Why I Love My 'Daily Uniform'

To say that I love fall would be an understatement. My husband can attest to this. I end up decorating for fall mid August and that is only after cutting a deal with Patrick because I usually want to start right after August 1st. Fall brings me so much joy that while I was in labor I decorated my labor and delivery room with fall garlands.

Fall, 2019 Redmond WA

As I write this I am listening to the rain outside my window. I can smell the freshness. I love the crunch of the leaves and the feel of my hot tea in my hands. I love the colors and the clothing options. If I had a spirit animal it would be fall! I know it’s not an animal but still. This is also when I get to dress most like myself. My style is best suited for cooler weather. There is nothing like layers, cozy sweaters, and boots. I have saved this post about what I wear every day so you can get the best sense of my style. In the summer it is to warm to wear what I truly like but since I live in Washington state summer is really on 8-10 weeks (at best) and the rest of the year is cold enough for me to wear exactly what I want.

I am the kind of person that gets fatigued easily when I have to make too many decisions. So I limit the amount of unnecessary decisions that I have to make. Many high power people that have to make thousands of decisions a day follow this idea of the uniform so they can save their brain power for more important decisions that have a huge impact on their businesses. Some such powerful names are the inventor of facebook Mark Zuckerberg, the man that helped technology advance Steve Jobs, the star finder Simon Cowell, and the artistic fashion designers Giorgio Armani and Michael Kors. Your thought might be well thats all fine and dandy for men to be able to do that but women never! If you need more then the kings of fashion Giorgio Armani and Michael Kors I give you Arianna Huffigton the co-founder of the Huffington Post and the woman voted most beautiful woman Angelina Jolie can be found every day where she dresses herself in skinny pants a basic blouse and a black coat. And if that isn’t enough to convince you I give you the authority on fashion itself Grace Coddington who is the creative director of American Vogue. These powerhouses understand just how important their brain power is and they save it for the big tasks that they face every day.

Now uniforms aren’t for everyone. I am sure there are some people reading this who are panicking and wondering if they can still be a minimalist if they have a big closet full of clothing. The answer is of course yes! You find value in clothing and you use it. It really doesn’t add much joy to my life so I keep it simple. You people with the crazy fashion sense more power to you but for me this is one place I keep it simple.

For most people it takes them some time to find out what their style is. I always knew and I basically wear the same thing every day. I came upon this epiphany when I was very young. I grew up going to Catholic school where we wore a uniform. It was a very cute uniform thank goodness. I complained a little when I was around middle school age that I wanted the freedom to be dressing in whatever I wanted but a few years later in high school I learned what a blessing a uniform really was. In high school it took me so long to decide what I wanted to wear, what accessories I wanted to use, how to do my makeup, and what on Earth to do with my hair. There were so many decisions just in getting ready for the day that I had to make before going to school that I found it frustrating especially since I loved sleep and woke up at the last minute possible. Me enjoying this new found freedom of having to pick out what I had to wear every day literally only lasted the first month of high school and then I longed for my uniform once again. (Don’t even get me started on what happened when I had to buy my own clothes with my own money.)

Like I said, I decided to share my uniform with you in the fall because that is my true uniform. I am a fall girl at heart so all the clothes that I love most are cozy and layered. If you look through my instagram feed you will definitely be able to see this uniform in all months but July and August.

What I feel looks good on me and what I feel good are what I wear every day. I love skinny pants of sorts (jeans, black, or green usually), boots that come right under my knees, and a warm top. If it is really cold you might find me layered with a cardigan or one of my two jackets. Of course I have a couple fancier outfits for when I need them but I don’t reach for them too often. Especially now that I am a mom I need clothing that moves with me and I am not afraid to get dirty with my sweet toddlers hands that always manage to get grubby.

Here is my look:

Winter 2014 Cincinnati OH

Spring, 2017 Ocean Shores WA

Skinny jeans: blue, black, or olive green

Top: sweater that goes with basically all those colors

Shoes: boots or booties (black, brown, or green)

If cold: cardigan or jacket

Thats it! Simple. I make sure that my tops can go with any of those three colors which are very neutral so I can pick almost any top.This is the outfit that I wear basically every day because it makes me feel good and that gives me confidence. I feel comfortable in my skin and it is very low maintenance which is what I need right now in this stage of life with a little one.

There are so many benefits to the uniform. I already mentioned less decision making, but what about easier and less laundry, less stress, and more confidence. I am usually on time now because I don’t have to waste any time (I can get ready in 5 or less), and I think I look good (which is the only thing that matters).

What kind of outfits give you confidence? I challenge you to take a few different pieces and make in mini capsule wardrobe for like a week and see how much that makes your life easier.