Getting dressed can be such a drag, especially during the in-between seasons of spring and fall when it’s 48 degrees one day and 67 the next. Is that warm enough for short sleeves? Cold enough for a coat? Maybe even two? It isn’t always obvious what to wear — that is, unless you start taking notes.
After feeling chilly one too many times, Mary Kate Morrissey, aka @maryspacekate on social media, started a log of what the weather was like and the outfit she wore. If she was comfortable, she added the details to a doc on her phone. “I have weather-induced outfit anxiety,” she said in a post shared to Instagram on Oct 13. “And you probably do, too.” This was her fix.
On a sunny, 56-degree day, Morrissey went out in jeans, a leather bomber jacket, and a t-shirt. When it was rainy and 77 degrees, she opted for shorts, a tank top, and a chore jacket. On a chilly 48-degree night, she put on a wool jacket, beanie, and jeans. These ‘fits felt right, so into the doc they went.
Instead of playing it fast and loose while getting dressed, she now looks at the temperature and instantly knows what to pull out of her closet thanks to her detailed notes. In her comments, one person said, “I’m so happy that I’m not alone with the weather/wardrobe anxiety! This is so smart!” Another said, “Type A at its best.” Here, Morrissey shares her thoughts on why this hack works.
On Never Being Cold Again
After years of tracking, Morrissey officially has a master list with an outfit for every type of weather — and she says she consults it every single day. “I feel extra taken care of by myself when I’ve also listed if it’s sunny, windy, or rainy in addition to what temperature it is,” she tells Bustle. That way, she can relax knowing she’ll feel just right while bopping around town.
The log helps her feel less anxious when she’s getting ready, which is a major perk, but it also allows her to enjoy the collection of cute hats, coats, and jeans in her closet. “It helps me wear the clothes I have,” she says. “I already have a jacket for all kinds of weather — I don’t need a new one.”
When it’s 50 degrees and rainy, Morrissey knows to grab her bright orange fleece, fuzzy hat, and jeans or sweats. When it’s 66 and cloudy, she reaches for jeans and a denim jacket. On days when it’s 89 and breezy, she’ll grab her go-to dress and a baseball hat. And when it’s 75 and sunny, jean shorts with sneakers and a long-sleeve shirt have yet to let her down.
On The Hack Going Viral
For anyone who constantly wonders, “Wait, should I bring a coat?” it’s no wonder that Morrissey’s notes have gone viral. “I’ve had friends ask me about this doc every year since I started posting its updates into my Stories,” she says.
While she’s thought about building an app around it, for now the doc lives on her Instagram, where she also posts fun OOTDs. “This year I just really wanted to share it in-feed and hopefully help people create their own docs so that we can stop wasting our time getting ready only to be uncomfortable all day.”
After all, one person’s “warm 75-degree day” is another’s arctic blast. To create your own doc, jot down the details every time you feel like you’ve truly nailed an outfit — in your Notes app or wherever you can reference it or add to it on the fly.
Include things like the temperature, the wind factor, how sunny it is, and then snap a pic. Over time, you’ll have a wardrobe doc as detailed as Morrissey’s, and you’ll never have to worry about being cold again.
