Thoughts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

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WalterMitty
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Thoughts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by WalterMitty »

When I was in college, and grad school, I came across more than one professor who wore a "uniform". One wore a white shirt and black pants everyday, the other wore black shirt and black pants everyday. Both were asked about it by students, and just said that they didn't want to think about it, so they bought like 15 pairs of each item, and then rolled with it. They had other clothes for other occasions though.

I've been on a bit of a minimalist kick recently. I've purged junk drawers, books, music, closets, etc. (Side note: it feels great not having piles of music around...I use a Sonos system...speaker box with one power cord...very clean looking, and I can stream any music I want).

Given this minimalist kick, I've thought about the whole uniform thing. I work for a megacorp that is business causal...but jeans are worn by most. I've been toying with the idea of getting like 15 of the same polo and matching that up with jeans or khakis, and just forgetting about it.

Any one on here rock a uni?
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by open_circuit »

WalterMitty wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:13 pm When I was in college, and grad school, I came across more than one professor who wore a "uniform". One wore a white shirt and black pants everyday, the other wore black shirt and black pants everyday. Both were asked about it by students, and just said that they didn't want to think about it, so they bought like 15 pairs of each item, and then rolled with it. They had other clothes for other occasions though.

I've been on a bit of a minimalist kick recently. I've purged junk drawers, books, music, closets, etc. (Side note: it feels great not having piles of music around...I use a Sonos system...speaker box with one power cord...very clean looking, and I can stream any music I want).

Given this minimalist kick, I've thought about the whole uniform thing. I work for a megacorp that is business causal...but jeans are worn by most. I've been toying with the idea of getting like 15 of the same polo and matching that up with jeans or khakis, and just forgetting about it.

Any one on here rock a uni?
My father in law did this the last few years of his job. His entire office wore his uniform one day to honor him near his retirement date.

I think it's an excellent idea to minimize decisions that have to be made, but I have not tried wearing exactly the same thing every day. I do make my work decisions simple by just replacing the same slacks / shirts with new ones that are basically identical when the old ones wear out, though. Makes shopping easy, and my daily clothing decisions for work involve "wear different clothes than yesterday" from the "work clothes" section of the closet.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by bob60014 »

No, but I walked into a Walmart wearing a blue short sleeve polo and khakis and had 4-5 people coming up to me asking where items were. The first two I told them I didn't work there. The others, I played along and helped, told them where the items were. Luckily I knew. I'm glad no one reamed me out about a problem!

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by livesoft »

Why would one need 15 of the same uniform? I had one white shirt and one white slacks when I worked in a hospital. I wore the same thing every.single.day. I washed them when I got home and wore them the next day.

So I can see owning 2 or 3 shirts and 2 or 3 slacks, but not 15 of anything. Just buy new ones when something wears out.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by stan1 »

I think it is viewed by some as an eccentricity. Do you mind if others think you are eccentric? In some careers like academia, science, or tech it's no big deal. If you are working in sales I'd advise against it.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by daveydoo »

bob60014 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:24 pm No, but I walked into a Walmart wearing a blue short sleeve polo and khakis and had 4-5 people coming up to me asking where items were.
Same! Tank top and orange short-shorts to Hooters. Never again.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by ResearchMed »

This has recently been a "thing" in the news, for some business women (also men) to wear a sort of "uniform", but usually to avoid needing to make more decisions that aren't "necessary":

https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/03/3 ... -briggman/

who commented that:

"The solution came in January 2015 when she read about a female marketing executive who adopted a style uniform. “I knew that Steve Jobs and Gary Keller wore a uniform, but they were male,” Briggman says, “I thought ‘Okay, but they can get away with it right? They could wear the same suit and nobody would notice.’” But the image of a powerful working woman adopting such a uniform appealed to her."

and

https://www.cnbc.com/2015/05/16/dress-f ... -kahl.html

There are some other women who have commented on this as a way they have decided to dress at work, as a way of eliminating unnecessary decisions/stress in the morning.

