Your Uniform
Wait, is a uniform a good thing or a bad thing?
When Josh Zúñiga first talked with me about wanting to help people have a uniform, my gut reaction was that you can’t possible refer to clothes as a uniform and have that be a good thing.
The first things that popped into my mind when I heard the word “uniform” included scratchy uncomfortable fast food chain uniforms and bland boring school uniforms. Basically, clothes that someone else is forcing you to wear such that you fit in with everyone else around you.
Then I started to read more stories about people who have chosen to adopt personal uniforms. People like Saatchi & Saatchi art director Matilda Kahl.
The simple choice of wearing a work uniform has saved me countless wasted hours thinking, “what the hell am I going to wear today?” And in fact, these black trousers and white blouses have become an important daily reminder that frankly, I’m in control.
As I learn about people’s experiences and reasons for adopting a uniform, my reaction to the word has softened, but it has not won my heart.
When it comes to word choice, perhaps I am more aligned with film producer Robert Evans, who prefers the term “silhouette” to describe what he wears.
Medallion-wearing Bob, the patron saint of custom life-styling, has one pant and one shirt, and he orders them in a million colors. According to Mr. Evans, this is not a uniform, “it’s a silhouette.” Mr. Evans’ connoisseurship of personal style is limited–to his own. What does loner Evans do if somebody compliments him on his tie? “I go home and I’ll shred that tie. I don’t want to make the tie look good; I want the tie to make me look good.”
While there are high profile figures whose minimal wardrobe choices are common knowledge (eg: Steve Job’s black turtlenecks), the idea of adopting a personal uniform is still quite foreign for most people.
The good things about having a personal uniform:
- Save time by not choosing what to wear every morning.
- Have people focus on your work and not what you’re wearing.
- Feel confident that you’re going to look good.
If you are intrigued by these good things, but still not sold on the term uniform because of the negative connotations, tell me about it in the comments. I want to figure out the best way to communicate the value of this concept to people.
Closet Minimal is group of troublemakers in PDX who share a vision of keeping your closet stocked with your basic outfit — your uniform — made with quality materials and craftsmanship.
We’re just getting started, so sign up for the Closet Minimal mailing list to get updates on our progress. I promise we’ll treat your inbox the way we want ours treated too.
