In our busy world time management can be a real challenge for us. Sometimes we may ignore our appearance, or run out of time to do anything about how we look. To help with this, let me lay out 8 easy ways to look polished anytime you leave the house.
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1. Have an outfit formula
One of the easiest ways to be ready quickly is to curate your wardrobe around an outfit formula. Let me explain. This is when the pieces in your wardrobe are carefully chosen to complement each other so that they can all be mixed/matched together to be used in your chosen outfit formula.
What is an outfit formula? This is a formula for putting together outfits that work for you and your lifestyle. For example, my work outfit formula is a pair of dress pants, a colored shirt, and a blazer or cardigan. I try to keep my colors fairly neutral (with a handful of very colorful exceptions) so that these can all be put together into multiple combinations of outfits throughout my week.
Having an outfit formula is a great way to minimize the amount of time and effort it takes to get dressed and look presentable in the mornings.
2. Invest in wrinkle free/care free clothing
This may not be the advice you hear from many people out there who discuss fashion, because often things like cotton and linen are top of their list. However, if you are looking for easy ways to look polished, wrinkle-free clothing is a game changer.
After all, how many of you want to take your linen pants out and iron and steam them first thing in the morning while you are getting ready for work? Not me. In fact, what happens is I just end up never wearing those clothes and sticking to the clothes that look great straight from the closet to my body.
If this sounds like you, be intentional when buying your clothing. Look for fabrics in polyester, nylon, and spandex blends.
3. Accessorize your outfits
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When I was younger I would buy jewelry (not the expensive kind) all of the time. I would have boxes full of earrings and necklaces that I would wade through to find the perfect match for every outfit.
I’m older and wiser now. Now I have about 4 sets of earrings, at least in regular rotation and one necklace I always wear. They are pieces that will go with any outfit I wear. This makes it so easy to accessorize in the morning or when I’m short on time.
An outfit without accessories looks incomplete, so this is an easy way to look polished. Add some jewelry, add a belt, add a scarf, or add a hat, and you take a boring outfit to a polished one in a few quick, easy steps.
4. Get (or give yourself) regular manis and pedis
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I’m not talking about anything extravagant here, just regular maintenance of your hands and feet. Whether you choose to do that in a salon or at home is up to you, but it’s going to elevate your whole look.
No matter how pulled together your hair and outfit are, if your nail polish is all chipped up you are not going to look polished. On the flip side, someone with well-taken care of nails and toenails looks polished (no pun intended). It’s an investment in yourself just like skin care.
5. Have a go-to hairstyle
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Nothing can interfere with getting out the door on time like a bad hair day, and we’ve all been there, right? What you need is a fast “go to” hairstyle for those days when you just don’t have the time or energy to do anything else.
Some examples of this are a slicked-back ponytail or a low bun. My own “go to” style is a headband. I have a wide selection of them because of love them. It elevates my outfit in literal seconds.
Find something like this that you love and that is fast and easy. Just like your outfit formula from step 1, this is going to set you up for success in looking polished easy and quickly.
6. Pick your makeup non-negotiables
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What are makeup non-negotiables? This is a very short list (I like to keep it to 3) of things that you will not leave the house without. The 3 things that make up the core of your makeup routine. You can have more than three if you want but the idea is to keep it under five minutes max.
For example, for myself, these are my eyebrow pencil, mascara, and lip gloss. I generally wear more than that, but I know that as long as I am able to get these three things on my face I’ll be ready to face the world feeling pulled together and polished.
Figure out what your non-negotiables are, I’m sure you knew what they were as soon as you thought about it, and then have them on stand-by.
7. Have a stylish coat for each season
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In the same way that accessories can make an outfit look polished, your coat can have a big impact on how polished your look is. Especially if like me, you live in a climate that requires you to wear them most of the year.
Jean jackets look great in the summer layered over a number of looks. Trench coats are always fashionable in the spring and fall. Puffer jackets or long wool coats look great in the winter. Since you have to be wearing a coat anyway make sure it’s classic and stylish, and this is an easy way to look polished.
8. Wear nice shoes
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I’m not talking about expensive shoes here, because honestly I like my shoes from target as much as my shoes from Nordstrom. What I am saying is that you want to have shoes that are in style (meaning not the ones you would have worn in 1990), that are comfortable (of course), and shoes that are well cared for.
For example, if you are wearing loafers or heels, are they scuffed up? Do they need to be repaired or replaced? If you are wearing sneakers, are they clean and free of stains or tears? You don’t want to detract from a nice outfit by having shoes that look old and worn.
Easy Ways To Look Polished–putting it all together
The easier it is for us to pull together a look the more likely it is that we will look polished all the time. Take some time to curate a look for yourself that makes you feel confident and polished and then build your wardrobe and your accessories around this look. Once you are able to identify your best style it becomes easier to build on that.
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