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by mouses »

WalterMitty wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:13 pm When I was in college, and grad school, I came across more than one professor who wore a "uniform". One wore a white shirt and black pants everyday, the other wore black shirt and black pants everyday. Both were asked about it by students, and just said that they didn't want to think about it, so they bought like 15 pairs of each item, and then rolled with it. They had other clothes for other occasions though.

I've been on a bit of a minimalist kick recently. I've purged junk drawers, books, music, closets, etc. (Side note: it feels great not having piles of music around...I use a Sonos system...speaker box with one power cord...very clean looking, and I can stream any music I want).

Given this minimalist kick, I've thought about the whole uniform thing. I work for a megacorp that is business causal...but jeans are worn by most. I've been toying with the idea of getting like 15 of the same polo and matching that up with jeans or khakis, and just forgetting about it.

Any one on here rock a uni?
I do this, with the variation that although I have the same style top, I have it in three different colors. I would have it in more colors, except they only have three I liked. I probably do have something like 15, because they wear out and I am tired of having to find new things when a manufacturer discontinues things. I am sure some people think I only have three tops to my name. The jeans and sneakers are identical items.

No fuss, no hassle, things fit, and are comfortable.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by JoMoney »

I like it, however I've found it seems to be more acceptable if it's not EXACTLY the same thing, i.e. have 3 different color shirts and and just make it matter of rotating through the combinations everyday.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

I have two uniforms; one for very cold weather (long pants) and hot weather (shorts). I wear the same short sleeved shirts in both hot and cold, and the same wool socks. I very rarely wear anything else, but will for graduations. I have a half dozen or so instances of each uniform.

I find it freeing. I know people might think I’m eccentric, but it doesn’t bother me. My kids are not as extreme as I am, but they don’t make much of a fuss about clothes. One of my kids said that he heard, from his GF, that a lot of students at his college assumed that we were poor because of how he dresses; he’s happy about that. Frequent readers of BH know that it is not lack of funds that has our family dressing this way.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by chonp3 »

I am in shorts and a t shirt every day for work, colors vary though. 5 pairs of the same shorts, 10 t-shirts. Shorts get worn twice. Laundry every two weeks. No thought process involved in dressing. There's a few months here in southern CA where jeans will make an appearance
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by iamlucky13 »

The character Jeff Goldblum played in Jurassic Park explained the same thing in the book, but in a way that will make you not want to be like him.

Trivia aside, multiple colors don't seem like they need any more thought, unless you decide to think beyond which color is on top of the drawer.

Our company president has a notion that everybody should be proud to wear the company logo, so he provides the shirts free and tells us to wear them. I've heard there are people who dislike being told to wear a "uniform," and some coworkers just ignore him. Personally, it's not a matter of pride, but relief to have an excuse not have to think about what to wear 5 days a week.

I've got 3-4 go-to colors just to be a little less conspicuous, but in general, my "uniform" is clean jeans and a company logo shirt. We're a t-shirt office (engineering), but the same logic works for polo-shirts, etc.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by SrGrumpy »

WalterMitty wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:13 pm Any one on here rock a uni?
Like Superman? Though I doubt he had 15 changes.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by VictoriaF »

WalterMitty wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:13 pm When I was in college, and grad school, I came across more than one professor who wore a "uniform"...
You are confusing several concepts.

1. Your professors were expressing their unique tastes. They would cringe if their attire were called "uniform."
2. The main advantage of having standardized clothes is the reduction of the cognitive load of getting dressed. The saved capacity of System 2 can then be used for more important tasks such as writing books and winning Nobel prizes.
3. Minimalism means having a small number things. Your professors did not have a small number of things, they had a small variety of things. When you have a relatively large number of things you can save time by doing your laundry less frequently.

