Automating My Wardrobe

An entrepreneur friend of mine, Zak, gave me a great piece of advice when I was launching my portfolio career. I needed to wear the same thing every day. Steve Jobs did it, Mark Zuckerberg does it, and it helps them to be at the peak of their creativity and productivity. As the theory goes, the less mental energy you spend on making little, unimportant decisions, the more you'll have to make bigger, more consequential ones.

Steve Jobs wore that same black mock turtleneck every time you saw him. His closet probably looked like Inspector Gadget's (this may be a joke only people of a certain age will get...). Now that I think about it, Zak always wears the same outfit every time I see him, too. The trouble is, I think men can get away with this much easier than women. Perhaps it's just me, but if a woman walks in to the office wearing the same thing (or what appears to be the same thing, even if it's duplicate dresses) two days in a row, she's going to get dragged by her co-workers. And let's face it, it's going to be the other women.

This is where I need to pause and make sure I say a few words to my fellow women. Gals, we need to do a better job of supporting each other. In the workplace, at PTA meetings, wherever. I see (and have been subjected to) entirely too much whispering, backbiting and clawing at each other, thinking that we have to take each other down to get ahead. We are not each other's enemies.

That said, I've had to automate this aspect a bit differently, so I have a closet full of various dresses. I match whatever dress is next in the rotation with a jacket or cardigan and I'm done. Jewelry can be a bit tougher, because I'll admit I like to be fancy, but to cut down time I keep this as insanely organized as my makeup (see my post on Instagram for more). I save the tiny baggies that you get randomly with shirt buttons or elsewhere and put a pair of earrings in each. I can't tell you how much time I've saved having to look for two matching earrings. I'll post my jewelry organization system on Instagram, it's pretty sickening, I'll admit.

Shoes get automated too. If the outfit has black in it, it gets the black pumps. No black, it gets the neutral pumps. If it's cold out, I choose the suede option for either. If it's super hot, the peep toe. It's cute to have lots of options, but it's TOO MUCH. For further study on this, there's a great podcast called Radiolab, and their episode on Choice is incredibly illuminating.

So, what do you think? Leave your comments below, and let me know how you plan to automate your wardrobe.