Harper's Bazaar seems to have at least one article per issue that details "How to Dress to Your Personal Style," "Polish Your Closet," "Dress to Your Fullest Potential" - articles that preach about honing a personal style and closet that will stay strong in the long run. Since I'm a sucker, I read each one.
The authors always say similar things about finding what looks good on your body type, buying really well-made basics, et cetera, et cetera. Now, I don't remember when I first came across the concept, but enter the Outfit List.
The Outfit List is exactly what it sounds like. I used to scoff at the idea of keeping a list of different combinations of pieces in your closet. It was about as ridiculous as organizing your closet by color, another tip that pops up in the magazines.
And then this last fall I organized my closet by color.
Sometimes I have nothing else to do (often when I can't fall asleep at night), and I'll go through my closet and put together new outfits.
I've been doing this for years. It was an Outfit List inside my head. And finally, not even two weeks ago, I put it down on paper.
I realized that there are many benefits to having outfits written down. For one, I'm forgetful. I might realize one day that my Matisse-esque vintage shirt would look great worn underneath my military inspired sleeveless dress (this is exactly what I'm wearing right now), but I've already picked out an outfit for today, and so I say to myself that I'll wear the dress and shirt outfit tomorrow. Writing it down guarantees that I won't forget it the next morning.
This brings me to the next incentive for having an Outfit List. I, like many other students I know, hate waking up in the morning. I will hit the snooze button as many times as I can get away with, and sometimes this leaves me with barely enough time to even eat something before I have to run to class.
This is why I could never live anywhere far from campus like University West or the Northway. It saves a lot of time to already have an outfit picked out.
In high school I picked out what I was going to wear the night before to give myself extra zzz time. This would sometimes become a problem, though, because when the weather the next day was completely different from what weather.com had predicted, I would have to rush to pick something else out.
Often when rushed, you can end up in a rather lackluster outfit.
A further point brought up in those personal style articles was rotation of wardrobe. It's easy for several pieces to get pushed to the back of the closet and hang there forgotten for months. This is a most unfortunate fate. Love thy wardrobe and don't let any one thing be covered in dust.
With an Outfit List you can include those lesser-worn pieces, and while it might still be at the far side of the closet (something has to be there, after all) it will be represented right before your eyes on the Outfit List.
The Outfit List ultimately discourages lazy dressing. Lazy dressing does not mean simple dressing - minimalism is a finessed and sophisticated style choice - it is dressing simply to cover your body, giving little consideration to the way clothing looks together and on the body.
Some might clamor about comfort, but it is very easy it be comfortable and dress well. In fact, it amazes me that some people think a dress takes more effort to wear than pants, as dresses are often more comfortable than pants are.
The Outfit List is a drawing board for the conscious consideration, creation and honing of an all-important trait: personal style.
