I Let My Spotify Daylist Pick My Outfits For a Week

The way I choose my outfits straddles the line between routine and ridiculous. Judge me all you want, but I use an app called Tiny Decisions to spin a color wheel, which then directs me to the corresponding section of my closet. (Yes, my closet looks like a rainbow and is divided into sections by shade.) But because this is all so contrived, I figured it was time to switch things up and find another equally bizarre method of constructing a look.

I landed upon my Spotify Daylist, which, if you didn’t know, is basically your day in a playlist built out instantly by the app itself. All you have to do is search ‘Daylist’ and, depending on the time of day and the type of music you usually listen to at that hour, the appropriate songs will populate. Your Daylist ebbs and flows, pinpointing the niche tracks and microgenres you tend to select at certain moments — and even on specific days of the week. It updates frequently from morning to night, and the titles of the playlists are highly specific (think: “Soul Crushing Relatable Afternoon” or “Obsessed Power Ballad Saturday Afternoon”). You’ll find a lot of your favorite artists included, and if you’re like me, might even discover an older song you didn’t know they sang.

My aesthetic has never been romantic or academia, but Taylor Swift and Tate McRae gave me no choice but to commit.

So now you’re probably wondering how pressing ‘play’ informed my outfit. For a week straight, every time I was ready to get dressed, I searched ‘Daylist’ and hit shuffle. The first song that came on became my automatic inspiration, from the lyrics and sound to genre, artist, and overall vibe. And no, I didn’t cheat if I didn’t like the outcome . . . what do you take me for?! For the sake of this editor experiment, I’ve shed light on the exact reasoning behind nearly every article of clothing I decided to put on — according to the subliminal message my Daylist was sending me. And honestly, I’m really happy with the results. I ended up putting together combinations I never would have before and even veering into new style territory. For example, my aesthetic has never been romantic or academia, but Taylor Swift and Tate McRae gave me no choice but to commit.

If you also feel like you need to reinvigorate your wardrobe for spring and are void of options — from dopamine dressing to channeling your favorite “White Lotus” character — I highly recommend giving your Spotify Daylist a chance. Ahead, see how the experience worked for me and shop some of my exact pieces if you’re inclined. After all, who’s to say investing in a new item or two won’t spark even more outfit ideas?