I’m becoming convinced that everyone has a uniform.
I am privileged to work with a series of high-powered business cat ladies who change up their look every day, but even they always use the same fundamentals. Pant suit in a variety of colors (this is Texas, after all), heeled shoes ranging from sensible to not-so-much, floaty blouse. Sometimes they mix it up with a calf-length skirt, but not often. I’ve no personal experience with their closets, but I imagine they’re jam packed with a bunch of other styles they never wear. When you have to maintain a certain degree of sophistication for your job and you don’t consider fashion a hobby or have the time to mess around with it, it’s inevitable that one will fall back on one’s staples.
Young moms have a uniform too, though it will be different. Yoga pants or jeans, tshirt or tank, skirt for church, sensible shoes. Nothing too expensive since it might get ruined. School teachers swap out the yoga pants for slacks and the tshirt for a button up shirt or a sweater.
Despite what you have in your closet, I am convinced that most people fall back on their uniform: that cross section of clothes between comfortable, personal, and communicating who you think you are and what you spend your day doing.
My roommate has a TON of clothes. But when it comes down to it she always wears a variation on a theme. Silk blouses, good jeans, shift dresses, wedges. She might branch out here and there, but if she’s got a big meeting, a good party, a date, she’ll fall back on her uniform.
So here’s a way to think about Twenty Pieces: Most of us really only wear a small percentage of our clothes, and we probably want to wear even less. What if you put real time and effort into your “uniform” and left it at that?
I know my uniform. Black pencil skirt, black linen slacks, a couple black t’s from JCrew and tanks from Gap Body. Two silk, high-waist patterned dresses, two LBDs, a blazer and four cardigans. That’s what I like to wear, that’s what fits my job and habits, so that’s what I have in my closet.
What’s your uniform? And why do you have anything else?
Jean (shorts in summer), top (t-shirts/tanktops for regular days, something fancy for dates/chuch) cardigan, gold sandals. I wear the same thing every day! I do wear closed toed shoes and a jacket when it rains, for the record. I had this favorite herringbone wool blazer from Banana that I lost (CURSES!). I think I need that in my wardrobe again: durable, dirt/stains don’t show up, easy way to dress things up.
I don’t really watch TV, but it was on in the doctor’s office this morning and they did this whole segment in the Rachel Ray show about “the lucky 13.” 13 pieces that could be worn 31 or more different ways. It was kind of interesting considering this project.
Anyway, my uniform: long, soft, elastic-waist flowy skirts in patterns and solids, t-shirts (usually grey or a simple print), flip flops or TOMS.
Here’s a link to the show I saw this morning:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/view/1633/
Cate, this is such a helpful concept! It didn’t take long to realize what my uniform is: a nice, solid-colored tee or tank top, a cardigan, my (one) favorite pair of jeans, and simple, cute flats. Swap jeans for dress slacks if I need to be professional. This uniform has seen me through an office job, a teaching job, and a pregnancy. I’m still working out the life-with-new-baby uniform. Given the addition of a few just-right nursing pieces (and the subtraction of the last 10 lb. of baby weight…), I think it will end up looking quite a bit like it did before. Though I do have a goal of branching out with more prints, because I think that would add some fun.
I didn’t realize this until I read your post but you are so right! Jeans and sheer blouses with camis underneath. If i’m getting dressed up its the same thing but with dressy pants. Yikes, I’m not sure how I feel about this discovery!