Thoughts on Having a Personal Uniform

Thoughts on Having a Personal Uniform

-by Jon-Stephen Stansel

In my desire to simplify, a few years ago I adopted a personal uniform. A lot has been written on the benefits of having a personal uniform or capsule wardrobe lately and I wanted to put it to use for myself. So I started wearing a simple navy or gray t-shirt and chocolate colored chinos almost everyday. Here’s what I learned.

Quality over quantity

I have chosen just a few garments of outstanding quality, American Giant or Buck Mason t-shirts and sweatshirts, Flint and Tinder's 365 Pants. These are incredibly well made and durable. These cost more upfront, but will last for decades. Rather than having a closet stuffed full of cheap, ill-fitting clothes, I have a small wardrobe full of well made, high-end garments. Once you wear clothes of this quality, you’ll never want to wear anything else. The style is also timeless, a navy or grey shirt and chinos will never go out of style.

Mornings are much easier

This is one of the prime benefits that get people to move to a personal uniform or slim-downed wardrobe. The question of “what am I going to wear?” has already been answered. It’s one less decision I have to make everyday and it really simplifies my morning routine. In addition, it’s my favorite thing to wear. I get to wear my favorite thing everyday.

I feel uncomfortable when not wearing my uniform

On the rare occasion that I wear something other than my personal uniform, I feel like something isn’t quite right. I don’t really feel like myself. This is a credit to choosing a personal uniform that suits me well and that I really enjoy wearing.

No one really notices (or cares) if you wear the same outfit everyday.

My biggest concern when adopting a personal uniform was how it would go over at work. At the time I worked in a fairly causal office, but I still worried about wearing the same thing everyday. I explained the concept to my boss and a few co-workers and honestly no one had noticed. It actually removes a lot of personal vanity that anyone actually cares about what you wear everyday.

I need a “dress uniform”

My personal uniform is fairly casual and works for daily activities. However, I now work in an office that requires something a bit more dressed up and there are occasions when I need to step it up and I’d also like to dress up for my wife from time to time when we go out. Much like the military has dress uniforms for formal occasions, the next step for me is to find a personal dress uniform. I have several dress shirts that fit the bill, but I haven't yet found one that I really love yet.