The Space Between My Peers: Uniform Thoughts

The Space Between My Peers

From the bottom of the fashion food chain ...

Name:
Location: The Great Northwest

I'm a home-schooling, bible-believing SAHM with an annual clothing budget of about $500 American. The Space Between My Peers reveals my secret passion: analysis of the art and science of what to wear.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Uniform Thoughts

Most of us, when we consider the concept of wearing a uniform, find it somewhat restrictive. A few, however, would be relieved. If you are one of those few, pay close attention now. I am going to make your life easier.

When I was growing up, my mom wore a uniform. Not a company logo polo shirt, or fatigues, or navy shirt and shorts; she had a certain formula for dressing that just worked for her; a template, if you will. Wearing a suit everyday in my former professional life was the same concept. Easy, but with variety not afforded by a traditional uniform.

My early post Facing Tomorrow Without Trauma struck a chord with some of you. In it, I chronicle my development of a personal template for what to wear to church.

The project (this should be fun):

  • Get out your collages (or envelopes or piles) from the Sunday project I previously suggested. You should have one for each lifestyle segment.
  • Work on one season at a time. Depending on where you live, you may choose to work on Winter or Spring, or even Summer at this time of year.
  • Identify a "template" you would like to use for the season you are working on, in each category.
  • "Bottoms up": Start with pants or skirt, add shirt, top with jacket or sweater. To be very thorough, plan also for shoes, coats, accessories, and even undergarments.

Here's a fictional Winter template plan:

Leisure = jeans + cotton tee-shirt + wool sweater
Casual = wool trousers + dress shirt + blazer or cardigan
Business = pant or skirt suit + silk blouse
Social = dark sleeveless dress

Enormously helpful in my life, this concept adds structure to our thinking about what to wear. Comments, suggestions, snide remarks?

3 Comments:

Blogger Beth said...

I think I need to do the pie chart exercise first (which I haven't done yet).

My uniform was, for a long time, black loafers, black tights, wool skirt (short or long), cotton pullover/sweater/tee, classic blazer. I miss it. It was easy, looked good, and "went" everywhere.

9:53 PM  
Blogger Rebecca said...

Well, do the pie chart exercise and let me know if you like it, but in the meantime it will be useful to have this thought simmering on the back burner.

I'm wondering what's keeping you from coming up with a PT 2006 version of your former uniform. The wool thing. And dry-clean only? I have three blazers in my wardrobe now which are washable.

Let me know what you decide and if you want me to watch for anything for you. I come across deals (or should I say steals) almost daily.

And do you prefer the term "uniform" or the term "template"?

6:11 AM  
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