Lay the clothes out the evening before

Short answer: It takes two minutes in the evening and saves more than that in the morning. The decision also gets better, because you are not busy with something else. Lay out the whole outfit and put it on without thinking.

What to lay out

The whole outfit, including underwear and socks. Place it on a chair or the chest of drawers in the order you put it on. Then you simply take it from the top of the pile and nothing gets forgotten. It sounds like a lot, but it is the same items you have to find anyway, just at a calmer time.

How to arrange it

Put underwear and socks on top so you take them first, and the top garment at the bottom. Fold so you can see what is what without lifting the pile. A chair with a back suits the top, and the chest of drawers is fine for the rest. Choose a spot you can reach without turning on every light.

Why it works better in the evening

In the morning the choice competes with everything else that needs doing. In the evening nobody is waiting. You can think about what the day requires and choose accordingly, instead of taking the first thing you grab. That gives better choices with less effort. See bamboo clothing for men.

When the weather is uncertain

Lay out two tops and choose in the morning. One is lighter and the other a little warmer, so you can follow the weather without searching the wardrobe. It takes only a moment, and the rest of the outfit is already chosen. See bamboo hoodies for women and bamboo clothing for women.

Shoes and small things

It helps on mornings when you must leave quickly if shoes and small things are ready. Keys, bag and jacket can wait by the door, so everything is in one place. It is the same principle as with clothes: the more you decide the evening before, the less you decide in a rush.

If plans change

Then it still takes less time to adjust an outfit than to choose a new one. If you laid out an outfit for the office and the day turns into something else, you swap a single item, such as the top or the socks. The rest is in place already.

For the whole week

Some do it on Sunday evening for all five days. They lay out five outfits in a row and take one each morning, so the week's decisions are made at once. It requires that you roughly know what the week holds and have enough sets, but it saves a decision every morning.

Make it a fixed habit

Attach it to something you already do every evening, such as brushing your teeth or putting your phone on charge. Then you remember without effort. The first few times it feels like extra work, but after a week it belongs to the evening, and you miss it when you skip it.

If it does not suit you

Not everyone likes planning clothes. If you are one of them, start with just one item: the top or the socks. Or lay out only on days when you know the morning will be short. Try it for a week and keep it only if it makes your morning easier.