3 Quick Shopping Hacks For The Busy Creative
Looking put together can take a lot of time and organisation. If you’re anything like me, you need the easy fix, the quick version. As a committed last-minute lady, I have perfected some shopping hacks for getting out of the house in record time. I’m not one for planning my look the night before, nor am I going to get up earlier. My solutions are centred around the clothes I buy. That’s right, when I’m buying clothes for work I am thinking about how to stay in bed longer. Here are my top tips for looking good in no time.
SHOPPING HACK 1: FOLLOW THE 3-OUTFIT RULE
This is so simple and it saves so much time! When you’re shopping, don’t buy anything unless you can picture it as three different outfits. There are so many cute pieces out there and online shopping means you can update your wardrobe with a click. However, when you’re staring at 10 different jumpers that you’ve only worn once, you know you have to learn to tamp down on your ‘buy, buy, buy’ habit.
SHOPPING HACK 2: INVEST IN GREAT CO-ORDS
The return of the co-ord is the best thing to happen for us last-minute folk. Fact: co-ords are two or more pieces of clothing made of the same material and in an identical pattern or colour. For example, think jumpsuit but cut in half! Co-ords are so simple but they can make you look really put together. They’re great for creating a well-thought-out and professional look, yet require little thinking and minimal effort. Hey, if it’s good enough for The Queen…
SHOPPING HACK 3: STICK TO CREASE-FREE FABRICS
Repeat after me, “Linen is not my friend!” Clothing made from linen, cotton and silk always need ironing, so they’re best avoided. For fuss-free dressing stick to fabrics you can fling on straight off the washing line. Fuss-free fabrics include velvet, elastane, polyester, cashmere and wool. It’s like holiday packing, but for every day.
TOP TIP: The tumble dryer is an efficient crease maker. It is to be avoided at all costs. Hang your clothes out to dry instead.
Wanting to look good or at least presentable, especially in a creative job, is a bit of a Catch-22. I want to achieve maximum one-on-one time with my duvet, but at the same time, I know my appearance is an indication of my outlook and style. Ultimately, my appearance is key to encouraging people to engage with me and my work. These shopping hacks for looking put together at work have been my lifesavers. I’m still snoozing my alarm eight times before I get out of bed but my clothes are coordinated and crease-free.