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by dbr »

It was fine when I had to do that for a few years (Well we got to change from blue to white in the summer and in some instances khaki.). I would not choose to do something that drab on purpose though.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by ClevrChico »

I did that as a teenager until parents warned me that kids would make fun of me. I should have stuck to it. My classmates could have cared.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by Nicolas »

In my experience nobody notices or cares what you wear as long as it conforms to corporate policy and prevailing norms.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by Momus »

I have been doing this for at least 7 yrs. No big deal.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by FedGuy »

VictoriaF wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:26 pm1. Your professors were expressing their unique tastes. They would cringe if their attire were called "uniform."
I know generalizations like the one I'm about to make are dangerous, but I think that's a very female way of looking at things. I, and most guys I've discussed this with, have no interest in using clothes to express our tastes. For most guys, clothes are not a means of self-expression. For a guy, usually the two big goals are (1) to NOT be noticed for our clothes and (2) to not have to spend too much time and energy thinking about clothing. The professors likely found a look they were comfortable with and stuck with it because that was the path of least resistance--no need to explore new styles, no need to try on new clothes and see how they fit, no need to figure out which shirt goes with which pants, etc--not a conscious decision to consistently express a particular stylistic preference.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by staythecourse »

What I do is wear the same combo each day of the week. Same color dress shirt with same color dress pant. Then I just wear a different neck tie. That makes it easy to figure out what to wear each day (I already know in advance), but a bit different (neck tie).

Maybe try that.

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by GerryL »

Female here.
My winter "uniform" for many years at Megacorp was jeans, turtleneck and Eddie Bauer cotton sweatshirt/sweater. I have one full dresser drawer of turtlenecks, one of the sweatshirts and one of the jeans. The jeans are all the same style Gloria Vanderbilt from Costco, and I have a stash of them in my closet with the tags still on. I'm very disappointed that Eddie Bauer no longer sells their classic sweatshirt/sweaters, but I probably have enough to get me by for years. Never had to worry about whether something was going to fit or how an outfit might look. Only decision was which color sweatshirt.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by VictoriaF »

FedGuy wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:41 pm
VictoriaF wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:26 pm1. Your professors were expressing their unique tastes. They would cringe if their attire were called "uniform."
I know generalizations like the one I'm about to make are dangerous, but I think that's a very female way of looking at things. I, and most guys I've discussed this with, have no interest in using clothes to express our tastes. For most guys, clothes are not a means of self-expression. For a guy, usually the two big goals are (1) to NOT be noticed for our clothes and (2) to not have to spend too much time and energy thinking about clothing. The professors likely found a look they were comfortable with and stuck with it because that was the path of least resistance--no need to explore new styles, no need to try on new clothes and see how they fit, no need to figure out which shirt goes with which pants, etc--not a conscious decision to consistently express a particular stylistic preference.
I am a woman, but my comment was meant to be general. Let's take Steve Jobs and his turtlenecks. Jobs was expressing his taste, the turtlenecks were simple, but they were not a "uniform."

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by michaeljc70 »

I just don't see how it is complicated to have a few pair of jeans and different colored polos. I mean, pretty much any polo would match jeans. I think if you are a genius/billionaire people will let it slide (or even envy it), but otherwise it looks lazy and/or like you have no imagination and/or you put no effort into it. Inevitably there are going to be people that think you are re-wearing dirty clothes too.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by VictoriaF »

michaeljc70 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:46 pm I just don't see how it is complicated to have a few pair of jeans and different colored polos.
Your response is quite different from FedGuy's above. Do you mean that all guys are not the same?

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by michaeljc70 »

VictoriaF wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:51 pm
michaeljc70 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:46 pm I just don't see how it is complicated to have a few pair of jeans and different colored polos.
Your response is quite different from FedGuy's above. Do you mean that all guys are not the same?

Victoria
I guess. lol

I would think if you hate to shop, you could at least buy the same brand polo in a few different colors and same jeans in a few different shades. You can always enlist a wife, sister, friend that is more into style/shopping to help.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by mxs »

dbr wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 6:27 pm It was fine when I had to do that for a few years (Well we got to change from blue to white in the summer and in some instances khaki.). I would not choose to do something that drab on purpose though.
Navy?

Current military here. I do wear a uniform daily not by specific choice, and it does make that part easier. It doesn't hurt that they pay for it. Just go with something somewhat normal, a little color variety, and you are set. You can probably save money with certain choices, and make clothes shopping more specific which may make it easier. I do agree this is likely easier for most males. I personally couldn't care less about peoples clothes most of the time.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by deikel »

Was this not what the 333 challenge was all about ...maybe a year ago or so...its on Netflix if I remember right....

