Running Late Outfit Hacks

So, hacks are the thing right now -- if you haven't heard of them, they are little "cheats" that help with everything from travel, to work, to exercise, to cooking, to life in general. Well, I'd like to dole out some of my own hacks (gasp! I'm giving away some serious secrets here). Every now and again someone will ask me how I have the time to looked pulled together all the time -- especially now that I'm a mom. I'm never sure how to answer it as the answer is long, so I usually just shrug my shoulders and smile. Fact is, I'd like to teach everyone how to looked pulled together all the time, it really is so easy once you get the outfit formulas down. I can literally roll out of bed to take my dog to the vet or my daughter to Book Babies in 15 minutes flat (well, have myself ready in that amount of time anyway, I can't speak for the baby and the dog!)

Here's how ya do it:

Formula 1:

PJ tank + cool Tee + skinny jeans + flats/loafers + cocktail ring = Done.

This is a summer outfit hack. Note that this is my personal style, but it can be tweaked for any one's personal style, I'll show you how after the jump.

What I do in summer if I'm running late or have a super early appointment is throw a vintage band Tee over my nursing tank that I slept in, rip off my pajama bottoms, throw on jeans, slip on some cool loafers or flats and throw on a cocktail ring (I call this, my "finisher" piece) The finisher piece is what makes me look like I spent a while getting "pulled together" haha. If my hair is crazy beyond fixing with a little surf spray or pomade, I throw it up into a loose, low chignon or bun, mess it up a little to make it a little sexier, throw on sunglasses (to hide the no-makeup tired-eyes look) and go. I'll do a bit of a lip stain if I have more time, but usually the sunnies are enough to make me feel pretty.

Formula 2:

PJ cami + Boyfriend jeans + flat/loafer + chunky knit + low bun = Done.

This is for a chilly spring or fall morning or for a balmier winter morning. This outfit can be tweaked in a number of different ways too, for instance, if you are less edgy and more classic, you'd follow this same formula but tweaked:

PJ cami + Straight leg jeans + nude flat + cardigan (add a scarf if the cardigan doesn't cover the cami well enough)

Obviously, if you have a fuller chest you'll need to slip a bra on under the cami before you head out, which kind of defeats the purpose of throwing clothes over your PJs, so this look might not be for you, but play with it and tweak it until you find your perfect go-to formula.

Formula 3:

PJ tank + silk tank + shorts (silk or denim) + edgy sandals + bed head hair + gold cuff + sunnies = Done.

This is a more polished look and my go-to for a simple work outfit (obviously, not everyone can wear shorts for work) but a trouser could easily be swapped out for the shorts and this could be a cute summer work look.  Sunglasses are a major beauty tool.  I am willing to bet almost every celebrity photographed with their huge sunglasses on has bloodshot tired, makeup-free eyes under there! haha, especially the moms! They hide a multitude of sins -- wear them! Wear them on cloudy days!

Granted, these easy outfit cheats help but taking good care of myself from the inside always helps me feel good, even when I know I don't look my best. I try to drink tons of water, eat as cleanly as I can (for me that means no meat, no dairy, no gluten and no sweets most of the time) and meditate and take time out to de-stress, that way, if I have to rush out the door with no makeup on (even under-eye concealer, eek!) I feel good enough about the natural look of my skin. It also helps to remember that people notice the good things about the way you look and usually only we are so focused on our flaws.

Welp, until next post, here's to Your Style Simplified!