We covered what a personal uniform is and which are the benefits of wearing one. Today, for all you brave souls who decided they want to give it a try, I will give you a few practical tips on how to create one.
Here are 10 + 1 tips to create the best personal uniform
Do you feel best in a crisp white shirt or in a black T-shirt?
Do you like that the clothes fit you perfectly or that they’re loose to be more comfortable?
Will you get dirty easily?
Do you live in a hot or cold climate, rainy or dry?
Do you work from home or in the office?
When you answer those questions, you should have a better picture of what you need and what you don’t. I think you already know the answer based on the things you already possess.
When you finish with point numero uno, select your favorite clothing item, or purchase that one you’ve been dying to get for a long time. Is it a cool leather jacket, fancy suit, or those awesome sneakers everybody has? Or is something different? Maybe a classic watch, formal shoes, or cufflinks? Whatever it is, choose one item and then build your outfit around it. You want to wear your favorite thing as much as possible.
Don’t wait for special occasions, weddings, parties, or something third. Wear it often and make a signature look out of it.
Do you work in an office that has a strict dress code? Or you’re a computer genius working from home or in an office full of similar people? Maybe you’re stay at home mom or a fashion model. Choosing your uniform will largely depend on what you do on a daily basis. A student, banker, and construction worker will have different personal uniforms.
Similar to point number 3, after determining what will work best for you, choose a design and cut. You want something comfortable and flattering for your body type. Do you prefer slim fit or loose clothes that can hide a few extra kilos? Determine the design and cut that will work best in most situations and eliminate everything that doesn’t follow the rules.
You don’t have to wear the same color clothes every single day, but you need to be consistent with your branding – your signature look. If you dress in all black one day, in neon green the next, and in brown the day after, no one will take you seriously, and people will have a hard time getting a proper sense of who you really are and what message you want to send.
Having one base color, and a few that complement the base one will maximize versatility and will make laundry easier. You’ll also get to wear only the colors you like and that make you look your best every day. People say I look good in darker colors, so I chose black and navy blue as my base colors. Bonus, I really like them too. Then I added dark gray and a few pieces in red. Finito. (Except for shirts – I use white and baby blue for formal settings).
When choosing colors, determine what looks good on you, what compliments your skin, hair, and eye color, and which colors you like. Buy more of those and forget about the others. Most people can’t go wrong with gray, black, white, navy blue, and brown.
Are you a leather and flannel type of guy, or silk and cashmere type of girl? Do you prefer synthetic and breathable workout material to spread throughout the whole wardrobe? Or maybe you like the thickness of the wool or the sturdiness of linen. Choose a fabric that complements your lifestyle and feels comfortable on your skin.
You want your uniform to last a long time, and look good no matter what, right? Then make sure to buy higher-quality garments. The easiest way to do it is to buy a better version of the items you wear the most. If you wear a lot of shirts, invest in the best one you can find. If you wear T-shirts, don’t go to Walmart, spend a few extra $ and buy one that fits great, feels luxurious, and makes you look your best.
When creating a uniform, you want all your clothes to be versatile and complement each other. A versatile piece of clothing can be combined with everything else you own, can be styled up and down, and can be used in a different context (seasons, events, time of day).
Why do you want versatile clothes? Because they enable you to get a lot of wears and outfits from just a few items. The more versatile your clothes are, the less you need to own.
A lot of people adopt a personal uniform in an attempt to simplify their lives, so a lot of outfits are strongly influenced by the minimalism movement. A businessman may choose a navy-blue suit, white shirt, red tie, and brown shoes. A casual man may choose white T-shirt, jeans and sneakers. A developer may wear only printed tees, hoodies, and sweatpants.
To add fun and uniqueness to your uniform, accessories are your best friends. Glasses, bracelets, scarfs, gloves, jewelry, watches, etc. There are many options but don’t overdo it. You don’t want the simplicity of your closet and uniform and then spend 10 minutes choosing accessories. I recommend choosing a few favorites to compliment your signature look. Accessories are a great way to add personality to your uniform, so use them wisely.
After you have created your uniform, stick to it for at least 30 days. At first, it may be strange and boring, even scary to wear similar clothes every single day. But as time goes on, you will experience full freedom of having a personal uniform, and you will never want to go back to your previous ways of shopping and choosing outfits. There are too many benefits to neglect them.
Choose your destination and go live your life. No regrets. Remember: clothes are just tools, experiences are way more than that.
…
Creating a personal uniform is easier than it looks. Just follow the tips above, and in no time you will have a few favorite outfits depending on the occasion. From that point on, your life will be easier, freer, and more beautiful.
Don’t worry about the opinions of other people. Whatever you like to wear, wear it proudly and own the look. In the end, it’s not the clothes that matter, it’s the person behind them.
Cheers!
–
If you found value in this post, please consider buying me a coffee or simply share this post with your friends and family.
Every dollar is greatly appreciated and will keep the True Change Today blog 100% advertisement-free.