The Benefits of a Personal Daily Uniform
Do you wear a daily uniform?
No, I’m not talking just to the military servicemen, marching band members, and fast food burger slingers out there.
I mean, do you have a “Roll out of bed and know exactly what you’re going to put on?” outfit you come back to again and again?
For some guys, your personal style daily uniform may simply be jeans and a t-shirt. For others, it’s a sharp suit with a perfectly polished wingtip.
Whatever your daily “uniform” may be, if you have one, I’m betting you can picture yourself in it before you even pull open your closet.
For other guys, a daily uniform sounds like a huge snooze.
You enjoy the process of flinging open your closet each morning, ready to discover a new favorite combination of top, bottom, shoes, and more.
For still others, a daily uniform probably sounds like a dream, since getting dressed sets off panic.
A vague sense of dread washes over you each morning as you take groggy steps towards your wardrobe. What am I going to wear today? you think nervously.
Looking into your closet, every item seems to clash and you wonder if anything you own even matches. You leave the house preparing an excuse about how your bedroom light burnt out in case anyone asks why you’re wearing six shades of blue – none of which go together.
It doesn’t have to be this way.
For the guys who love rediscovering their wardrobe each morning, godspeed to you.
Everybody else? Right this way.
When you find a look that works for you—really, really works for you—there’s no reason you shouldn’t stick with it.
Think about Steve Jobs in his black turtlenecks and white running shoes, or David Letterman’s boxy double-breasted blazers. Their daily uniforms didn’t limit them. Rather, their adoption of a daily uniform helped define them.
Of course, you should always feel encouraged (by us, of course, but also by the loved ones in your life) to try new things when it comes to your clothes.
Meaning? Even if you do wind up adopting a go-to daily uniform, don’t be afraid to sometimes switch it up. Try a new trend, or a new color!
I applaud the guys who bravely dive into their closets each morning – mixing patterns, experimenting with colors and test-driving new styles.
But you have enough going on in the morning; getting dressed should not be an added stressor. If your “uniform” works with your body and is appropriate for your workplace, throw it on and devote the brain space to more important matters.
How to find your daily uniform
The best part about adopting a self-imposed uniform? Once you’ve settled on your go-to wardrobe staples, you can start getting nicer things.
Instead of the cotton sweater in gray you’re used to buying over and over, why not upgrade to cashmere?
If you plan to wear a suit every day for the rest of your life and you’ve pretty well settled on a notch lapel/double-vent/flat-front/no pleats number, why not get it made to measure?
After all, a splurge isn’t really a splurge if you’ll wear it all the time.
Just remind yourself there’s freedom in a uniform, if you’re clever enough to find it.
A work-from-home daily uniform
I don’t care if you never see another person all day while working from home, there’s something to be said for still putting on pants when you sit down to work.
Rolling out of bed and straight to your desk may same time, but it can’t do much for your workday efficiency. Am I supposed to still be in bed? your brain is thinking.
That’s not to say you need to drag yourself into a dress shirt and slacks day in and day out. We’re not even saying you have to wear real pants!
Some nice athleisure bottoms and an oxford cotton button down will do the trick (of convincing your brain you’re meant to be productive now) nicely.
Something like this:
SG Says: Really the two rules for a work from home personal uniform are: 1) Must be comfortable, and 2) Not be pajamas. This joggers and a casual button-up combo nails ’em both.
Uniform style for work
Obviously workplaces come with all kinds of dress codes now, from corporate casual to “We’re not a regular office, we’re a cool office..wear whatever you want, brah!” which can actually be more confusing than the former.
You want to be taken seriously, and you never know when you’ll have to meet with clients (in person or on video chat), so it’s probably best if you don’t chance it with that Game of Thrones hoodie you promised yourself you’d only wear around the house when you first got it off Etsy.
Which means that, really, the same rules apply to an at-home work uniform as an office daily uniform. You should feel comfortable without wearing (basically) pajamas.
That means it might be time to strip your closet of its most billowy blue dress shirts, the pleated trousers you wear the day after client dinners, and the square-toe shoes you slip into when the “nicer” dress shoes you own are still airing out from the day before.
In their place, fill the holes in your closet with dress shirts that fit you comfortably yet properly, modern fit flat-front dress pants. And an extra pair of dress shoes that doesn’t pinch but aren’t the at-work equivalent of a flip flop, either. Think of your closet the same way you think of your kitchen cabinets; if you have the latter stocked with snacks you know you shouldn’t eat, the best thing is to just toss the snacks. That way? No temptation to indulge.
Creating your daily uniform
If you’re ready to jump on board the daily uniform wagon but dread the thought of figuring out exactly what that uniform should be…consider shopping with Team SG! Honk honk, it’s the best!
Let us rescue you from shopping fatigue and sartorial apathy. We can promise the kind of personal attention and care that will make you feel like the best version of the awesome guy you already are! If you’re ready for a daily lewk that’ll change your life, give us a shout.
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I started Style Girlfriend to help guys look, feel, and act their best.