What a transition lately being home bound and like many people quarantined at home we have let our wardrobe be in isolation as well. I quickly decided to take the time and opportunity to finally switch out winter for spring/summer apparel and I felt very proud of the organizational success I’d had. I organized items by category and color coded them, while also setting aside items to donate or shoes that I wouldn’t wear again! This kept me occupied for a couple of days and I organized a few hours at a time each day so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. When the closet organization project was completed I just stared at my closet and thought “ Now what?!” I was so excited to see everything in its place in the closet so I proceeded to begin apartment cleaning phase and so on. I should mention that at this point my “uniform” became shorts and a t-shirt…as the days went by I looked at myself in the mirror and then at the clean and organized apartment and closet and said “Catherine you need to start getting dressed fashionably regardless of whether you leave this apartment or not”. From this thought came the realization that I was usually motivated to dress to go somewhere and often dressed for others and myself as well. Therefore. I needed to be reminded of what it felt like to dress up in this case only for myself! By this I don’t mean getting ready like I would normally with cute work clothes and suits, etc. but finding new ways to dress at home that was comfortable but also fashionable and chic. I needed motivation to lift my spirits while indoors everyday. Shortly thereafter I decided to take a earlier shower everyday and pick outfits that were suitable for being home but ones that made me feel my best and if shorts and a t-shirt were the selection on a particular day, I made sure that 1) items matched, 2) wear statement jewelry or shoes that made me look put together, 3) clothes were ironed/excellent condition, 4) I tucked in my shirt and if appropriate wore a simple belt to elevate look. Once I made the decision to make an effort everyday it became easier and I felt excited again to go through my closet and pick outfits for this new normal. I instantly felt a change in the way I felt about myself. I believe that I have learned the importance of taking care and being kind to yourself and for me one of tose things was getting dressed everyday with an outfit that made me feel confident and ready for the day at home and I can say that I started enjoying myself much more after the shift of wardrobe. I understand that people might be taking time to work outside to which being fashionable might seem like a crazy idea. However, in reality you can wear comfortable and appropriate outerwear that matches and makes you look and feel better to be motivated to accomplish the home projects or much needed outside work. The key is to pick comfortable fabrics and colors that compliment each other and your complexion as well. This is not the time to pull out your torn or old clothes, if anything those should be pulled out to say goodbye to! Having a self-care routine wouldn’t be as easy with the busy schedules people normally have. Now being home you can take advantage of such tine to rest and re-energize yourself to work on indoor or outdoors projects around your house that you can be proud of. While also staying active and doing it in style! My go-to outfits are simple long summer cotton dresses and sandals, short colorful summer rompers or dresses on the warmer days with pearl earrings, leggings and matching top or long sleeve shirt with cute tennis shoes or black shoes if work in the yard, shorts with a belt and off the shoulder shirt or light fabric button down shirt with narrow long simple necklace. While keeping hair in a neat bun, braid or half of my hair clipped up. They key to looking put together at home is to have at least one item that elevates your look and makes you appear dressy if pairing with very simple clothing and as mentioned before matching above all!

