can wear on just a casual day is leggings, long top, and a comfy cardi – it feels put together and trendy. Look for gray, camel, and black – easy colors that match everything. In addition to cardis, look for jackets – lightweight ones. Hoodies and zip up jackets are everywhere! Again – none of this has to be expensive – you can find these items anywhere :). The cool thing is that you can throw on the same cardi and jacket almost everyday with different shirts and look amazing. Make sure you get ones that fit (not too big!) and you really love them – you won’t wear it if you don’t love it. The longer the better and more relaxed ones will make you more comfortable.
- Pullovers and sweatshirts! Right now is the time of the pullover! The cozy ones! The trendy ones! The COMFY ones! Oh I love them. Get yourself at least one that is very neutral, long, and your favorite thing to wear. It will be a nice change from your everyday cardigan outfit. You can get cheap ones and get them monogrammed too! I hate wearing a coat in the car so these are perfect for me. Treat yourself to at least one – trust me :).
- Easy shoes! Ok – you need some tennis shoes that match everything! Black is always a good buy! Again – don’t fall into the trap of thinking they are all expensive. Walmart and Target always have great options. My favorite black tennis shoes are Steve Madden and I found them at TJ Maxx! Tennis shoes that are cute are so versatile and you can honestly wear them SO much. This is a really good buy that many women won’t get. DO it. Also – have some shoes that are super cozy and comfy. I am still a fan of Uggs. They are great in the winter and I love the not as bulky pairs. They also make houseshoes that are honestly good enough to wear out and about (yep. I said it HA!). Shoes are something we forget about – your outfit can be great, but if you are walking out in random shoes, well you will negate all the other cuteness!
- Socks. Yep. Go to Walmart, but a pack of low socks and keep them in your closet with these clothes. Wear them every time you wear your tennies so they don’t stink. Socks are something I used to never be able to find at a moment’s notice – it was honestly a game changer (yes I said, socks are a game changer HA!) when I kept them with my clothes and was able to slip them on fast :).
- Sports bras! Ok – we all go out braless more than we are willing to admit, am I right? One of the very first thing I invested in when I started this was easy bras that I could throw on. All of mine are cheap and I love them. Even if you just have two that you change back an forth through the week – do it and see how much better you feel. Trust me!
- Ballcaps. Ok this one is huge too! Yes, you can wear a hat. The only one that is going to think you look ridiculous is YOU. Just at least try it for me, please? I know that many mornings my hair looks like I slept in a tornado – hats have been my friend. I love ball caps and have many – but I usually end up wearing the same ones in the mornings. Try some out – get them cheap, and fall in love with them! How cute will you be in leggings, graphic tee, long cardi, tennies, and a hat?!
Those are the key clothing items that I think we all need to be prepared to get out of the car. I would also recommend a big pair of cheap sunnies, a good lip balm, and always have a pack of gum in your bag in the car :). Athleisure is such an awesome trend right now and it is our best friend. You will be able to find all of these things easy. Who cares if you look like you are going to work out and you are not (I mean we all probably should to feel better, but this post is about just making it to the school and presentable HA!) . There are many more items I could add to this, but I wanted to keep it short, sweet, easy, and affordable :). Like I mentioned, I will post my top Fall picks soon! Ok! Below are links to examples and some of my faves of the mentioned items :)…PS – I tried to find as much as I could on Amazon for easy shopping and shipping – I am also an Amazon affiliate 🙂
Leggings:
TOPS
Ok I know these are mens – but they are my fave!!
Cardigans and Jackets
Pullovers
Shoes – these are the Steve Madden ones I referred to – I have multiple colors – so comfy!
Two favorite online, fellow mamas hustling, boutiques that I buy a lot of this stuff from!!
Amen on the socks! I mean why are they always missing?!! What the hell happened to all the matches I put in the dryer less that 12-48 hours ago! I need to do this… buy a big bag of socks! This would change me life daily!
I love a good cardi too I have so many and throw them on with leggings all the time… the leggings & long graphic tees in public are so new to me i use to never do this but now i love a cute graphic tee leggings and my black sneakers or Adidas… all of these have been game changers for me!!
Thanks for sharing!
I LOVE the Amazon links!! I hear so much about ordering clothes on Amazon but there is so much I don’t even know where to start. This is a huge help! Thanks for sharing. You are awesome!
Loving your fashion posts!