I now present to proper way to schlump:
This outfit probably looks very familiar to you, as it's the basic weekend uniform for many women. I know I'm in a very small minority of fashion blog who says this is acceptable but I like to be realistic about what you actually wear in real life. I know very few if any people in West Virginia who spend their weekends gallivanting around in couture Dior. The key to looking good while schlumping is making sure that the clothes are clean and in good condition. I started with a base of basic black yoga pants and a simple t-shirt. I added a fitted sweatshirt to keep bulk down and tossed in a Vera Bradley wristlet so you don't have to tote your handbag around. This wristlet has room for cash, cards, a pen, gloss, and a cell phone. The only thing that doesn't fit is my checkbook, but I don't carry mine too much.
The most awesome gold shoes are the Nike Air Rifts. I own these shoes, and they're showstoppers. They're a hybrid of running shoes and barefoot running shoes (the funky shoes that show off all your toes). There's a space for your big toe, and all the others go in a separate compartment. Nike does sell special socks to wear with the Rifts, but I just use my regular socks, it's similar to wearing flip-flops in a shoe form. To tie the outfit together I chose a simple gold pendant and some ponytail holders with little gold charms.
The black bottle is one of the most important items in this set: Tresseme's dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is great for those days when you wake up late or you just don't like the way your hair looks. Dry shampoo is pretty simple to use, just spray a little bit on your roots and brush it through your hair. If you want to look a little bit better, spray your roots and the sides of your hair and blow it out with a round brush for about 30 seconds and toss up in a ponytail. A lot of people will try to get by with a baseball cap, but that just screams "I'm too lazy to do my hair."
Some more pointers:
-Absolutely NO printed PJ pants. One of the biggest fashion travesties I see on a daily basis are women who will do their hair and spackle an inch of makeup on their face but are wearing ridiculous PJ pants. I mean, really? This problem can be corrected 100% of time by just putting on a pair of jeans. If you're able to take the time to make sure you're using five shades of eyeshadow, why can't you take 15 seconds to put on a pair of pants?
-You don't have to match. You don't have to run out and buy a matching Adidas sweatsuit, again it's just a simple matter of the clothes being clean and in good shape.
-Pay attention to fit and avoid anything too baggy.
-Go easy on the Vicky Secret's PINK sweats. If you're over 30 it's time to limit yourself to one Pink piece at a time. You look like you're trying too hard if you're wearing head-to-toe Pink.
-You don't have to wear makeup while schlumping. Actually, I think it takes away from the look if you have a full face of makeup on. My next thought is if you have enough time to do foundation and eyeshadow blending, just go ahead and put some jeans on.
Even when done correctly, schlumping should be kept to a minimum. By my standards, if you have enough time to put on the above outfit, you also have enough time to put on jeans and a sweater. However, there are times when comfort is key, and an outfit similar to this will help you look and feel good.
