The Advantages of Developing a Work Uniform

BreakingModern — A uniform or signature look doesn’t have to mean wearing exactly the same outfit every day, although Steve Jobs became famous for his black turtleneck sweaters and 501 jeans.

Work uniform

A personal uniform can certainly include key garments, but it can also consist of a color palette, a style of makeup or the kind of clothes you choose. Anna Wintour, editor of U.S. Vogue, always wears the same style of Manolo Blahnik cross-front slingbacks, teamed with print dresses and a chunky necklace. The color of the shoes is close to her own skin tone and it’s rumored she wears darker shades of the same style when she has a suntan.

Actress Audrey Hepburn’s iconic look revolved around her pixie haircut, thick dark eyebrows and black eyeliner. Whatever she wore — a little black dress, Capri pants, full swishy skirts or a white shirt — her look was always gamine, cute, impish.

The appearance of these individuals led to them becoming part of the psyche of the times — a statement of fashion and humanity. Developing your own work uniform will give you some significant advantages, too:

Work uniform

Reasons to Have a Work Uniform

  1. It’s a way to visually reinforce who you are and what you want people to instantly understand about you. Whether it’s crisp businesswoman or kooky, creative artist, a personal uniform underlines what you do and what you are intending to achieve.

  2. When your clothes and makeup fit your personality well, you feel more confident and attract more attention and more compliments. You can forget about constantly adjusting your appearance and concentrate your energies on your goals.

  3. Shopping is so much easier when you’ve already chosen your style and aren’t distracted by the myriad of other options. Assess new styles when they appear for suitability for your look and only buy those that enhance it. Then you can shop for a specific garment, not browse randomly for something that takes your eye at that moment.

  4. You’ll save money by not making expensive mistakes that never leave the closet. And you can sell all the pieces that don’t fit your style and that you’ll never wear again. That means you’ll have an extra budget to spend more on what you actually want.

  5. Think of how much time you’ll save by never again having to decide what to wear each and every day! Even if you don’t follow Steve Jobs’ example of buying endless copies of the same garment, it will be easier to mix and match your wardrobe.

Inspired to make a start on refining your unique style? Those in the public eye are a great place to start. Sofia Coppola, for example, always looks chic and understated. Chloë Sevigny has a much more eclectic look. And looking to the past, Patti Smith was the ultimate cool rock chick with her androgynous black jackets and white shirts.

Do you already have a style icon? How can you adapt their look to suit your own life?

For BMod, I’m .

All images: © luanateutzi / Dollar Photo Club

Judy Heminsley

Author: Judy Heminsley

Judy Heminsley is the founder of Work from Home Wisdom, a blog providing advice and inspiration for freelancers and home workers that is regularly featured in the UK national press. She is the author of Work from Home (How To Books), and writes on a variety of topics on her lifestyle blog All Things Bright & Good.

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