Deciding what to wear each morning can take more time than we’d care to admit.
But one woman has come up with an unusual method to choose what to wear everyday —and it has divided opinions.
Leah Flynn, 34, was fed up with repeating outfits and always felt like she ended up wearing the same clothes, day after day.
A few years ago, she came up with the so-called “first shirt, first pants” method, which she tells Newsweek has not only transformed how she gets ready, but also the array of outfits she wears.
All of Flynn’s clothes are hung up in the closet in reverse order of when they were last worn, so fresh laundry always goes straight to the back of the rail.
Each morning, the actor, from Nashville, Tennessee, picks whatever is at the front of the rail, allowing for a constant rotation of her wardrobe.
“I had a few outfits I wore all the time, and a lot of clothes I never wore, so this seemed like a fun way to create new outfits without spending any time or money,” Flynn told Newsweek.
Leah Flynn, 34, shows her “first shirt, first pants” method for getting dressed every day. Flynn picks out the first top and first skirt or pants on the rail, regardless of how they look together.
@grincysabrincy / TikTok
“The front half of my closet is tops and dresses, and the back half is pants, shorts, and skirts. When I put clothes away, I put them in the back of the line. When I get dressed, I grab whatever has made its way to the front.”
Of course, some of the outfits this method creates are questionable, but Flynn jokes that this is “character building” and that she wears them anyway, praising the fact it has taken the hassle out of getting dressed every day.
She continued: “It takes me almost no time to get dressed. All my clothes are getting worn. If something doesn’t fit or I don’t like it, I donate it so it is not taking up space in my closet.
“A lot of my clothes have bright colors or patterns, so there have been a lot of crazy outfits. But without fail, whenever I feel embarrassed about my outfit, someone will compliment it and tell me they love my style.”
While she swears by this method most of the time, occasionally Flynn will pick a different outfit if necessary. For example, if she has an audition or needs to dress according to a theme, she’ll self-select the clothes instead.
“Otherwise, it is first shirt, first pants,” she adds.
The Online Reaction
Flynn has been doing this for many years now and sees no issue with it, but her friends think it’s “bizarre” and often question her on it.
And commenters online have even dubbed her method, “fashion Russian roulette.”
The reaction from her friends and family encouraged Flynn to post about her trick on TikTok (@grincysabrincy) to find out what other people thought of it. The video instantly went viral with over 651,200 views and more than 87,000 likes in just a matter of days.
The idea has split opinion online, as some people can’t fathom the idea of just wearing whatever appears first, but others have tried it out for themselves.
“I didn’t actually think anyone would care about my video, I just thought my friends would watch it,” Flynn continued. “I even told them that it would be the most boring ‘get ready with me’ ever made, and then it blew up. I was in shock, but as long as people want to see my outfits, I will keep posting them.
“I was afraid people would leave mean comments online, but almost everyone has been so nice even when my outfits are strange.
“I love when people try this method and tag me so I can see their videos too. It’s created a fun little community on TikTok.”
Social media users were full of questions for Flynn about her unusual method for getting dressed, leading to more than 900 comments on the viral video so far.
One TikToker wrote: “WHAT. If it’s bad you don’t just go to the next option until it works?”
Another person added: “I could never, I would cry. But so happy for you.”
“Fashion Russian Roulette and I’m here for it,” joked one TikTok user.
While another comment reads: “This is the most fabulous, chaotic method I’ve ever seen and I love it.”
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to life@newsweek.com and they could appear on our site.
