HOW I Got Dressed This Week

I’ve always been a little gun-shy to send out a post about my week in outfits. There’s the insecurity that I don’t have lovely photos to share; just me taking a selfie in my (sometimes) messy room. There’s the fear that my outfits really aren’t all that good or interesting; and certainly not relatable for anyone who works in a corporate setting (if that’s you, I cannot recommend

Meighan Grady

and

Christina Tumminello

enough for inspiration).

At any rate, I thought it might be of interest to walk though my looks and a HOW I got dressed this week. I’ve had some nice revelations to share and past newsletters that have helped guide me in this arena.

Look One

Starting off…boring! I only say so because how many times am I going to bang on about drawstring pants + tank tops? I am nothing, if not consistent! This day started in the 50s and got up to the 80s so I needed an outfit that could manage the temp swing.

sunglasses ($244) // necklace ($695) // denim shacket ($139) // tank ($20) // drawstring pant (mine are from TRR but these are close $194) // flip flops ($17)

Having an outfit formula that you really love is one of my best tips for getting dressed in the morning. Know what works for you and your lifestyle and supply your closet with pieces that allow you to repeat the formula. Your formula can morph and change; but having a formula in your back pocket means that you can turn your brain off and get dressed. More on outfit formulas here;

Look Two

The heat-wave that has descended on (seemingly) the entire US drove me to wear my swimsuit as a top (s/o to

Irene Kim (김애린)

for featuring this subtly sexy one from Toteme that is on major sale). I know swimsuits as tops are having a bit of a moment and I was happy to explore the trend myself. Practically speaking, the trend works great for moms- like me- who find themselves around pools, splash pads or kids playing with backyard water hoses.

swimsuit as top ($80) // skirt ($100) // flip flops ($17) // not shown Aurate tennis necklace I was gifted and given a discount for (MIDIMALIST20 for 20% off), I also love this one but Aurate ($250, use MIDIMALIST20 for 20% off) and gold chain ($595)

I paired it with this skirt that I originally saw on

Maurene Goo

(every time she posts in the Midimalist chat I’m influenced). I added it to my Carted digital wishlist and got a notice that it went on sale and I had to pull the trigger. A new(ish) feature on Carted is that after a purchase it will show how many days an item has been on my wishlist. It’s a personal goal to keep things on my wishlist for 2 weeks so I will be using this data to improve my impulse shopping.

what can I say, the sale got the better of my 2 week rule

Look Three

Another steamy weekend day. Some of my favorite posts from my archive are my What to Wear series (where I coined the term Vibe Sandwich). I have past Kelly to thank for this combination of a button up and shorts. Original inspo pics from summer 2024 still looking pretty good;

had to add in a few more examples of this good formula

I’ve really been wearing so many tank tops but these pictures reminded me that a breezy button down can be a good choice on a hot day. Plus the other day I wore these shorts with a graphic tee and my neighbor, Gordon, said to me “look at you out here in your pajamas!” so I knew he’s obviously not on Pinterest!

necklace ($595); good alternative by Aurate that’s 20% with MIDIMALIST20 // button down ($138)// shorts ($298), a great alternative for ($148) // jelly shoes ($50)

Look Four

This day was heavily inspired by this OOTD picture posted by my buddy

Emily Grady Dodge

. I saw her photo and was reminded of the power of an extra piece.

my icon

Look how tying a shirt around the waist adds just a little bit more “umph” to an outfit!

necklace ($695) // tank ($38) // button up ($138) // Vintage Levis 505// ATP Atelier ($300, abundantly available resale if you search “Rosa”)

I know that adding extra pieces can be more difficult in the summer, but I was thinking about how we can translate our winter layers into summer layers by considering what the alter ego of the layer could be. The summer version of a blazer- for example- could be a button down. Or if you like throwing a sweater over your shoulder, try a long-sleeve tee.

Is this fabulous winter outfit now recreate-able for summer?!

image source // Aurate necklace ($250, MIDIMALIST20 for 20% off) // knit tank ($50) // Navy button down ($175) // blue long-sleeve ($78) // Aurate ring ($78, MIDIMALIST20 for 20% off) // belt ($78) // shorts ($88) // summer loafers as I call a fisherman sandal ($350)

I’m kind of sold on the idea. And then I was really sold when I saw

Sam Bolianatz

¹ at

Boy Room

in this outfit which feels like the summer version of a winter outfit, no?

Look Five

I have both of these images saved on Pinterest and I was using them as inspiration for my outfit.

I thought this was a good time to link to one of my very favorite posts from my archive about the different ways you can see a Pinterest image and translate it into your wardrobe.

I was able to translate the outfit pretty directly but you could capture the essence of the outfit posts with a simple feminine, flowy top- baggy denim- feminine shoe combination from your own closet.

necklace ($695) // top ($148), a great, less-expensive alternative ($60) // jeans ($200) // shoes ($250)- I wrote a full review of these shoes here

I felt OK in this, I wish I could see more skin on the top of my foot (it’s amazing what a little bit skin does for styling). I’m thinking I’ll tailor the cuff out of these jeans. At 5’3” I end up tailoring the majority of my pants and I end up factoring that into the cost of jeans I buy.

Look Six

Nothing too ground breaking with this outfit but it was way too hot to even add an extra piece like I did earlier in the week. I actually think that I might qualify these shorts as one of the Hero Pieces in my midimalist wardrobe.

necklace ($695) // pointelle shirt ($78), intrigued by this one ($34) // bloomer shorts ($210), a decent bloomer alternative ($88) or a good alternative for gingham shorts ($99) // flip-flops ($17)

Lucy Williams

always has the most elite vacation looks and when I saw this outfit from her time in Greece, I realized that when it’s too hot to put on many clothes, just put on one something special (aka a hero piece).

image via Lucy’s substack

The very next day, my family and I packed up our car and drove into the mountains of Colorado to spend July 4th with family in Vail so I didn’t get a chance to take another clear outfit picture. Speaking of hero pieces here, here are some outfit selfies featuring a few great tops I own that I posted on Notes the other day.

Links for these tops and all items featured are here

1. Incredible style inspo!!!!