I tried planning all my work outfits on Sunday night, here’s how it went

Minimising decisions, maximising looks.

When faced with too many choices throughout our days, feelings of overwhelm, burn out and decision fatigue can plague us. So cutting corners and implementing life hacks can help streamline our days and minimise the number of decisions we have to make. 

Getting dressed each morning is one of those activities that can end up taking far longer than you like, resulting in piles of discarded clothes and a rush to get out the door. Elsa Mullins, a Melbourne-based content creator and full-time Content Producer at Tiny Disco, is all too familiar with the stress that getting dressed can provoke.

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In an attempt to make her pre-work mornings run a little smoother, she’s implemented a pre-week outfit planning routine each Sunday (a day typically not full of difficult decision-making). Her videos documenting this process, which she shares with her TikTok following, are proving popular and inspiring others on the app to try it themselves. I spoke to Elsa to learn more about her method, and then I put it to the test.

The Sunday evening method

“My method revolves around picking five pieces from my wardrobe that I want to centre the week’s outfits around… pieces that I haven’t worn in a while, or maybe something new that I’m excited to style,” she tells me.

Wanting to get a little more creative with her weekday outfits after landing a full-time gig at a creative agency, Elsa says her Sunday selection has become a space for her to explore her style, and it’s even evolved into a form of weekly self-care.

@etherealelsa If you’re a 9-5 office job girlie, I promise this will change your life 😮‍💨💖 #outfitplanning #officeoutfit ♬ original sound – elsa rae

“The overall outfits come together based around what looks good, but also what’s happening through the week. I spend a lot of time on set so I’ll often have to take mobility and comfort into account, as well as things like the weather and if I’ll have dirty hair or not,” she explains. 

“Having full looks inclusive of jewellery, hairstyles, sunnies and bags all laid out for me means I can wear a super cool, detailed outfit every day without having to use a lot of brain power in the mornings. It’s also a really nice way to ease myself into the week on a Sunday evening. I find myself excited for the week because of the cute outfits I have planned, instead of feeling the Sunday scaries.”

Trying out the method

Although I trust that Elsa knows what she’s on about, I decided to give her method a crack. First up, I looked at my calendar to see what the week ahead looked like. A dinner on Thursday and an event Friday were the standout considerations, as well as the weather looking like a steady 11 to 12 degrees every day. 

Entering this experience, I also wanted to challenge myself to wear a little more colour. Black on black on black is a tried-and-true combo that I know, love and trust, but I wanted to get a little out of my comfort zone and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. 

Following Elsa’s lead, I selected five key pieces from my wardrobe – all items I love but don’t get nearly enough wear out of. These included a red checked Ganni dress, a blue and white checked Bayse skirt, a denim shirt jacket, a green Sexiaz boob tube and a purple Phoebe’s Angels vest.

Next up, I tried each of the items on and built an outfit around them. There was a bit of trial and error here and it probably didn’t help that I was extremely tired and a little hungover so it took me way longer than it probably should have (I’m talking over an hour).

I’m sure this would be much faster with more practice and energy. However, on any given morning I could spend upwards of 30 minutes choosing an outfit, so this method proved to still save me time overall even at my glacial pace.

Monday: Denim shirt jacket

Always the hardest day of the week, I decided on a comfortable look. I styled the denim shirt jacket with a light blue cardi underneath, paired with a blue tiered maxi skirt and accessorised with my favourite green and blue scarf, Cos pleated bag and my blue New Balance 5740. It was cosy and comfy. Waking up on Monday morning, although physically difficult, it was super easy to just jump straight into my outfit without any doubt. I even received a few compliments in the office on my outfit so maybe the extra planning is key. The week was off to a good start. 

Tuesday: Purple vest

Like Monday, on Tuesday morning I didn’t second guess my pre-planned outfit. My graphic vest was paired with a black tee, black pants, and a Uniqlo green puffer and I accessorised with a pink Baggu sling bag and my black Converses. I liked this outfit, but not as much as Monday’s which was helpful to take into account for future outfits.

Wednesday: Bayse skirt

My first bump in the road for the week. I ended up slightly changing today’s outfit to better suit the weather. Initially, I’d planned to pair my checkered Bayse skirt with a white cardigan, blue trench and to accessorise with a blue scarf, Adidas Gazelles and Cos pleated bag. On the day, this just felt too chilly, and I ended up layering a Sister Studios hoodie over the cardi and opting for boots instead. Funnily enough, this ended up being my favourite outfit of the week. Equal parts cosy and cool. 

On last-minute changes and adapting her own weekly outfits, Elsa explains that they’re not set in stone. “I just listen to what my body wants or is gravitating towards… Fashion and personal style is a very intuitive thing, and the more we listen to what we subconsciously feel like wearing, the closer we can come to curating our true personal style.”  

Thursday: Red Ganni dress

On Thursdays, I typically work from home, so I ended up wearing a comfortable Nike zip-up with a plaid skirt around the house, saving my planned outfit for the dinner event I had booked. For this outfit, I layered a black turtleneck underneath the red Ganni dress and a corset-style singlet over top to add some warmth and dimension.

Also, to add even more warmth (it’s freezing in Melbourne) I wore black stockings, a midi-length leather trench and finished with black chunky loafers and a Jacquemus shoulder bag. Though I didn’t wear this during the daytime, it felt appropriate for the evening and I even received a few positive comments on the look. Success!

Friday: Green Sexiaz top

For my final look of the week, I needed something appropriate for both the office and my after-work event. Using the green Sexiaz boob tube as the key piece, I layered an oversized white button down underneath paired with my velvet maxi Sleeping with Jacques skirt, accessorising with my platform Dr Martens, leather side bag and a bomber jacket for warmth. Although the silhouette was new to my weekly rotation, I felt confident and comfortable in this look both at work and at the event, no changes necessary.

My final thoughts

Acknowledging that both of us have the privilege of dressing how we please at our workplaces, I agree with Elsa’s ethos that we can always incorporate our personal style into just about any dress code “whether it be through introducing certain patterns, silhouettes, colours or accessories”. 

“Being at work takes up such a large chunk of our time, and I think if the office is dismissed as a place to explore personal style, then we miss a really big opportunity to feel like ourselves,” she tells me.

@rubystaleythe week that was♬ Meat Grinder

Throughout the week, my ensembles were far more creative and colour-centric than is typical for me. Usually, I stick to a basic long sleeve or shirt and classic jeans, pants or maxi skirt only mixing it up when I’m feeling up for a challenge.

Planning my outfits in advance also gave me the opportunity to take stock of the items I own so I don’t mindlessly buy replicas of pieces I already own and it highlighted what I don’t wear enough, reminding me to give them a little more love. In the morning especially, using this method dramatically minimised the time and energy I usually spend figuring out an outfit and for that alone, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

For advice on streamlining your wardrobe, try this.