4 Ways to Beat the Mid-Semester Fashion Slump
It happens around this time every year: The mid-terms are piling up, the late nights are catching up with you, and your coffee addiction is at an all-time high. It’s the middle of the semester and your stress level is through the roof. With all of this going on, it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself!
But just taking an extra few minutes in the morning and putting together a stylish and comfortable outfit can change the way you feel all day. When you feel good about yourself, that confidence will spill over into everything else you are taking on.
So, to help you out, I’ve included some easy ways to pull yourself out of this mid-semester style slump, and finish the semester looking and feeling great!
1. Mix it up.
The quickest and easiest way to get out of a fashion slump is to mix up your outfits. Sure, that same old top and pair of jeans combo may look great, but wearing the same thing day in and day out can get a little boring. So recruit a friend or roommate to help you look at the items you already own, and then brainstorm ways to change things up. You won’t have to spend any money, but you’ll have tons of outfits that feel brand new because they’ve never been worn together before.
2. Pick out a “safety-outfit.”
You were up until 4am studying and somehow forgot to set your alarm. You have 15 minutes before you have to be at your 8am and you JUST rolled out of bed. At times like this, putting together a stylish outfit is the last thing on your mind, but you shouldn’t just grab sweats and run out the door! You’ll feel frazzled and less confident all day.
Instead, pick out a seasonally appropriate “safety” outfit and memorize it. Keep it simple not too specific. An example of my “safety outfit” is above. No matter how long it’s been since I’ve done laundry, I’ll always have a pair of skinny jeans and a white tee shirt clean. I pair them with my favorite colored flats to add some pop. If it’s cool out, I know I can throw on any jacket and it will match!
3. Reorganize your closet and drawers.
Even if you aren’t a organization freak like me, you can’t argue that having your room organized doesn’t make your life feel a little more organized. Take some time to do all your laundry and then move your closet and drawers around. This will give you a chance to really dig into the back and see what pieces have been hiding. Here are a few ideas of how you can switch things up:
- Put your fall clothes front and center.
- Instead of organizing your clothes by color, organize them by style (or vice versa).
- Switch up the flow of your drawers. (Tees on top? Move ‘em to the bottom.)
- Put pieces you haven’t worn in a while where they are easily visible.
4. Invest in some time-saving beauty products.
Sleep is a luxury at this point in the semester, and if you’re like me, you’ll chose 20 extra minutes over a shower any day! Of course there’s no shame in that, but if you stock up on a few key beauty products, no one will be able to notice!
dry shampoo, eye cream, body spray, shimmer stick, nail polish
- Dry Shampoo is a MUST for on-the-go days. It absorbs oil, and gives your hair great volume and texture. This one by TIGI even smells great.
- Eye cream is another must-have. My favorite is this one by Clinique. Rub it on your puffy, sleep-deprived eyes and you’ll look like you got your full 8 hours!
- A shimmer stick, like the one above from NARS, can serve as blush, highlighter, eye shadow, and even lipgloss – talk about products that do double duty!
- Body spray is a great alternative to perfume when you just need to “freshen up,” and the plastic packaging makes it much more portable than usually-delicate perfume bottles.
- Finally, a neutral shade of nail polish will let you stretch you manicure for several extra days because chips will be less noticeable!
Your thoughts?
So what do you think? Are you feeling the mid-semester slump? How do you combat it? Let me know in a comment below!
Posted on on October 9, 2010 / Filed Under: Fashion Tips / Tags: Beauty Products, Featured, Inspiration, midterms
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Monica
The safety outfit is pretty!!! I love dressing basic stuff but with punches of color like the blue flats. Where are they from anyway? And the bag?
Isabel
I cannot tell you how perfectly timed this article is. I was just noticing how much I’ve been slacking on dressing nicely and your tips will definitely get my butt back in gear again. Thanks!
Amy
the bag: http://www.amazon.com/Heavyweight-Classic-Messenger-Bag-Olive/dp/B000VEM5DU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286653269&sr=8-3
I have it in black =) this is the same bag (in a different color) that Jack Bauer wore in 24, by the way! I love it! Be warned, however, that there are no zippers or closures besides the large flap. It does a good job of holding your stuff, but one time my calculator fell out and flew across the room because I wasn’t careful while putting my bag down on my desk (horizontally). I wish it had a zipper!
