{Image via }
A few days ago, on one of my late night Google-anything-and-everything adventures, I stumbled across an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, where he states that he owns twenty of the same gray t-shirt. I later read an article on President Barack Obama and how he only wears blue and gray in order to take the decision-making process out of his morning routine. I thought this was really interesting and then remembered Steve Jobs’ black turtlenecks.
{Image via The Next Web}
Many celebrities and public figures become iconic because of their signature ‘look.’ And their look can definitely be their uniform. I think it’s cool that some people have a signature uniform, even in the public eye. Our society really puts pressure on everyone to be , or in other words… constantly buying new ‘stuff.’ By wearing the same thing everyday it really sends a message that you can have your own sense of style and won’t give in to the norm. While it’s mostly men who embrace the uniform, Grace Coddington and Carrie Donovan are great examples of female fashion personalities who wear all black.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit, but I try not to be seen in the same outfit twice and I make sure that I’m never photographed in a previous outfit. I know this is crazy and seems so silly. I’m sure no one pays that much attention to what I’m wearing, but I know most of my friends feel exactly how I do. Because of this paranoia, I’m constantly on the hunt for new clothes. Do you ever think we as a culture (especially women) could cut down on excess spending and consuming by making it less of a fashion faux pas to repeat outfits? We all know there are many ways to create more than one outfit from only a few pieces, but that’s hard to do! Of course a signature look makes it a little easier by being able to repeatedly wear the same pieces over and over.
The distress of being labeled an ‘outfit-repeater’ (remember ?) seems to be centered in America. Caroline Webber, a French professor that travels to France frequently, explains that French women don’t shop as much as American women do, but instead they focus on wearing a few high quality pieces. And they don’t mind repeating them! She says, and I quote… “A French woman would much rather be seen in the same little black dress or the same little tailored blue jacket or the same pair of shoes over and over again and have that be her uniform and know that she looks great and that it’s perfectly fitted to her body, and that it’s the highest quality. I think there is an American mentality of reckless consumerism…” (Read Webber’s full take on French Vs. American fashion here).
{Image via the Uniform Project}
I’m not quite ready to part with my seasonally-organized and color-coordinated walk-in closet, but I think there’s a compelling argument to being uniformed. If I ever dare to reinvent myself maybe I’ll go all black.
What are your thoughts on having a signature look? Do any of you already have a signature look? And if you do, what was your motivation behind it (along with fashion of course)?
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