The Food Eva Mendes Won’t Start Her Day Without

I never went to a school that had enforced uniforms, but always wondered whether I’d enjoy the freedom of not having to decide what to wear on a daily basis. Most mornings I love going into my closet, especially since there’s not exactly a strictly enforced dress code at the office. But there are other times, when we’re rushing to get Sloan to school, there’s barely time to drink my coffee and I have back-to-back meetings, that I crave the consistency of having a go-to outfit. A couple weeks back, I decided to do just that and wore the same outfit every day of the week. Read on to find out the things I loved the most, the awkward times I wished I could have avoided, and whether I’d do it again:

Today was the first day that Sloan was back in school after summer break so our morning felt a bit rushed. When I realized though that my outfit was already figured out, I felt very relieved. I threw it on after she’d had her breakfast (a necessity when you’re as messy of an eater as Sloan) and went into the bathroom to throw on some makeup.

Sloan followed me in, as she does every morning, and gave my legs a big hug, firmly planting on a large chunk of cream cheese onto my pants. Usually I’d just throw on a new pair, but it made me realize how careful I’d have to be this week making sure everything stayed more or less clean.I was able to wipe it off though, and finished applying my makeup. I embraced my messy, air-dried waves, added a touch more bronzer than usual, and a glossy nude lip. I wore black chunky heels that are very walkable partners all day.

Since I knew I’d be returning the next day for more meetings, I decided not to share my little experiment to see if anyone would notice.Today I tried to switch up my look a bit by throwing on a glittery tennis shoe, a larger hoop earring, and a red lip. The night before, I’d folded my outfit neatly onto the bench at the end of the bed, which made getting ready such a simple process. I felt a tiny bit grungy changing back into the same exact clothes, but was relieved at how quick it was. I never thought I was someone who took that long to get dressed, but I found myself with quite a bit of extra time in the morning.

When I dropped Sloan off at school, I imagined other parents looking at me as if I was doing a ‘walk of shame,’ but convinced myself that it was all just in my head. But when I arrived to my meetings shortly thereafter, I immediately blurted out the reason behind my repeat outfit. Of the four other people in the room (with whom I’d spent time the day before), two had noticed my “uniform” and the other two hadn’t realized it at all.

My last day! While I’d quickly turned on my blouse for being too “unique” (which, up until this week, had been one of my favorite pieces), it did make my realize how much I valued my Nili Lotan cropped pants, which I’d splurged on this past summer. They transitioned so seamlessly, from sparkly kicks to pointy-toe pumps, and I never got sick of slipping them on. But by Friday, the thing I missed the most was color and print. While I typically stick to neutrals, I was surprised by how much I craved a little change.Later that night, G and I went out to dinner and while neither the blouse nor pants are particularly date-worthy, I was surprised by how much the entire vibe changed with a smoky eye and a strappy sandal (though the loafers I’d worn during the day were quite comfortable).