BS
Love the article, however it might do you some good to put a bit of research into the products you put on here – the TIGI you posted has hundreds of reviews on the Amazon site you linked of having a faulty top that leaks shampoo, meaning people are spending $10-20 on a product they only get to use once or twice. Not exactly something I would recommend that people buy.
BS
*erm..the TIGI dry shampoo. realized i didn’t specify…
Brie
Are there links for the outfit suggestion because I REALLY like that bag. Soo classic and functional..
Sari
Agree- the safety outfit looks comfy and stylish!
lisa
where is that bag from?!!?!
Jackie
Hey, love the advice?!
But, where is the messenger bag from? I am in love with it.
I’ve had trouble trying to find the perfect one, but THAT’s the ONE.
Thanks.
xoxo.
Maxine
I put different clothes together so I will not get bored.
Hannah
Hey guys! I’m so glad you like the outfit. So sorry there are no links…I added them but they must have gotten removed at some point during that writing process!
Here is the link for the bag:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001F4OKYM?ie=UTF8&tag=keepchicguid-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001F4OKYM
Hope that works for you…I love it as well! Messenger bags are so functional!
BS- I agreed about researching the products I recommend up here. In fact, I agree so much that I only post beauty products that I’ve personally tested unless I mention otherwise. I own the TIGI try shampoo (and am actually working on my second bottle) and I’ve never had a problem with the top. Of course it’s helpful for readers to do additional research, but I can only write about what I’ve learned my own experience! I’d hate for my readers to waste money:)
Charlotte - University of Birmingham
I think mixing it up is a great idea. I had a really low luggage allowance for all my clothes coming abroad so I’ve had to mix things up to create new outfits.
A small wardrobe is strangely liberating!!
Charlotte xxx
Karen
The Clinique cream you posted isn’t meant to even be used on the eye area. I just wanted to point it out in case someone was actually interested in the product — the product description clearly says to avoid the eye area.
april
The Tigi is amazing! Love it. Shimmer stick now lives in my purse. Thanks!
Jaimie
I have used tigi dry shampoo for years and love it!!! It is such a life saver!! Neve had problems with a faulty bottle, I go through a bottle about every three months. Amazing product and I completely reccommend it!
Elaine
…all of my outfits look like the safety outfit LOL
Rebecca
Where can I get those teal flats?? I love them :)
Laura
Did you mean to post the Clinique redness relief cream as an eye cream? I think you may have meant Clinique all about eyes eye cream – which is really great. I use the “rich” formula, because it is more moisturizing and lasts longer. love it.
Karen
I tried the TIGI shampoo about a year ago and the lady at the counter told me that they had been having problems with the top and offered me a full refund if mine proved faulty. Unfortunately I had to take her up on the offer and returned my bottle after the pressure had all leaked out the top and it refused to work after the second squirt. Anyway, I switched to Batise Blush dry shampoo (available at Sally’s Beauty Supply) and I love it!
Also, I would love to know where you got those flats at…those are beautiful!
Abbey
Great blog post! And so true! I’ve found that throwing on a piece of jewelry or two can quickly dress up comfy jeans and a t-shirt. One of my favorite brands do to this with is Dirty Pretty Things (www.dptjewelry.com). They have great necklaces, earrings and bracelets that would look great with the outfit mentioned in the post.
Sarah
Is there a link for the tan jacket and those blue flats?
Sarah
Thanks for the tips! I need to re-organize my closet in a mayjah way.
Nessa N
It’s nice to know that people are going thru the same thing. I’ve so busy. Sometimes I don’t feel like I have enough energy to shower, let alone put on make up & try to look pretty!
Stephanie
Great tips! Definitely useful at this time of the year! Thanks for the post
sha
this is an amazing article good job and thanks for the lovely tricks
coffeeaddict
omg i need those flats, where are they from??
Hair Loss Treatments :
eye shadows that are waterproof are great and i always use them”,-
Circuit Breaker
nail polish that are acrylic based seems to last longer on my finger nails compared to water based ones -.-
Impotence Remedy
sometimes skinny jeans are not comfortable to wear, i would always prefer to use loos jeans `~.
Weldon Sarwinski
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