Day to Night
Things I’m all about: seeing where the day takes you, packing light, and looking chic. Did that second one throw you for a loop? Thought so. It’s one that surprises a lot of people. I wasn’t always this way. I remember on a college trip to Greece, my luggage was so heavy it hurt to roll it. Lifting is was completely out of the question as the mere weight of the handle on my hand as I rolled it through the airport was crippling. Fast forward to the year after I met my amazing husband and we were packing for our first trip to Hawaii. Ten days, carry on only. I thought he was crazy when he said I could only carry on, but I did it, and I personally prefer to have it that way now.
So how does one pack for a trip with just a carry on suitcase? I have many tips, but today we are going to focus on ‘Day to Night’ styling. This is when you can transform an outfit from day to night by only changing little things.
Before COVID locked me down, I went to NYC for a new client. It was very important to me to fit everything into a small carry on as I knew I would be walking through the city with my suitcase. To pack as light as possible, I planned to transform my Friday day outfit by only switching a few things into my night look. A question I often get is how to make use of ‘day’ or ‘work’ attire for weekend wear. Here is my pro tip to you!
It can be daunting trying to transform an outfit, but if you think about one word to categorize your day look, and what the opposite of that word is, it will help when choosing how to transform. For example, one might describe their office look as ‘conservative’. I would say the opposite of that could be ‘sexy’. So when trying to transform your conservative look, choose items in your closet that can be described as sexy.
Here are examples of conservative items: button down blouse, flats, simple jewelry.
Here are examples of sexy items: plunging neckline top, stilettos, statement earrings.
Get where I’m going here?
If your work look consists of a pencil skirt and a button down, maybe unbutton a few buttons or swap the it for a silk tank, swap studs for statement earrings and put on a bold lip and you are ready for cocktails! Did you see my previous post about styling the same dress 3 ways? There is a prime example of how to transform one dress for multiple functions!
You can do this same exercise if you consider your day look as ‘casual’. The opposite of casual is ‘dressy’, so if you are transforming a casual outfit, look for items in your closet that are festive or formal. The key is to swap out just a few of the items, making use of the majority of your look.
Here are examples of casual items: denim jacket, t-shirt, sneakers.
Here are examples of dressy items: blazer, embellished top, boots.
Back to the things I love- seeing where the day takes you, packing light, and looking chic. For your next adventure (whenever that may be!), why not plan for the unexpected and throw some statement earrings in your purse or a pair of heels in your trunk to take your day look right into the night- all while keeping it chic!
xo, Ashley
