Simplifying wardrobe - wearing a uniform

[dmauder]

I read an interesting post over at Unclutterer.com about basically simplifying your wardrobe down to the point where you wear a "uniform" of sorts. Like you always wear black pants and maybe some multi-colored shirts. Or maybe khaki pants and a black shirt all the time.

They used the example of Steve Jobs, who you ALWAYS see in jeans and a black turtle-neck.

Anyway, I work from a home office, and travel a lot to client sites. Every time I get ready to leave on a 2 or 3 day road trip, I have a heck of a time deciding what to pack because I have SO many different colors. I mostly wear Dockers, but I have black, blue, khaki, green, brown, light gray, dark gray, etc. And shirts... Ugh, don't even get me started! I have every color under the rainbow. Some have horizontal stripes, some vertical, solid colors, patterns, etc.

If I didn't totally suck at matching colors and patterns, it wouldn't be so bad. But I lay out a bunch of stuff and then ask my wife what goes with what.

Pitiful, huh?

Anyway, does anyone here on the forum basically wear a "uniform" or very simple wardrobe every day?

I thought about thinning my closet out and just keeping my black and khaki Dockers, and then only the shirts that go with both. I really like wearing black polo shirts, and I have a few of them. I can't wear a black polo with black pants (I don't think), but I can with khaki, so I'm not getting rid of them.

So, I'd love to hear thoughts on this subject from others who have mastered the art of dressing simply.

Dave

[Lola]

I read a book years ago about simplifying your life, it may actually have been titled Simplify Your Life, in which the author advises numerous ways to make every area of your life easier. Building your wardrobe around one base color - black, navy, or gray, for example, was one of her suggestions. I ended up using two base colors, black and brown, and find it works really well. Everything pretty much goes with everything but I never feel like I'm wearing the same clothes all the time. I could see it working especially well if you travel a lot.

[Andrew Brunelle]

The guy who writes at Zen Habits | Simple Productivity has an article about editing your wardrobe or simplifying your wardrobe. He is a very interesting guy with a very interesting blog. Also, Steve Jobs, as you mentioned, wears the same thing every day. And in case you did not know, Albert Einstein wore the same thing every day. So maybe this simpification has some merit. Good luck.

[dmauder]

Originally Posted by Andrew Brunelle

The guy who writes at Zen Habits | Simple Productivity has an article about editing your wardrobe or simplifying your wardrobe. He is a very interesting guy with a very interesting blog. Also, Steve Jobs, as you mentioned, wears the same thing every day. And in case you did not know, Albert Einstein wore the same thing every day. So maybe this simpification has some merit. Good luck.

I think I found the article you were referring to -- Edit Your Life, Part 5: Your Wardrobe | Zen Habits

Thanks!

[NotesMaeve]

I don't do matching, but uniforms? Never, I say! Color is the essence of art! Some brilliant lady that made chocolate sculptures said so, and if you have anything to do with chocolate, I am likely to believe what you say.

[dmauder]

Originally Posted by NotesMaeve

I don't do matching, but uniforms? Never, I say! Color is the essence of art! Some brilliant lady that made chocolate sculptures said so, and if you have anything to do with chocolate, I am likely to believe what you say.

How do you relate wardrobe to art? I don't have a problem with vibrant colors in things of an artistic nature, but I don't consider my wardrobe one of them.

Simple, basic, earth-tone colors is what I'm shooting for. If all my shirts end up being the same color, so be it! I rarely see the same client twice in the same year, so they'll never remember what I wore last time. And I see my co-workers and/or boss maybe once per quarter, so they won't remember either. And my wife...she could care less what I wear.

Dave

[NotesMaeve]

Originally Posted by dmauder

How do you relate wardrobe to art? I don't have a problem with vibrant colors in things of an artistic nature, but I don't consider my wardrobe one of them.

Simple, basic, earth-tone colors is what I'm shooting for. If all my shirts end up being the same color, so be it! I rarely see the same client twice in the same year, so they'll never remember what I wore last time. And I see my co-workers and/or boss maybe once per quarter, so they won't remember either. And my wife...she could care less what I wear.

