The Best Outfits Are Sometimes Just Two Good Pieces

Acclimating to the toddler back-to-school schedule after an otherwise lazy and freeform summer primarily meant readjusting bedtimes, making sure lunches were packed the night before, and prepping any other tantrum-averting tactics that might make getting out the door a little easier. What I wasn’t fully ready for was how quickly I would need to get myself dressed to leave us any kind of buffer in the morning.

No one is saying school drop-off needs to be a runway, but if you have any bit of a commute or have to rush straight into a busy morning before afternoon pickup, it helps to have a few easy, tried-and-true outfit combinations you can throw on in under a minute. They say “dress for the job you want,” and the mere illusion that you have it all together really does help put you on the right track.

Here are three “one-two-punch” outfit combinations that rely on just two great pieces of clothing you may already have in your closet—or, if not, can easily add in. Knowing these combinations work and make you feel good is a major time-saver, giving you back a bit of that buffer when the kids aren’t making it easy.

Stylish Sweats + Cardigan Tee

One of the greatest hacks for getting dressed in a hurry is bringing a pair of sweats that aren’t really sweats into the fold of my wardrobe. These striped Junya Watanabe cotton terry sweats are constructed like five-pocket jeans, so they give the illusion of a “cool pant” but are, in fact, as comfortable as sweats on achy period days or for catching an early flight. You might even be able to get away with them at the office if the dress code is a little more flexible or creative-leaning.

I love pairing them with a thick cotton “tee” cardigan, like this pop-of-color one from Flore Flore, which looks put-together but has the ease and comfort of a sweatshirt. You can pretty much pair these two things with other basics, but keep it simple. I put mine with neutral suede sneaks, an earth-toned tee, and a colorful tote in the same hue as the cardi to pull it all together.

Oversized Button-Down + Short Skirt

A boxy, sized-up button-down is another fabulous styling hack. The ones from Gap are pretty much perfect, but you can also find great designer men’s shirts secondhand for the same price or less. Just shoot for one to two sizes larger than you’d normally wear in a women’s shirt. The larger proportion makes the shirt feel more intentional, and when tucked into a skirt, makes the whole thing feel cooler and less uptight.

I chose a breezy cotton drop-waist floral number for a feminine touch to balance the boyishness of the bigger shirt. With ballet flats and a market tote, I felt put-together, capable, and fully in charge of my morning—rare for a toddler mom!

A Polo and a Long Denim Skirt

A polo shirt is always a great piece to have in your wardrobe arsenal this time of year, when the weather is doing just about anything at any time. It’s a little more put-together than a tee but just as easy to wear. I just added a long-sleeve Lacoste to my collection, which is also working great.

A long denim skirt is maybe not the first thing you’d think of pairing with a polo, but it feels so much cooler than just a pair of jeans. This patchwork one always gets me tons of compliments, but I think a front-slit one would work well too. A suede boat shoe and a hands-free bag in a pop of color add interest and texture but also help you remain nimble when it’s a “duck and roll” kind of drop-off day.