Pretty easy to do for they guys, a bit harder for the gals IMO

I have a bunch of white shirts, handful of black dress pants or black jeans, black shoes, black socks, grey/neutral fleece jacket and the occasional colorful shirt to confuse folks...maybe 33 items total, completely works, takes no thinking in the morning and no one had ever an issue with it, items get replaced when worn out/shabby looking and it takes very little space in the closet.

recommended

The whole 'expressing your personality through your clothes' thing is highly overrated...or maybe I am a bland person... :oops:
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by michaeljc70 »

I've read some, but not all of the posts. If you think appearance plays no role in career advancement, I think you are mistaken. There may be exceptions, and it may be on the margins, but it is still there.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by Ruger »

bob60014 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:24 pm No, but I walked into a Walmart wearing a blue short sleeve polo and khakis and had 4-5 people coming up to me asking where items were. The first two I told them I didn't work there. The others, I played along and helped, told them where the items were. Luckily I knew. I'm glad no one reamed me out about a problem!

Bottom line....be careful! :)
I had the same thing happen several times, but I wasn't wearing anything close to the WalMart uniform. I guess I have a "I work here face". If I knew where an item was, I'd tell them. Otherwise I would let them know I didn't work there.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by tooluser »

michaeljc70 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 8:37 pm I've read some, but not all of the posts. If you think appearance plays no role in career advancement, I think you are mistaken. There may be exceptions, and it may be on the margins, but it is still there.
I know of people in my lifetime who worked in conservative industries and wore no socks and sometimes no shoes and retired as a vice president, and others on the same career track who wore a suit and tie every day until they died at their desk at their entry level. How one dresses is definitely not the most important thing, but one pushes the envelope at some risk, which has both upsides and downsides.

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by Crow Hunter »

I had an actual uniform during my first 10 years of employment. The company both provided them and cleaned/replaced them for us. I liked it, a lot. I wish my current company would do something like that. It is nice to be able to tell who is obviously not an employee at a glance and at the Japanese OEM company I worked for, what their job was.

Current job, I make my own "uniforms". That is what most of the guys call it.

I always wear khakis and a polo with a pocket, I do switch up the colors since my wife buys me different colored ones (and matches them for me because I don't understand what matches apparently) but if she only bought one color, I would wear that. :)

They are my work clothes and I only wear them for work.

Actually, they are sort of a "signature" for me at work. A few months ago I joined my wife's company bowling team and we have a uniform shirt. I wore it to work so I wouldn't have to change when I got home and waste water/energy washing 2 shirts in one day. Everyone thought it was funny I was wearing a bowling shirt instead of my "uniform" shirt. Several of them asked me sarcastically, "So, going bowling?", not really expecting me to say, "Yes, I am on my wife's companies bowling team, see the logo?."

The look on their faces and the following stuttering and word stumbling was pretty comical. :D
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by maroon »

delete...
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by randomguy »

VictoriaF wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:51 pm
michaeljc70 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 7:46 pm I just don't see how it is complicated to have a few pair of jeans and different colored polos.
Your response is quite different from FedGuy's above. Do you mean that all guys are not the same?

Victoria
Nah it is the roughly same advice. The idea is that guys dont' give a crap about their clothes and just don't want to stand out. The problem is going to the monoItem look extreme makes you stand out. Backing off a bit (i.e. you own 3 colors of shirts and 2 brands of pants) keeps it simple but you don't have to worry about standing out. Obviously some guys like to stand out, but those are the exceptions rather than the rule.

For the OP, the question is this a real problem you have (i.e. you spending 5 mins picking out clothes) or a made up one (i.e. you want to be trendy and follow some random kooks advice)? I have enough problems in life without needing to find more:)
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by daveydoo »

JoMoney wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:58 pm ...I've found it seems to be more acceptable if it's not EXACTLY the same thing, i.e. have 3 different color shirts and and just make it matter of rotating through the combinations everyday.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by cantos »

All these posts and I'm surprised no one has mentioned why this has become a thing. It's because of a phenomenon called decision fatigue (google it). The theory is you start the day with a tank of fuel to make decisions. Every decision you make uses up some fuel. By the end of the day/after having made enough decisions, you are out of decision-making fuel, and your decisions after that point are either irrational or conservative (falling back to your preferred status quo). There's some good research to back this up.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by bottlecap »

daveydoo wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:49 pm
bob60014 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:24 pm No, but I walked into a Walmart wearing a blue short sleeve polo and khakis and had 4-5 people coming up to me asking where items were.
Same! Tank top and orange short-shorts to Hooters. Never again.
That's the best post I’ve seen in a while! Hilarious.