Dave

Clothing is fun! My body says a lot about me, as does how I display it, as does yours. I want to see how hip you really are. The world's art.

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

I mostly wear nice jeans or black pants. I have simple shoes that are versatile. Then I have tons of tops in a variety of colors and patterns, some nice, some funky, some casual. Pretty much everything goes with jeans and black pants.

[Rose of Cairo]

My ex is a perfect example for such a "uniform". He wears black pants, black shirts and black socks and black shoes. He's got many of them all, but they all look exactly the same. When one is dirty, he just picks the next one without giving it one thought. He says it's to be more efficient: he never loses time thinking about what to wear.

I wouldn't do that however. Would be completely restraining for me. I couldn't care less about fashion and the like. But clothes are a way to express myself. Depending on how I feel, I wear completely different things, different colors and shapes and different levels of harmony.

[JimOfferman]

I'm split on this. Right down the middle. The bottom half of me definitely is a uniform: sneakers, black socks, jeans, belt. Up top is where I show my colors and my mood

[dmauder]

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

My ex is a perfect example for such a "uniform". He wears black pants, black shirts and black socks and black shoes. He's got many of them all, but they all look exactly the same. When one is dirty, he just picks the next one without giving it one thought. He says it's to be more efficient: he never loses time thinking about what to wear.

Hey, you're married to Johnny Cash!

Originally Posted by Rose of Cairo

I wouldn't do that however. Would be completely restraining for me. I couldn't care less about fashion and the like. But clothes are a way to express myself. Depending on how I feel, I wear completely different things, different colors and shapes and different levels of harmony.

I'm kinda with ya on this one too. I'm thinking of just wearing black or khaki pants, but then shirts can be versatile as long as they match all my pants.

Dave

[Interpreneur]

I have been thinking about this for a while now. I currently wear only black pants with black socks and black shoes, and some type of color shirt....but I have been considering sending out for shirts with the company logo and just wearing those every day.

I would make the same thing optional for my employees in case they want to follow my example. This seems like a very good way to simplify my life a little while maintaining a professional appearance.

[dmauder]

Originally Posted by Interpreneur

I have been thinking about this for a while now. I currently wear only black pants with black socks and black shoes, and some type of color shirt....but I have been considering sending out for shirts with the company logo and just wearing those every day.

I would make the same thing optional for my employees in case they want to follow my example. This seems like a very good way to simplify my life a little while maintaining a professional appearance.

Hey, that's exactly what I was going to do! The company polo's are quite expensive, but I would really only need about 3 of them to get me by since I work from home. It would make traveling SO much simpler.

Dave

[openeyes]

While this is just how I've dressed as a student and recent graduate (how I'll dress in professional life remains to be seen), in cooler months I tend to wear mostly blue jeans, sneakers, and red, black, or brown tops while in warmer periods I wear jeans or jean shorts (they have to be tough enough for tree climbing, parkour and bicycling ) and grey or light blue tops. There's always the occasional exception (purple and yellow tops both find their way in there at times, and last week I wore a skirt to contra dance), but that's the overall trend. Above all else, what I wear has to be comfortable and able to survive whatever athletic activities I find myself getting into on a moment's notice.

[Lola]

Choosing a base color to build your wardrobe around doesn't mean you wear a uniform by any means. It just means you only buy things that go with that base color (or jeans! always have to have jeans!). I tend to purchase foundation-type garments - skirts, slacks, etc - in the base colors. Then everything else can be whatever. I have clothes of all sorts of styles, for all sorts of moods. But nearly everything goes with black or brown or jeans.

[dmauder]

Well, I'm feeling pretty good about myself... I just went through my closet and took out everything that didn't fit my "simple wardrobe" idea. Basically, I kept only the neutral colored pants - black, charcoal, and tan (khaki) Dockers. I also kept my Levi blue jeans (of course).