There are certain pieces in my wardrobe that I naturally gravitate to and can’t live without – one of these being a classic white button-down shirt. It’s very chic and you can wear it for any occasion (professional, party, lounging or coffee date, etc.) it all depends on how you style it. I would say I wear it to work quite often and play with different variations of them. I should stop purchasing white button-downs but sometimes I can’t resist! However, the majority of these white button-down shirts, surprisingly, I’m wearing them outside of the office for an elevated, yet comfy and casual look. Since the shirt speaks for itself it’s important to be mindful and strategic of what you accentuate it with. The key is in the details! How do I elevate a look from a simple shirt and leggings to fabulous? 1. Accessorize with unique jewelry or remarkable shoes 2. Make sure the clothing is not wrinkly or looking like 1952 3. The button-down should look baking soda white, not ivory or yellowish (especially for stains deodorants leave over time). There is no excuse for any stains bye bye button-down… NEXT! Regarding styling, if the shirt is very long I’ll definitely wear it with black or gray leggings (make sure these are of higher quality and I would personally stay away from the athletic spandex leggings for this particular outfit) and pair it with statement flats or fashionable tennis shoes that in someway compliment the accessories, like a a long and subtle gold necklace to look dressier. I will most likely travel like this – oh yes! If not I’m wearing a shorter version of the white shirt after work or during the weekend with dark blue skinny or bell-bottom jeans and bright colored belt, nude heels or tan booties. For those that struggle with ripped jeans and styling them, the white button-down is your answer along with a set of pearl earrings. It’s an incredible juxtaposition, merging both distressed and classy- it works! If it gets chilly outside, I’ll either wear a vest, long cardigan or what I call a “rocker jacket” to give the outfit a more edgy vibe. If I’m feeling daring I wear a white button-down as a dress! It needs to be long, soft, of robust high-quality fabrics and not see through. Simply adding a wide belt covering almost my entire waist line and creating a curvy shape; or with a gold/silver chain belt and finishing it off with a pair of elegant embroidered sandals and dark shades for the summer time! The versatility of the classic white shirt is never-ending you can mix and match it with a variety of accessories and complimentary clothing. It’s a look that makes you more polished and goes beyond a regular shirt, while still being comfortable and stylish! I always travel with a white button-down no matter where I’m going because I can wear it for every occasion and l instantly look sophisticated. A crucial rule with wearing this important piece as alluded to precisely is that it needs to be properly groomed. Whatever you need to do to make it look like you just stepped out of the dry cleaners – whether it’s steaming or ironing this a must! If it’s wrinkled you lose the classic tone you were aiming for in the first place and especially if it’s a linen fabric – you’re obliged! Do they get wrinkled eventually? Absolutely – but you want to make sure that you start off with a fresh, clean and slick button-down to last you longer for the rest of the day or evening. Give it a try!

Accessories play an important role in elevating your style and making you look polished. It’s the answer to that voice in your head saying “Hmm I’m missing something…” “I’m not convinced” and instead of keeping what you’re wearing, sometimes at least for me, I just change all together and start from scratch. Picking the right accessories for your outfit can truly change the look and become something you didn’t even anticipate. I love anything fashion but honestly accessories was an area I didn’t dare to venture in until recently. I am comfortable with creating outfits and shopping for versatile pieces and fabrics for every season and occasion. However, I’ve tried to be more adventurous and slowly incorporate more accessories into my wardrobe. Picking outfits for myself and others comes naturally and now I’ve started to purposely accessorize and I’ve had quite a lot of fun! I often plan the clothes around the accessories. I have a minimalist vision when it comes to accessories, which was precisely why I tended to shy away from them entirely since I was fearful of looking busy and overloaded or perceived as “trying too hard”. My ideal fashion goal is to look chic, seamless and comfortable in my own skin and look. I want my preferred style at any given moment to be reflective of my taste and personality. Styling accessories is an art in and of itself, that I’ve quite frankly enjoyed to explore. Jewelry, hats, belts and others are new items that have made their way into my closet. It is very impressive what a simple necklace, bracelet or scarf can do to your look. Let’s not forget to mention- shoes! These are also crucial, the right pair of shoes can be at the forefront and almost be their own outfit and clothes serve as their mere companion. Therefore, I’ve made a point to invert my styling and creative process – at times depending on the piece I start with the accessories first and work my way backwards. It may sound illogical but it’s a new approach that has been effective when making a conscious effort to be more adventurous with accessorizing. It proved to be a particularly beneficial strategy with shocking animal print shoes that I’d been wanting to wear but didn’t know how. Accessories have become even more important in the current trend of minimal and neutral color palettes for apparel; which without question beg for an extra oomph! to complete the look. No matter if you are minimalist or not accessories bring the outfit to life, the key is finding the perfect balance!