Recently my friend Jenna texted me a link to a blog post about a woman who let her husband pick out her clothes for a full week.  Jenna thought it would be something fun for me to try with Chris and since I am always up for something fun I thought, why not!?!  I mentioned the idea to Chris and the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hey, Jenna sent me this blog post blah blah blah, want to do it?

Chris: You are going to be wearing a lot of bikinis.

Me: *eye roll*

Chris: Bikinis and heels!

All joking aside, Chris has a natural sense of style already (friends have actually asked if I pick out his clothes.  I don’t, for the record) so I knew he wouldn’t put me in anything super crazy or mis-matched and would probably pick really great options for me.  As I started telling friends about the plan they were REALLY excited…like more excited about seeing what he would pick than I realized anyone would be!  I will admit that given my day job of working in a high end boutique where women look to me for inspiration and guidance I was nervous that the picks might not meet their expectations.  We created a rule that I was allowed one veto per day if something was just too out of the box for work.

Here are some of my initial thoughts about what I would (and would not) be wearing for the week…

1. Lots of heels.  Chris loves when I wear a pair of heels (which I used to a lot when we first met because of my job) and I don’t wear them often in the desert.
2. Shorter dresses/skirts.
3. Color.
4. Not my pearly slides, my saffron satin slides, my boyfriend jeans, or anything black since I have been told I wear those pieces too often.

So what did he pick?

Sunday

We started on a Sunday with no real plans other than hanging out at home and cooking.  He picked out what he called a  “high desert boho” look for me.  He felt the pants would be comfy for me to wear all day and the sweater would be a warm layer for the cool day ( he loves that sweater and I literally NEVER wear it).  He said the fabrics were like one another which is why it worked and that I would be comfortable and stylish while reflecting a high desert environment.  I honestly have never thought about wearing that sweater with those pants but I actually really liked the two of them together although I would have picked a different top in navy or even coral (which in all fairness I don’t own) for more of a pop.  I will say that I was comfortable and didn’t feel out of place running a few errands in the outfit.  Point for Chris!

Tee // Sweater (super old  but I linked a few cute options for you HERE and HEREHEREHERE) // Pants (again, old but found a cute option) // Sandals // Sunnies // Bag // Necklace (old)

Like I said before, I probably would have never in a million years put this look together.  I love the pants but rarely wear them because they are pretty see through and meant to be a beach pant but I will always give credit where credit is due, they were so comfy for hanging around the house!  I would give him an A for thinking about style and my comfort on this one.

Poor Chris actually had to pick a second outfit for Sunday as we had plans for dinner that involved being outside and it was not very warm.  He picked a pretty classic look of jeans, a stripe tee, black hoodie, and Toms.  He said the look was comfortable and casual but had some style since the stripe tee says “I haven’t given up” LOL!  Overall, it was giving him major Laura Petrie vibes (I had no idea who that was but apparently she was the character Mary Tyler Moore played on The Dick Van Dyke Show).

Jeans // Hoodie (similar) // Tee (similar) // Toms

I loved this look!  It was 1000% an outfit I would have put myself in for Sunday Supper with friends.  I was comfy, pulled together, and felt stylish enough for the spaghetti and meatballs.

Monday

We made plans to go into Joshua Tree National Park and have lunch in the high desert on Monday.  Chris felt my outfit was practical for the cold (55 degrees) and windy high desert day.  His inspiration was the aesthetic of Pappy & Harriet’s.

Jeans // Booties // Top // Belt // Jacket // Scarf (similar) // Sunnies// Bag

Remember that veto I mentioned?  I used one on Monday.  Chris originally wanted me to wear a graphic tee, boyfriend jeans, a denim vest, boots and this leather jacket.  The whole thing felt a bit too Lesbian Biker Chic for me and thankfully he was understanding and came up with this option.  I think my outfit totally made sense for vintage shopping in Yucca Valley and having lunch but it was not very practical for our short hike to Arch Rock in Joshua.  The boots are leather soled and my jeans are pretty tight so I would have been much happier in workout clothes and sneakers for that part of the day.

Tuesday

He loves me in a dress and said that this one fit well for my job.  It is a little on the boho side, not too dressy and it seemed like I would be comfortable working in this look all day.

