December has a way of filling up. Christmas lunch, the end-of-year work party, a friend's birthday, a few days away, drinks on someone's deck. Each one on its own is lovely. Together they turn into the same moment, over and over: standing in front of a full wardrobe, thinking, “I've got nothing to wear.”
Most of the time, the problem isn't a lack of clothes. It's that the pieces don't work together, so every event needs a fresh solution, usually at the last minute. A little planning now fixes that for the whole season.
Step 1: List what's coming up
Grab your calendar and write down everything between now and the end of January: lunches, parties, travel, beach days, visits to family. Next to each one, jot down where it is and how dressy it feels. You'll quickly see you need fewer “special” outfits than you thought, and more easy ones you can wear again and again.
Step 2: Pick a small colour story
Choose two or three colours that suit you and go with each other, plus one neutral. Maybe white, navy and a soft green, or cream, blush and tan. When everything shares a colour story, almost every top goes with almost every bottom, and your sandals go with all of it.
Step 3: Build around a few hard-working pieces
A summer capsule doesn't need to be big. For most of us, these do the heavy lifting:
- One or two easy dresses, such as a midi dress with sleeves for daytime and a maxi for dressier lunches.
- A two-piece set you can wear together and apart.
- Two tops or blouses that work with the set's bottoms and with your own jeans, shorts or skirts.
- One pair of flat comfort sandals and one pair of block heels.
- A light layer for air-conditioned rooms and cooler evenings.
Why a set is the secret weapon
A matching set is two pieces that already go together, so it's one outfit with zero thinking. Then it splits up. Add one extra top and your own jeans, and you have four outfits: the set together, the set top with jeans, the extra top with the set bottoms, and the extra top with jeans. Put a dress or two next to that and most of your plans are covered.
Packing for the holidays
- Plan outfits by day, not by item. Lay each one out, shoes included, and take a quick photo on your phone.
- Plan outfits you can repeat, allowing for laundry and one spare. Nobody at the beach house is keeping count.
- Roll your clothes rather than folding them, and hang them up as soon as you arrive.
- Keep one dressier outfit for the night that turns into an occasion. There's always one.
Try it on now, not the morning of
The last-minute panic usually starts with a dress that has never been worn. Try everything on well before the day, with the shoes you'll wear, and sit down in it. If something doesn't work, you still have time to sort it out.
If you're filling gaps, shop early in the season. Shipping is free on every order and you have 30 days to return anything that isn't right, so you can try new pieces at home next to your own wardrobe and see what goes. A question about sizing? Email info@adelinewear.com. We reply every business day.
