Getting Dressed for Work

Closet Analysis: The Night Before

It is January and just like last January when I took a part-time contract at a university, I have done the same at a community college and technical institute in 2014. It's the end of January and this blog has taken a backseat to the time I am putting into my planning, preparation and correcting. However, once again for 3 months I am resurrecting my "work" closet and once again I am overwhelmed with a change in my schedule. I changed clothing three times the first day and vowed that would not happen again. As a result I have a few suggestions to make getting ready for work stress free and easy.

Nice

Point your shoes in the right direction. That was the advice given to me many years ago when I asked a veteran teacher how she kept organized at home. Her first words dealt with clothing and her closet. When you come home from work, change into comfortable clothing to create a physical break with your workday.   Even if you are going out later, change and wear something else. Now choose what you are going to wear to work the next day. Check for secure buttons, working zippers and stains on clothing. Hang everything together (jewellery included), shoes placed pointing as if leaving your bedroom (this is definitely optional), and underwear (stockings or socks included) looped around the top of the hangar or in pockets. Voila! It's done, you have no potential clothing malfunctions and no clothing options to stress you out the next day when you are dressing for work.

I use a "valet" and because it is not physically in my closet, I am not tempted by other items I see hanging around my original choices. See my January 13th post, 2014 Casual: Separates and Flats.

Necessary

Take a closet inventory for defects. You must take inventory of loose buttons, split seams, undone topstitching and other such unsightly problems that make dressing a pain. The best way to deal with this is to make a closet date and assign a specific amount of time to attending to these necessary tasks. If nothing needs fixing, keep your closet date to iron, sort and organize, eliminate, substitute, combine, modify, put to other uses and rearrange.

Note-Worthy & Need

Take a closet inventory for needs. My 2014 resolution to dress up more comes from necessity and only because I accepted a temporary contract to teach. I need some separates to round out my work wardrobe and bring some life to trousers and blazers that have been in my closet for awhile or else I won't be wearing them. I have a dark purple skirted suit that needs a more colourful top than what I have previously worn with it. Armed with a closet need list for work and because what I need are basics, I will now watch for the sales that will be happening as we slowly move out of the winter season toward spring.