For all but two of the 12 years of school leading up to college, I had to dress in a uniform. In elementary school, I could only wear red, white, or blue clothes, so when I left elementary school and started middle school, where I was allowed to wear whatever I wanted (within the dress code), I was thrilled. However, when I started high school and had to wear a uniform even more strict than before, I was relieved. Now that I’m in college and am back to free dress, I find myself missing that strict uniform, which begs the question: should uniform dressing make a comeback?
I think there are two reasons why I began to resent my free-dress abilities in middle school after about a year or so: the amount of time it took to pick out an outfit and the fear of being judged by what I was wearing, especially when I wasn’t confident in it. In my opinion, uniform dressing would remedy both of these issues, and I’ll explain why, but, first, I must explain what I mean by uniform dressing.
What is Uniform Dressing?
Uniform dressing, in my opinion, is the idea of having a limited number of clothing pieces that all match and can be worn interchangeably. It’s about finding a few staple pieces you feel confident in so that when it comes time to pick out an outfit, you only have so many things to choose from.
It doesn’t have to be boring, like Steve Jobs’ black turtleneck and jeans, it’s just supposed to make getting dressed easy. It’s a uniform that differs for everyone.
Time Saver?
Every morning, I lay in bed for five minutes with my closet door open and just stare at my options. I hope that in doing this, the perfect outfit will jump out at me, and I’ll be able to put it on and walk right out the door, without even having to try on a different combination of pants or tops. In reality, I usually end up staring at my closet for another 10 minutes, trying on pretty much every pair of pants I own, deciding I actually don’t like the shirt I picked out, and 20 minutes later I’m finally dressed.
Spending about 30 minutes every day getting dressed doesn’t seem like much, but, by the end of the school week, it adds up to two and a half hours. Although it sometimes takes me less time, the fact can’t be ignored that it takes me far too long to get dressed, when I could be spending my time doing schoolwork, making a nice breakfast, or doing any number of more productive activities.
Uniform dressing will solve this problem, as there aren’t so many options to choose from, so less time will be spent trying on different outfits, and trying to select the perfect pieces. You already have an idea of everything in your closet and how it will all look together, which takes away the pressure of trying to come up with the perfect combination.
Confidence Booster?
In the process of building a uniform wardrobe, you will have to go through your closet and pick out the pieces that you feel the best in, and that you find yourself wearing consistently. By doing this, you’ll end up selecting the clothes that you feel most confident in, and that means you are bound to pick out an outfit that you’ll enjoy wearing. In my experience, being confident also means you’ll be less worried about others judging your outfit since you feel secure in how great it looks.
Downsides?
There are some downsides to uniform dressing, such as the fact that it’ll involve eliminating a lot of pieces from your closet, which we can become very attached to over time. Additionally, some might believe it eliminates the ability for you to express yourself with a unique outfit every day.
However, building a uniform for yourself doesn’t mean you have to stick to it for every occasion. You can still keep some pieces for special events, or maybe you just use the uniform during the week and switch it up on the weekends. Also, there are still ways to make uniform dressing even more individualized, by wearing a fun bag, colorful earrings, or unique shoes.
Overall, uniform dressing might not be for everyone, but I’ve found it helpful in many ways! Uniform dressing has saved me time in the morning while I’m trying to get dressed and has been a definite confidence booster.