▎❝ Pre-style like a pro: 3 methods to improve your outfit glow. ❞

The key to looking stylish and put together is to look intentional. An outfit shouldn’t just be thrown together if you’re trying to make a good impression and one should always be trying to make a good impression! Like everything else in life, others recognize when you’ve taken your time to do something the right way even if it took longer than you wanted but the pay off is well worth it. If you rush through assignments in school, your grade typically reflects that and fashion is no different. Rush and it will surely show—true fashion takes things slow.

When I’m working as a stylist or personal shopper, my purpose is to create outfits that fit my client’s tastes while still remaining fashionable and it’s a bonus if I can teach them how to build outfits themselves, too! I can’t always be there to look over their shoulder when they’re getting dressed in the morning or for events, so I “pre-style” or prepare outfits in advance so that when I’m not around, they still look seamless as if I was. I can’t tell you how many events I’ve been getting ready for myself with my family that have been interrupted with so many questions and last minute styling requests that I walked out without my own jewelry!

Below, I’m going to talk about the process and how you might benefit from pre-styling yourself especially if you’re wanting to appear more polished and impressive in the new year. Afterall, it’s never too late to incorporate positive change and turn over a new leaf! Who doesn’t want to look like an intentional masterpiece when they leave their house? Leave the abstract concepts to Jackson Pollock and let’s agree to strive for Botticelli or Van Gogh here!

Trendy time management

When I ask people why they sometimes look a little disheveled, the most common answer I get is always the same: time—or rather, the lack thereof. We’ve all been there, right? The alarm goes silent, or worse, doesn’t go off at all, and suddenly you’re scrambling like you’re missing the biggest sale of your life! You grab the closest shirt, a maybe matching pair of pants or not, and you’re spiraling towards your destination in a complete whirlwind of hurriedness.

This chaotic morning routine isn’t just about rushing; it’s a major obstacle to presenting a put-together appearance—looking like you actually meant to start your day and didn’t just trip out of your stilettos and fall into it. Not everyone can style on the fly like we fashionistas so it’s important to take the time that you need to create a quality outfit. Most of people need a little more dedicated effort and that’s normal! You don’t learn a new skill overnight, kids. It’s essential to recognize that curating a polished look takes time, and that it’s time well-spent. Look your best, not a mess!

The key to avoiding those last-minute wardrobe catastrophes lies in proactivity! The first, and perhaps most crucial, step in pre-styling your wardrobe is to carve out a block of uninterrupted time to begin. This isn’t something you can squeeze into five minutes between work calls or running errands. Find a block of time where you can be completely present and free from distractions. You shouldn’t be rushed or stressed, with deadlines looming or texts buzzing in the background. This is your time dedicated to clothes, creating outfits, and exploring your personal style. It’s also a good way to get started with better time management overall and the timing skills that you use pre styling can easily be applied more broadly to other areas of your life—so it’s important!

Once you’ve marked off the time—be realistic about how long it might take you to pull some looks together—you’re all set to tackle your closet, equipped with focus and a goal of fashion success! Remember that it doesn’t matter how long this takes and that your styling speed will gradually increase the more comfortable you get crafting outfits until it’s a breeze! Like any marathon, fashion takes pacing.

Methods over madness

The act of pre-styling outfits is a refined and impactful skill that can significantly enhance one’s personal style, moving beyond the mere act of haphazardly putting on clothes. Planning your outfits ahead of time is a game-changer whether you do it one day at a time or much more in advance. It takes your style from whatever’s clean to seriously polished. Instead of stressing about what to wear every morning, you’ll have fun putting together looks you already know you love. You don’t have to stick to super strict plans unless that method works best for you—just having a few options ready to go makes getting dressed way easier and boosts your confidence.

This thoughtful process typically involves a mindful examination of your wardrobe, recognizing any gaps such as color or lack there of, making a list of items you need to shop for later, and exploring potential winning combinations of clothing all the way down to your shoes if you want. It also entails envisioning how separate pieces can collaborate to create various looks suitable for multiple occasions—the “day to night” affect, if you will. This proactive strategy shifts the focus from impromptu, last-minute selections to thoughtful, deliberate manifestations of your own unique aesthetic. By taking the time to pre-style outfits, you can ensure that your clothing choices not only reflect your personal style but also help you mentally prepare for the day ahead.

Below, I will discuss the 3 pre styling methods that I use so that you can find one that fits best with you, your lifestyle, and your comfort level! If you are entirely new to pre styling as a whole, I suggest starting with the simple Outfit Selection method and working your way up rather than jumping into the deep end by curating your entire closet. Please keep in mind that while all of these pre styling methods are similar, they are not all the same and can be viewed as “levels” with the ultimate goal of having a curated closet.

Outfit Selection

Choosing your outfit the night before is a seemingly minor task, yet it yields surprisingly significant benefits that ripple through your entire morning. It’s a remarkably simple strategy to streamline your usually hurried and often chaotic morning routine, effectively banishing the dreaded and often paralyzing “what am I going to wear?” dilemma that can insidiously drain precious time and mental energy before you’ve even had your first cup of orange juice. Wouldn’t you much rather be trying to pick a breakfast than a blouse, anyway?

Instead of engaging in a frantic, half asleep rummage through the dark depths of closet hell, potentially grabbing the first—often less than ideal—garment you lay your hand on, you’ve already thoughtfully crafted a look that you feel comfortable and confident in. This proactive, pre-emptive approach not only efficiently conserves your valuable time but also dramatically reduces stress and the debilitating effects of decision fatigue (that exhaustion that develops over time from making even small choices), allowing you to move through life with a sense of order and preparedness.

