By Sarah Kolis
Welcome to the very first edition of Sarah’s Style—a new series where I share thoughtful, practical advice to help you feel more confident, elegant, and put together, every single day. Whether you’re heading to brunch, attending a wedding as a guest, running errands, or dressing up for a special event, I truly believe that how you dress affects how you feel, how you show up, and even how you carry yourself! As my mother Cynthia Kolis often says, dress like “you have your act together!” Without further ado, here are tips for dressing up everyday!
Episodes #4 and #10 on my podcast, Dressing Up, dive into everyday dressing up! Listen here!
If a question guided our time here on the blog, it might be this one “How do I dress well every day—without it feeling like a chore?” My goodness picking out my outfit is one of my favorite parts of the day! We have to wear clothes, so how can we enjoy it?! I love what Courtney Opalko shared on one of the first Dressing Up episodes where we discussed the etiquette of dressing up:
“Make sure you feel comfortable and confident in what you’re wearing. Making sure your clothes fit appropriately. Making sure that it’s something that brings a smile to your face, whether its jeans and a tshirt or a cocktail dress, there are different things that you can look for as far as the way clothes fit you, the way clothes make you feel to make sure that you feel comfortable because that will help you feel more confident.”
Courtney Opalko
Let’s dive in- here are some simple style tips!
1. Dressing Well = Dressing With Intention
Dressing well doesn’t mean wearing designer labels or putting on a full face of makeup every morning. It simply means putting thought and care into how you present yourself. Even a simple outfit—like a crisp white top tucked into great-fitting jeans—can feel elevated if it fits you well and reflects your style.
Think about what makes you feel confident and beautiful, and lean into that consistently. And feel FREE to repeat. Find your favorites, and maybe find ways to multiply them!
2. Your Closet Should Serve You
To dress well daily, your closet needs to be your ally, not your enemy. That means:
- Decluttering anything that doesn’t fit or feel good. If you haven’t wore it in years, you aren’t going to! Having a small closet is refreshing!
- Investing in basics that can be worn in multiple ways (like a tailored blazer or a neutral midi skirt). However, don’t get stuck in the basics-only wardrobe! Fun fabulous pieces are the stars of your closet! You will often catch me in a basic white top and a fun skirt!
- Color-coordinating your wardrobe to make mixing and matching easier. For example, I don’t wear much black at all, I love florals and pastels and these patterns and colors often coordinate with each other through a variety of outfits!
- Rotating seasonally, so your closet only holds current-weather pieces (this makes getting dressed so much faster and more inspiring!). I always have 3 tubs of clothes that rotate seasonally. Right now, all my (many) Christmas clothes are nicely tucked away, and I always get SO excited to rotate out my closet as the seasons change and enjoy about my ‘new’ items in my closet all over again!
I personally love to keep timeless silhouettes on hand. Think of your wardrobe like your home—you want it to be curated, functional, and full of pieces you love.
3. Dress for the Season You’re In (Literally and Figuratively)
A good rule of thumb: lean into the season. In summer, opt for breathable materials and easy sundresses. In winter, elevate your layers with beautiful coats and boots. Embrace the colors, textures, and moods of each time of year—it’ll keep things fresh and interesting.
But also—dress for the season of life you’re in. Maybe you’re a new mom, a professional on-the-go, or planning your wedding. Your wardrobe should reflect your current lifestyle and support your goals. If leggings are comfortable and make you feel great, then that is a win!! Need a simple-but-chic outfit idea? Good leggings + a classy button down + a great shoe! You CAN dress up leggings! (I am not a leggings girl myself, but I know many of you reading are! Just using as an example!
As life changes, you might consider changing your look! Change is healthy in life but also adjusting your appearance to keep your identity evolving and growing. Change your haircut! Maybe it is time! Or, change your fashion style! Go for that look you NEVER would before, try it out and be open minded! No need to get stagnant!
4. Effort Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming
A little intention goes a long way. Lay out your outfit the night before. Add one “elevated” piece to your outfit—a headband, a bold lip, earrings, or a cute pair of flats. Dressing well can become second nature when you simplify the process and make it a habit that feels fun and joyful, not stressful.
As Tan France himself advises, stay away from “fashion” and lean into your “style”. Fashion comes and goes, and sure you can lean in a little bit but going full force in fashion trends will leave you far behind in years to come, and this turns into an outdated or wasteful closet when you want to replace your items over and over again! Years ago women only had 2-6 dresses in their closet total! Wow! Less is more always. When you do decide to purge, donate! Please do not throw away!
Here are a few outfits I LOVE!! Follow along on Instagram for more day-to-day inspo!!
We hope that these simple tips for dressing up everyday help to make getting dressed more enjoyable, and less stressful! Dressing well every day isn’t about perfection—it’s about presence and respect. When you dress with care, you honor yourself, the others around you, and the life you’re living today. And you’re absolutely worth the effort!!
Thank you for being here, and I hope this inspires you to look at your closet with fresh eyes. I’ll be sharing more style tips in upcoming posts, but until then, listen to the Dressing Up podcast for more every day dressing up inspiration!!!
With love,
Sarah
