Waking Life: How to Look Pressed When You’re Pressed for Time

You wake up. The clock reads 7:45. Your lecture is at eight. It’s tempting to simply trudge out the door in the sweats and threadbare t-shirt you drifted blissfully to sleep in the night before, but why do that when you can be out the door in five minutes and still look like a million bucks? No one expects you to put in tons of effort that brutally early in the morning, but here’s the thing: you don’t have to! Follow these tips and you’ll be awash in a sea of open-mouthed faces that seem to say “I don’t know how he/she does it…”

Blazers are an easy way to dress up any outfit. | Photo courtesy of Flickr Commons

1. Blazers. Seriously. Nothing makes a guy or gal look more put together than throwing a well-fitted blazer over whatever random and disparate items of clothing you blindly reach for in those early hours. Something about a tailored, go-with-everything piece like a blazer makes everything else you’re wearing more angular and dressed up. Invest in a great blazer in a neutral color (black, navy, camel and white are all lovely options) or a fun bright for daring dressers. Roll the sleeves up for a touch of nonchalance!

2. Ladies: A dress is a powerful thing. Throw one on (maybe with the above mentioned blazer, hint hint) and–bam! Instant outfit. For many ladies, this may sound like too much effort… But open your mind! It’s actually way less effort. A word of caution, however–not all dresses are created equal. Don’t buy it unless it fits well, you feel comfortable and there’s no chance of accidentally showing your lady parts to anyone (that’s not chic).

3. Fit, fit, fit. This one’s pretty simple, and it works for ladies and gents. Just make sure that whatever you’ve got stashed in that chest of drawers/closet of yours is something that fits your body and makes you feel like a love machine. That way you can never go wrong.

4. Go comfy, but wear things that make you aware of your body. These could be a belt, a cute pair of shoes, a tailored piece… anything that reminds you that you’re in real-world clothes, not pajamas. Of course it’s too early to suggest forcing your feet into a pair of heels or shimmying into sausage-casing jeans (after all, you’d like to nap after the torture session is over), but a simple and subtle reminder via a waist-cinching belt or a watch will give you a kind of subliminal awareness of yourself that will–we promise–make you look rested and improve your posture. And everyone looks good when they sit up straight.

5. Hair. Do something with it. Give it a quick brush, haphazardly run some gel through it, or throw it up. Just do something. By all means, don’t spend more than 30 seconds on it, but just the slightest bit of attention to this one aspect of your appearance will make an enormous difference. You can work the bedhead look, too–just rub your hands through it a bit to really commit to the look.

Think about these little guidelines when you grudgingly rise from the depths of sleep for your next early class, and you’ll look great within five minutes and hardly any effort at all. Easy, stylish, and well-rested… Could you ever ask for more?

About Sharon Weissburg

Sharon Weissburg (CAS 2015) hails from the lovely city of Providence, Rhode Island and loves fashion, literature, music, and art. She's a pretty big fan of pretzels dipped in marshmallow fluff, too.

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