Seriously, if picking out a shirt and pair pants is too much for you in the morning, you might have a problem bigger than your clothes.

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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by itstoomuch »

I do this with socks and underwear. :mrgreen:
I think I sometimes forget. :annoyed
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by TD2626 »

bob60014 wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 5:24 pm No, but I walked into a Walmart wearing a blue short sleeve polo and khakis and had 4-5 people coming up to me asking where items were. The first two I told them I didn't work there. The others, I played along and helped, told them where the items were. Luckily I knew. I'm glad no one reamed me out about a problem!

Bottom line....be careful! :)
I literally had a roughly similar experience at a different (big box) store. Unintentionally had khakis and a polo of that store's color on and random people thought I worked there.

Regarding the topic at hand - in my opinion,one should at least consider changing the colors out, or rotating in some slightly different styles now and then. Consider impact on the portfolio - is one in a tenured position where no one would care, or could there be negative job advancement repercussions of having an odd look? Maybe wearing the same exact thing every day doesn't violate the letter of any dress code but if it's obvious, it could violate the spirit.
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by stemikger »

I've been doing this for around a decade and it works for me. My wife is always telling me to add color, but I don't like to shop for clothes and I prefer my uniform. I do have a pair of jeans and a couple of different shirts for the weekend when I go out. However, Monday through Friday I wear a black dress shirt with black pants. I like the way I look in black and feel comfortable and never have to worry about what I'm going to wear.

For the record, I only own 5 or 6 of the same pant and the same with shirts. You don't need 15. This has taken a part of my life and simplified it. I work midnights and never liked wondering what I was going to wear, I'm not good at matching colors and all that comes with it. My uniform was a godsend and I am glad I did it so long ago.

For the record, once you find a nice pair that fits which I did, I now buy my uniform on Amazon and haven't shopped for clothes in years.

I also love to be a minimalist except for my financial books. Everything else in my life is streamlined.
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mouses
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by mouses »

stemikger wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:56 pm
For the record, I only own 5 or 6 of the same pant and the same with shirts. You don't need 15. This has taken a part of my life and simplified it. I work midnights and never liked wondering what I was going to wear, I'm not good at matching colors and all that comes with it. My uniform was a godsend and I am glad I did it so long ago.

For the record, once you find a nice pair that fits which I did, I now buy my uniform on Amazon and haven't shopped for clothes in years.
You need 15 if the manufacturer stops making the item. 15 lets you coast for a few years. Like, it is impossible to find natural waist jeans for women nowadays. Even the ones that claim to be ride several inches below the waist.
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stemikger
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by stemikger »

mouses wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:12 am
stemikger wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:56 pm
For the record, I only own 5 or 6 of the same pant and the same with shirts. You don't need 15. This has taken a part of my life and simplified it. I work midnights and never liked wondering what I was going to wear, I'm not good at matching colors and all that comes with it. My uniform was a godsend and I am glad I did it so long ago.

For the record, once you find a nice pair that fits which I did, I now buy my uniform on Amazon and haven't shopped for clothes in years.
You need 15 if the manufacturer stops making the item. 15 lets you coast for a few years. Like, it is impossible to find natural waist jeans for women nowadays. Even the ones that claim to be ride several inches below the waist.
With all due respect, I think you are overthinking it. If they discontinue them, I'm sure you can find something similar on Amazon. I am a 53 year old male and I do need an expanded waist and Lee has exactly what I need, but many others make the same type of pants. Having said that, if you want to buy 15, go for it. 5 to 7 has worked for me and when they start looking worn, I replace them.
Choose Simplicity ~ Stay the Course!! ~ Press on Regardless!!!
Cruise
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by Cruise »