Everything else went into a box, whether it didn't fit, I don't like/wear them, or they weren't neutral colors. I'll leave them in the box, and then see how things go for 6 months. If I don't miss anything, and my new wardrobe is working, I'll donate them to Goodwill.

I took a little break, but then I'm going back in to match up all my shirts. Any shirts that can't be worn with all of my neutral colored pants are also going in the box.

Already I have a lot more space in the closet and it looks MUCH more organized (and less stressful). Believe it or not, I still ended up keeping 9 pairs of Dockers and 3 pairs of Levi's. I think I could further reduce the number of Dockers. I mean, who needs 9 pairs of pants for work?!? I do laundry at least once per week.

Dave

[NotesMaeve]

Originally Posted by Lola

Choosing a base color to build your wardrobe around doesn't mean you wear a uniform by any means. It just means you only buy things that go with that base color (or jeans! always have to have jeans!). I tend to purchase foundation-type garments - skirts, slacks, etc - in the base colors. Then everything else can be whatever. I have clothes of all sorts of styles, for all sorts of moods. But nearly everything goes with black or brown or jeans.

Brill point. ^5

[Alison Jenkins]

Not sure about that idea personally. My Mother in laws new partner always wears a beige suit with a dickie bow and white shirt. The kids always ask why Grandad never wears anything else - they don't notice that he has lots of beige suits and they change slightly.

I will have a navy skirt with several different tops that go with it.

And I still choose ties for my husband when he goes for interviews. My 9yr old daughter chooses his regular ones as she has a very good sense of colour!

Alison

[quin]

I'm lucky enough to work in a creative industry where Jeans are acceptable. Jeans are incredible! You can pretty much wear anything with them.

Resently I reorganised my wardrobe and donated about a third of my clothes to charity (I do this once a year or so). I'm in the process of photographing my entire wardrobe so that I know exactly what I own (and don't need to buy) as well as using the photos to mix and match outfits.

I'm stuck at the moment trying to work out how to best organise these photographs.

I'm thinking of keeping a set of photographs in a Moleskine journal so that when I'm out shopping I have access to exactly what I have in my wardrobe that will match with what I am thinking of purchasing. I'm hoping it will also curb my impulse buying! I seem to "forget" how many white/cream coloured tops I have when I'm out spening money

I'd also like to create another system where I can easily see pre-matched outfits that look great and I enjoy wearing to ease the "Ugh, what should I wear today?" morning thoughts. Haven't quite worked out how to best go about creating this system yet.

[Calisto]

dmauder,

"Anyway, does anyone here on the forum basically wear a "uniform" or very simple wardrobe every day?"

I do too. Black trousers with deep pink or dark red tops, and not that you care but all black underwear. Sandals in the summer and black boots in the winter. Black coats and jackets with pretty scarves. I live alone and have successfully simplified my life, so much so that family and friends remark that I live like a nun - with one of everything.

[Jennihul]

As I have gotten older, I've had to shy away from very trendy clothes. Women in their 40's and up shouldn't be buying from the Junior's department. Makes one look a little desperate and more often than not, plain silly.

But there are classics that will always be appropriate no matter what is in style. My casual clothes are what the thread starter could define as a uniform. Usually khakis or jeans. Simple flattering tops. A couple versatile jackets. Having a few fun items isn't going to make or break your life's organization either. Usually shoes and accessories are the fun parts of my wardrobe.

Medium dressy items are usually tan linen slacks or black dressy slacks and a fun top or a classic crisp white blouse with great jewelry. I hate dresses but if I buy a dress for a special function, I get whatever is in style at the time because you don't want to wear the same thing to formal events over and over. Simple doesn't have to mean boring with respect to special occasions.

Jennifer

[Lucas]

Most of my entire wardrobe is interchangable with whatever I am wearing. Usually olive green or grey cargo pants coupled with long and short sleeved t-shirts of subdued color (light blue, red, brown, black) and I wear mainly hoodies of black or grey over everything. I have some polo style shirts in the those general color patterns and the t-shirts tend to accent everything pretty well. Same with sweaters.

I mainly buy things that will mesh with whatever I am wearing.