I’ve always been a fan of the personal uniform and love that it’s now becoming stylish again. One of my favorite icons of the art world, Mr. Joseph Buys wore a uniform, his gray felted hat announcing his presence wherever he went. I like that a uniform can be an outward extension of ones own personal brand and that people begin to association you with certain look. I also love that personal uniforms free up the mental space usually taken up with figuring out what to wear for work each morning. Having a uniform makes dressing quick & easy. But how do you know what will work and how do you create a personal uniform that feels, well …personal and is a reflection of who you are as an individual?
Here are three suggestions on how to put one together that’s right for you.
1) What do you wear 80% of the time? Do you live in your Lululemon yoga pants or are you more of a pencil skirt girl? Are you most comfortable in a crisp button down or do you lean more toward a flowing Boho style? Take a good look at the pieces you wear the most, then further distill your items by asking yourself, can I wear this to work? Being a freelancer, my answer is usually yes. But if you work in corporate america then including yoga pants as part of your personal uniform probably isn’t a good idea.
2) Decide on a color palette or mood. I find that choosing a color scheme as the basis for a uniform works well for those of us who want some of the benefits of a uniform but with the flexibility of still being able to wear a different outfit each day. I went through a phase were every article in my wardrobe was a monochrome shade of brown, this saved me hours matching items and gave me a distinct look. I’ve since discovered that my mood and that of my closet is definitely more rock n roll and now the browns are out and I am awash in blacks.
3) Black & white is a popular combination for personal uniforms. Look at Matilda Kahl for inspiration. The b&w thing is classic and that’s why it’s so popular. It just works. You can dress it up or down with ease and totally change how it reads by what you accessorize with. For example, Karl Lagerfeld, who is known for his immaculate white dress shirts and skinny black tie, is purported to have a bowl filled with silver rings on his dresser and every morning on his way out the door he grabs a handful and puts them on. Each day the rings on his fingers change and those rings are now part of his iconic style. I love that!
I hope that this post has inspired you to creat your own personal wardrobe or at the least play with the idea. Please share your questions and comments down below. Thank you!
