The Uniform Speaks for Itself
Hello you! *cue Moira Rose voice.* Well it seems we’ve made it through the first weeks of the new year so congrats to myself as well as all of you. I’ve been thinking about how fashion provides us with a uniform, so to speak. We all wear a uniform that silently lets our fellow man know something about us. In the same way that a doctor wears a white coat or a janitor a worker’s jumpsuit, we too wear a uniform whether you’re aware of it or not. Walking down the street, I observe this daily. I notice the power suit on the woman briskly walking past me and I infer that she is in a position of authority. I see the handsome young man wearing clean Yeezy shoes and I deduce that he is a sneaker-head with an eye for modern fashions and taste. As for myself, I’m wearing black Ugg minis, biker shorts with an oversized tee and floor-length black fur coat. What does this say about me? I think it says that I never sacrifice comfort for style and I have a flair for the overly dramatic. My closet speaks for me when I don’t want to, or better yet, it speaks for me whether I want it to or not or even if I’m aware of it or not. So what’s your uniform? How and what does your closet communicate for you?
In my opinion and experience this non-verbal conversation we’re having all the time via fashion tells us a lot about our confidence level, social and economic status and even our identities. Our closets fuel this by being a bank depositing different characters each day. Think of your wardrobe being a direct reflection of your brain. Each day you wake up and your mood, energy, etc. is different. Your brain deals you a new hand every morning and that’s how your day will proceed and your clothing will reflect this. Factor in culture, society and posture and you become a walking story; open your mouth and now you’re the narrator to your own biography.
So, what happens when you have a story to tell but your illustrations, or your clothing, isn’t conveying the correct message? How can you correct this mismatch tale? There’s only one way to approach this and that is to experiment. How will you know unless you try? You won’t! First, dress for you and not for anyone else. If you smile when you wear a daisy pattern dress or that one special red dress, then wear it. Don’t allow someone else to dictate how you express your memoir. Next, there are some questions and markers you can assess to determine how to tell your story via your wardrobe.
● What does your ideal “uniform” look like?
● If money wasn’t an issue how would you dress?
● Do you keep journals? If so, look over old ones to get a good idea about your
true personality.
● What about your style do you wish to change?
● Ask family and friends about how they would describe your personality.
The beautiful thing about expressing yourself through style is that you can change it literally from day to day, just as easy as your mood can change, your self-expression can as well. Don’t feel the need to have a strictly minimalist or maximalist closet, you have the privilege and ability to constantly change - take advantage of this to show all sides of your personality. With this being said, don’t try and emulate someone else’s look, but rather follow your own rhythm and trust your attraction to certain pieces. By allowing yourself to do this you may find that you’re attracted to a certain color palette, or even develop your own trademark accessory or flair for doing things. This article is only confirming what you already know and have within you. As your “closet correspondent,” I have seen many who fall prey to following trends or wearing what others would find acceptable. I find it sad that those people can’t express who they truly are and hopefully after reading this you won’t be one of them.
Sincerely,
The Closet Correspondent
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