Do I need a Personal Style Uniform?
The idea of a “uniform” is getting a lot of attention in the fashion world lately. There doesn’t seem to be a real consensus on what a personal style uniform is, but reading through the articles it feels something like this…
A handful of coordinating neutral basics hanging in a roomy all white closet. Instagrammable street style star outfits every day. Happiness. Control. Organization. Minimalism. Never ever having to ask yourself “what am I going to wear” again.
Seductive, right?
The whole concept makes me want to run out and buy white button-up shirts, blazers and pencil skirts in black, white and tan.
Unfortunately, for most of us, having a singular style uniform is not practical. We are not powerful moguls that can wear a black turtleneck everyday like Steve Jobs or have lives in which we wear our pencil skirts from breakfast to dinner like Stylist Carine Roitfeld.
We have real lives. Messy, imperfect, FULL lives in which we play many roles, sometimes in the same day. For example, I live days in which I throw on my Carharts to work with architectural antiques, run home to perform mom duties and then need to get dressed for a formal event. I have had these days in 90 degree weather and I have had these days in snow storms. There is no uniform that is going to take me through all of that.
BUT, there is hope. There are many great ideas that are packaged up in this uniform concept and I would like to unpack a few for you right now, to get you started.
Here are some real life tips on how to find your uniform:
Pick One Role. Real not Ideal.
Are there areas of your life in which you always feel unprepared or want to up your style game? Traveling for a work conferences? Date nights? Stylish casual looks that take you through your errands and after school events? Pick ONE. The best way to do this is to list every real role you play in your life. This is not the time to imagine your lack of ball gowns when you never go to balls. Or, to totally overhaul your workout clothes if you only go to the gym once a month. After you have come up with the real life roles you play, group these roles by the type of clothing you would wear. For example, date nights and casual parties could be in the same group. After you have created your groups, be honest with yourself. Which role needs the most attention right now? This is the “uniform” you will be working on.
Pick a Season.
What type of weather will you be wearing your uniform? This will help decide your outerwear, shoes, bags and often times the colors you will be wearing. Vermonters like to think we don’t care about clothes, but with the extreme weather changes we go through (sometimes in the same day) we actually need more clothing options than the average American. Typically you can choose either Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter. But, keep in mind that you will need to have transitional shoes and outerwear that take you through the seasons.
Find Inspiration.
Magazines, television, Pinterest, people you meet, your own closet, keep your eyes open for styles you like. I recommend keeping something online or an old-school journal (or both) with ideas. I know it seems time consuming, but it will help you define your style and it is kind of fun. A little like shopping without the guilt.
Mini Closet Edit.
Open your closet and all of your drawers and find the pieces that work for the role/uniform you are addressing. Take them all out and assess. At this time you should do a mini-closet edit. Think about quantity, style, comfort, practicality, condition and how much you actually like them. I am not going to into the details of closet editing here, but try to donate, sell, recycle or store as much of the dead weight as possible.
Closet Shopping.
Do you have enough to make complete outfits? Do you have your favorite, go-to outfits in the mix? If so, take pictures of these outfits. Either on you, or lay them out so you can see the pieces. Mix and match as much as possible and throw in accessories to change up looks. Look back at your inspiration journal or pinterest board. Can you recreate some of those styles? It is possible that at this time you already have a “uniform” in the form of a small capsule wardrobe. If so, congratulations!
Here are some of the outfits from my spring/summer casual capsule.
p.s. For my fellow thrifters and sustainable fashion supporters, many of these pieces are thrifted. Including the black Eileen Fisher silk joggers and redone big “E” Levis!
What am I missing?
This is probably the trickiest step of them all and the most dangerous to your bank account. It is hard for me to give general advice at this point, but I think there are some tips that can help everyone.
Do you have outerwear that looks nice and feels comfortable over your uniform? If you love tunic sweaters, but you have a jacket that hits your hips, your silhouette will look messy. Choose outerwear that matches your silhouette.
SHOES! I cannot overstate the importance of shoes. Choose shoes that are comfortable, cute and appropriate for the weather. Finding perfect shoes is hard and expensive, so when you find the right pair, you might find it easiest to base your whole uniform around your shoes. For example, I have fancy events in the winter that require heels. For years, I tried wearing the “closet staple” black pumps. I literally had to ask my husband to carry me over a snow mound on multiple occasions. This year, I bought some high heel black waterproof sock booties. These are my go-to shoes for fancy winter events. If something in my fancy winter capsule does not match these boots, they are not in my wardrobe. My pinterest account has a boards dedicated to outfits based around shoes if you need inspiration.
Do you have pieces that are in every outfit that you created (a black long-sleeve shirt? White tee?) You may want to consider buying multiple versions of these items to avoid laundry bottlenecks.
Accessories. A scarf, a pair of statement earring, a belt, or a bag can really change up a look. Be sure to have a few accessories that work with the color scheme, silhouette and style of your uniform. This will help fight off boredom and up your style game.
You need help. Sometimes, we face a wall when it comes to our personal style. Something makes it impossible for us to be objective or rational about the clothing we have and the clothing we wear. You don’t have to do this alone, please reach out to me.
I hope this helps you on your way to feeling a little more in control and a little more stylish in your life. It is not an easy process. Don’t let the media fool you. They really are just trying to sell you a pencil skirt.
Love, Lisa