Fashion (blog) week Part 3: The Reuniter

Today's guest post comes from my colleague and friend The Reuniter, so named because she tried this experiment during one of the busiest weeks of her year — the week leading up to Reunion Weekend at the college. Throw in Memorial Day and some crazy weather, and — well, I'll let her tell you.

[Note: I intended to publish this on Wednesday. I was all done reading it and formatting it and whatnot, and was just about to hit publish, when lightning struck my house and fried my router. True Story.]

Fashion (blog) week Part 1
Fashion (blog) week Part 2

Monday

• What's the weather? Sunny & 75.
• What's the schedule? Driving home from a wedding in Darien, CT.
• What's your inspiration? Comfort for the car and layers, since my co-traveler and I often prefer different temperatures.
• What's the outfit plan? Black cotton dress, gray flip flops, and a brown 3/4 length cardigan for breakfast and the 4-hour drive, followed by my pajamas.
• How'd it work? It was perfect!

Tuesday

• What's the weather? 80 with possible thunderstorms (ended up with torrential rain and a tornado warning). 
• What's the schedule? Follow up from the extra-long weekend, prep for Reunion weekend, and tying LED candles in paper lanterns. An after-hours work meeting (which got canceled when the tornado warnings seemed guaranteed). 
• What's your inspiration? Comfort for a long day and cool for hot temperatures. 
• What's the outfit plan? Navy blue Old Navy knee length dress, new long multi-colored Lia Sophia necklace for some drama and brown flat sandals. 
• How'd it work? It was a great outfit for the work day, but I was a little chilly once the rain hit that evening. 

Wednesday

• What's the weather? 75 and sunny. 
• What's the schedule? Reunion meetings, website updates, a little spray painting and happy hour with some coworkers who are leaving (I ended up not being able to make it for drinks). 
• What's your inspiration? New linen pants and my best chance to wear heels this week. 
• What's the outfit plan? Linen pants, indigo cap-sleeve blouse, brown pumps and gold jewelry. 
• How'd it work? After experiencing an unexpected detour on the way to work due to flooding, it felt great to be pulled together. 

Thursday

• What's the weather? Sunny and warm. 
• What's the schedule? Decorating for our Friday night event, climbing ladders to hang hooks, and picking up helium tanks, balloons, plants, etc. 
• What's your inspiration? Simple and classic. 
• What's the outfit plan? V-neck black cotton dress with empire waist and aqua cardigan, triple-strand blue bead and pearl necklace and aqua earrings with peep-toe flats. 
• How'd it work? I probably didn't think the whole ladder and dress thing through well enough, but it still worked out well. 

Friday

• What's the weather? A little cooler (70) and sunny. 
• What's the schedule? Decorating golf carts, hanging paper lanterns and lantern lights, setting up music playlists, and mapping sandwich board locations. 
• What's your inspiration? Outfit 1: running around campus, quick changes, and flexibility. Outfit 2: more formal and youthful. 
• What's the outfit plan? Outfit 1: white corduroy skirt, teal dress t-shirt, short pearl necklace and black flip flops. Outfit 2: Blue ikat print dress (with pockets), brown pumps, coral short-sleeve dolman cardigan.  
• How'd it work? The first outfit was perfect for running around, especially when I lost my keys and had to scour campus to find them (they turned up on the back of a golf cart). The dress in outfit 2 was a great choice. It was perfect for the weather and event, and the pockets were a great asset for holding a variety of items. I actually ended up with a 3rd outfit. The temperature dropped, so, following my work event, I changed into jeans and a purple tank top for a night out on the town. I changed into flats for walking around and kept the coral cardigan on. 

So, overall, what did you learn? Will you keep up with the system? What were the best and worst parts? I learned that figuring out what to wear is always a little tough for me. Even when planning ahead, picking out what to wear was a challenge. I think factoring in our laundry schedule added a level of complexity, as I was planning for the end of the week (maybe that means I need to expand my wardrobe :). I did find that planning ahead made it quicker for me to get ready in the mornings, which is something I am always looking for. Also, I tried a few combinations that I haven't before, since I was not rushing. I was also more likely to wear jewelry, which adds a little color and style. I think that I will try the system again. If I can get into the habit, maybe it won’t seem like such an effort. Plus, next time I will try not to give it a go during a crazy, unpredictable work week!