dressing in the same piece
over and over and over again.
Every morning, I go to my wardrobe and look at a stack of carefully folded cashmere sweaters in multiple colors. I pick one, usually in black, white or grey. I then put on a T-shirt underneath, vintage jeans, and, lately, Mary-Jane flats adidas Sambas. I might add a silk scarf or some subtle jewelry if I’m in the mood. This classic look feels inherently me.
Although I own plenty, and I mean plenty, of clothes in my wardrobe, I always choose the same ones. Over and over and over again. Obviously, the choice of pieces has changed throughout the years, but for as long as I can remember, I purchased the same piece in multiple colors. It might have been the influence of years studying at a school with a strict dress code, or it might have been the influence of those nineties J. Crew ads with stacks of clothes in various colors.
Ultimately, I own this uniform. And by own, I mean I own it. I feel myself in it. It feels good and looks good. It gives me confidence.
A uniform is a way of holding certain memories close. If we choose the same piece over and over, it is because it tells the outside world who we are, even if it is just a tiny part of us. So why would I deviate from it?
There have been moments in which I did. These moments happened when, amongst all my confidence, an odd feeling crept in. The fact that I am drawn to the same basics, day in and day out, makes me feel like a fraud. How do I work in fashion but keep myself relatively away from it with my own choices? In this industry, the bar is set so high that I feel like I should be wearing runway pieces as if they were T-shirts and jeans.
But especially for knowing the industry well and its waxing and waning trends, I overthink what is for me and what is not. I take a step back before stepping into the unknown. That is not to say I don’t appreciate or even incorporate trends. It only takes some time before committing myself to a temporary piece. I appreciate the newness, but usually say “no, thank you” and stick to the sameness. When dressing myself, I know what feels good and what looks good.
Besides, after years of outfit repeating, I have found that others don’t notice what you wear as much as you would think. If someone wears the same leopard blouse three days in a row, that would be a different scenario. But wearing a classic, even basic, look doesn’t cause too much fuss in the office.
Yet it is standard in our society to look for new sartorial characters every day. Rarely anyone on Instagram wears the same thing more than once. Celebrities and personalities constantly wear something different, sometimes even on the same day. Everything looks almost too pristine. There are no stories, no memories behind these pieces.
Meanwhile, those behind the scenes in fashion are often seen in the same silhouette, if not in the same pieces. Case in point: Miuccia Prada (who has her own obsession with uniforms on and off the runway) often bows at the end of her shows wearing an ankle-length full skirt, a sweater or an overcoat, and quirky shoes. Although the silhouette has remained constant throughout the years, it never looks the same.
Prada’s ability to reinvent her looks is proof that anyone can be creative within the limits of a uniform. It can be changed, dressed up, or dressed down. As you go through different chapters in life, your taste becomes more refined and edited, and your look is streamlined to a few pieces that represent who you are.
Every evening, as I put away my clothes, I often think about how I want them to last for a long time. And this is what dressing in the same piece over and over and over again is: being confident in being yourself. Isn’t it the point of fashion, after all?