Dress (old but similar options HERE and HERE) // Bag (similar HERE and HERE) // Sandals (similar HERE and HERE) // Sunnies // Earrings

Of all the looks Chris picked this was the most “Nicole”.  I would completely wear all of this to work or on a weekend.  The bag paired with the dress made it feel fresh for Spring and my customers loved the look.

Wednesday

“I though this look was comfortable and stylish and I really liked the scarf around your neck that had some Parisian vibes.”  He also felt the polka dots, the mules, and the Chanel bag all seemed professional but the jeans dressed them down.  His inspiration piece was the polka dot tank.

Top (similar HERE and HERE) // Scarf (similar HERE) // Jeans // Loafers (my version HERE and the Gucci version HERE) // Bag // Earrings (similar) // Belt (vintage) // Sunnies (similar HERE)

This is the outfit I was least comfortable in.  The top used to belong to a girlfriend and I grabbed it at our Sip n Swap party last month.  I like it but it’s not a piece that I actually thought about, spent money on, and intentionally added to my wardrobe.  The neck scarf drove me bananas ALL DAY LONG.  I felt like I was being choked and I was just not into it.  Interestingly, this is the outfit that resonated the least with my regular clients at work.  I will give Chris major credit for this one though because it took more thought that simply pulling a dress out of my closet.

Thursday

Chris started with the pink blouse for Thursday’s outfit.  He wanted a light, floral, relaxed look for Spring.  There is a consistent color palate between the blouse, the slides, and my bag.  He thought this would be comfortable for me all day but unfortunately it ended up being 100 degrees and the blouse does not breathe well.

Blouse (similar HERE, HERE, HERE) // Jeans (similar HERE) // Slides (similar HEREHERE) // Bag (similar HERE and HERE)

Poor Chris, he picked this one out for me on Wednesday before heading out of town for the night and it was just the wrong day.  The blouse is polyester so it doesn’t breathe at all and I really just wanted to be in a sundress and slides.  I love the look and would wear it again on a cooler day.

Friday

It was 100 degrees again.  He wanted something fun, casual and comfortable for the heat.  When I asked him about his choice to pair the dress with sneakers he said it felt “irreverent”.

Dress (old but similar HERE and cute options from the same brand HERE and HERE) // Bag (back in stock!) // Sneakers

This one confused me.  Anytime I ask Chris to pick between a sandal and a sneaker with skirts or dresses he ALWAYS picks the sandal.  I finally asked him and he told me that before adding these Golden Goose sneakers to my wardrobe all my other options were too bulky for dresses.  Fair enough.

This look was great for work since both the dress and the shoes came from the store.  Customers liked it.  I wasn’t uncomfortable in the heat and I would probably wear this again.

Saturday

“I started with the dress.  I liked the Spring flowers that were complimented by the red sandals.  It’s short, fashionable, colorful, and fun.  Plus, it shows off your legs”

Dress (super old but found some fun floral options HERE and HERE) // Sandals // Sunnies

True story.  I was walking into work on Saturday with a friend and said “I am so uncomfortable in this outfit, it doesn’t feel like me” and a man walking into Lululemon says “I think it looks great!” AWKWARD!

This look was the most well received by far.  Women loved it.  Men (obviously) loved it.  I love it in photos but have to say, I was not very comfortable working in it.

I bought the dress in 2010 for a friend’s birthday dinner and have only ever worn it for evening events like dinners, drinks, and parties.  Seeing Chris pull it out for a more casual daytime look gave me some inspiration to look at more of my wardrobe in a broader light.  Full disclosure: Chris despises when I put my hair in a bun.  Hates it.  But, when I asked him about the bun with this look he agreed it was the right hair style for the outfit.  Winning!!!

There you have it!  7 days and 8 outfits picked out by my boyfriend.  The whole thing was more insightful (to each of us) than I expected.  Chris ended the week by saying he realized that with all the clothes and accessories I own I still didn’t have the right pieces for certain looks…does that mean I get to go shopping?!?

I realized that letting someone else pick out what I was wearing everyday totally took away some of my control, which Chris can tell you I don’t do well with.  The experience also gave me some inspiration to mix up what I wear more often.  Honestly though, it has been really fun to see the types of clothes my boyfriend likes seeing me in.  I tend to wear longer dresses and having Chris pick out something short is a reminder to dress for me and every once in a while dress for him too.

So, how do you think he did?  Which look is your favorite?  Would you let your significant other pick out your clothes for a week?

XO, Niki