Moreover, the act of planning your outfit in advance allows for a moment of mindful contemplation. You can thoughtfully consider the weather, your specific daily schedule, and any planned activities or engagements, meticulously ensuring that you’re not only physically comfortable in your clothes but also appropriately and stylishly dressed for the occasion. This attention to detail ultimately fosters a more powerful sense of confidence but also a feeling of being well-put-together that those around you are definitely sure to notice!

Weekly Wardrobe

Choosing an outfit the night before is the sartorial equivalent of a daily sprint. It’s a reactive process, driven by the immediate needs of the following day—the weather forecast, your planned activities, perhaps a specific meeting. It offers flexibility, allowing you to adjust based on your current mood or any unexpected events that pop up. However, this approach can also lead to last-minute stress, rushed decisions, and potentially outfits that don’t quite hit the mark. Even if you mean well by trying to allow yourself enough time to pre style, you may find yourself in the same familiar frenzy that you would if you were trying to dress twenty minutes before you’re walking out the door.

Everyone is different and you may need more time than just a day to style which is completely fine! This is where I would recommend the a weekly wardrobe method rather than simply a singular outfit selection since the whole point of pre styling is to save time while still looking fabulous. In contrast to just choosing one outfit, planning a week’s worth of looks is like preparing for a marathon. It requires a more thoughtful, proactive approach and really forces you to improve your time management.

You have to consider the entire week’s schedule, think about the weather variations for more than just a day, and perhaps even coordinate outfits with different tasks, events, or social engagements. This process often leads to more cohesive looks, as you’re intentionally crafting a wardrobe for a longer period. An added bonus is knowing that you’re not going to accidentally wear the same thing multiple days in a row or keep choosing the same color. Anytime you choose an outfit in advance, it minimizes the daily struggle but doing so for multiple days at a time frees up even more mental energy for other things. While it might seem more tedious upfront than just preparing one outfit, the payoff is a week of ready to go mornings and consistently well thought out looks that encourage a more mindful approach to your wardrobe.

Curated Closet

Having a meticulously curated closet where each piece is intentionally chosen and combined into pre-determined outfits hung and ready to be worn is a fundamentally different experience than simply picking out clothes in advance whether you use the Outfit Selection or Weekly Wardrobe methods. The curated closet represents a conscious investment in a personal style—a unified aesthetic where everything works harmoniously. It’s about maximizing versatility, minimizing stress, and maintaining an on the go lifestyle without sacrificing your fashion sense!

Each garment is selected with purpose, knowing how it will pair effortlessly with other items, resulting in a seamless and stylish wardrobe on hand at any time. In contrast, choosing outfits in advance—while still proactive and suitable—often lacks this holistic approach. It may involve selecting isolated outfits for specific days without considering the overall cohesion of the wardrobe. While helpful for planning, it doesn’t necessarily encourage a defined personal style as effectively as a carefully curated closet full of pre matched looks just ready to be pulled from their hanger. The former is about building a system, the latter is about managing a collection. Sorting your closet into outfits—or curated looks—offers a plethora of benefits that extend far beyond just visual appeal. It dramatically quickens your dressing and helps you get out the door on time.

Instead of staring blankly into a sea of clothes or realizing that you suddenly hate the outfit you picked the day before, you can quickly look through several pre styled options waiting for your approval until a new one catches your eye. Rather than taking the chance you might change your mind about last night’s choice, you have several looks to choose from! You need only grab one, saving precious time! This organized approach also allows you to be more creative with your wardrobe, encouraging you to pair items you might not typically consider together. By seeing complete outfits, you can discover hidden gems and maximize the functionality of your clothes, reducing the temptation to buy new pieces when you already have plenty to work with. Furthermore, this method provides a clear and honest assessment of your wardrobe, making it easier to identify gaps and duplicates, ultimately aiding in smarter and more intentional purchasing decisions in the future. The end result is a more efficient, stylish, and ultimately less cluttered life.

I often find myself gravitating towards gifting entire outfits to those in my life—carefully pre-matched and ready to wear—because the convenience itself is a much appreciated gift! It’s the thoughtful curation of a complete look, taking the guesswork out of getting dressed that I hope brings a smile to my loved ones as well as adds value back to their day. In my experience, it was the added time that I took to pre style that’s always more impressive than the actual gift.

This philosophy spills over into my own approach to fashion; I believe curating your closet is a powerful act of self-care and a gift that you can give to yourself. By building outfits in advance, we can eliminate the daily struggles of fashion phobia and banishing accessory anxiety and style stress. It’s about creating a wardrobe that works for you and your circumstances, a collection of ready-to-go ensembles that make getting dressed not a chore, but a seamless and enjoyable experience. So, let’s take the pressure off, embrace the power of pre-planning, and build closets that are full of effortless outfits waiting just to be worn and walked on the runway of life.

This was a shorter post but I think it was helpful and a good conclusion to the new year’s glow up series! I’ll make more pre styling tutorials in the future but I wanted to provide an introduction into the 3 methods that I use because they’re so easy and you may already even be utilizing one of them! I get a lot of questions about how my outfits match so well and the attention that I pay to detail. Having a curated closet is one of the easiest ways I’m able to achieve this! I hope that I was able to impart some good time management wisdom and advice in this post—not just in fashion but in general. As we enter the new year let’s dress more and stress less!