OP: Everyone has a brand, a schema by which they are known. Do you really want your brand to be associated with a lack of fashion sense and eccentricity? Wouldn’t you rather be known as the smart/creative/reliable/<insert here> coworker/subordinate/ prospective promotee?
casun
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by casun »

i've been wearing the same thing every day for a couple of years. i decided to do it for two reasons - 1) fewer decisions 2) some clothing combinations were more comfortable than others and i started regretting the clothing choices that were not the most comfortable. i ended up picking the most comfortable jean/shirt combo and bought five sets.
hudson
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by hudson »

Coach Jim Harbaugh would probably like this discussion:

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/jim- ... m-walmart/
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bampf
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by bampf »

Dress shirt, sport coat and jeans. Three different jeans, three different shirts. Three different sport coats. Probably a total of 10 shirts, 6 jeans and 6 coats. Doesn't matter which I wear with what, they all fit, they all work and I could quite literally give a rats a$$ about them. They look fine and that is all that matters. Let's me move on to real problems.
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TomatoTomahto
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by TomatoTomahto »

cantos wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 10:53 pm All these posts and I'm surprised no one has mentioned why this has become a thing. It's because of a phenomenon called decision fatigue (google it). The theory is you start the day with a tank of fuel to make decisions. Every decision you make uses up some fuel. By the end of the day/after having made enough decisions, you are out of decision-making fuel, and your decisions after that point are either irrational or conservative (falling back to your preferred status quo). There's some good research to back this up.
It’s also related to willpower fatigue. It’s why you don’t have chocolate on the kitchen counter if you’re trying to lose weight, so as to not have to decide not to eat some every time you walk by.
I get the FI part but not the RE part of FIRE.
mouses
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by mouses »

stemikger wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:18 am
mouses wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 12:12 am
stemikger wrote: Fri Nov 10, 2017 11:56 pm
For the record, I only own 5 or 6 of the same pant and the same with shirts. You don't need 15. This has taken a part of my life and simplified it. I work midnights and never liked wondering what I was going to wear, I'm not good at matching colors and all that comes with it. My uniform was a godsend and I am glad I did it so long ago.

For the record, once you find a nice pair that fits which I did, I now buy my uniform on Amazon and haven't shopped for clothes in years.
You need 15 if the manufacturer stops making the item. 15 lets you coast for a few years. Like, it is impossible to find natural waist jeans for women nowadays. Even the ones that claim to be ride several inches below the waist.
With all due respect, I think you are overthinking it. If they discontinue them, I'm sure you can find something similar on Amazon. I am a 53 year old male and I do need an expanded waist and Lee has exactly what I need, but many others make the same type of pants. Having said that, if you want to buy 15, go for it. 5 to 7 has worked for me and when they start looking worn, I replace them.
I'm not talking about an expanded waist. I'm talking about sitting at the natural waist, not lower. I have spent a good deal of time trying to find natural waist jeans sold currently, and they do not exist, despite false claims by the manufacturers.
mouses
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by mouses »

Cruise wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:52 am OP: Everyone has a brand, a schema by which they are known. Do you really want your brand to be associated with a lack of fashion sense and eccentricity? Wouldn’t you rather be known as the smart/creative/reliable/<insert here> coworker/subordinate/ prospective promotee?
Who equates being smart, creative, and reliable with paying attention to fashion, one of the least worthwhile activities on the planet.
simmias
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by simmias »

Cruise wrote: Sat Nov 11, 2017 2:52 am OP: Everyone has a brand, a schema by which they are known. Do you really want your brand to be associated with a lack of fashion sense and eccentricity? Wouldn’t you rather be known as the smart/creative/reliable/<insert here> coworker/subordinate/ prospective promotee?
Fifteen pieces of flair is just the minimum! It's up to you whether you want to be known for just doing the bare minimum.

:oops:
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tangy
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Re: Thouhgts about wearing a "uniform"/same thing everyday?

Post by tangy »

Your clothing is your personal brand. Something to be said for consistency (marketing person here).

As a female, this feels wrong. But males have it a bit less intense in the wardrobe department. I would change it up a bit. You don't need to go beyond the basics, but show a touch of creativity. Be interesting.
Who is John Galt ?
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