A common style uniform of mine: turtleneck + chunky sweater + high-waisted wide leg corduroys + sneakers
Despite taking a full 18 credit hour course load, plus my bajillion student activities and outside obligations, I wear a "real" outfit practically every single day to school. Since starting college, I've very, very, very rarely ever worn athleisure to class as my #fit of the day. Some of my peers have told me how they could never get dressed up on the daily for class because it'd be too much effort, but honestly, most days, it takes me the same amount of time and effort as it would for anyone else to throw on a pair of black leggings and a hoodie. I tend to roll out of bed <20 minutes before I'm supposed to leave for class, so it's not like I'm some special person with boatloads of time to dedicate to getting dressed.
My "secret:" the quickest, easiest way to make getting ready in the morning painless while ensuring your outfit still slays is to develop outfit formulas, AKA a style uniform. With an established outfit formula/style uniform, looking nice every day for class, work, etc. is easy breezy Covergirl!!! What Exactly is an Outfit Formula/Style Uniform?
An outfit formula is just that: a tried-and-true "recipe" for outfits where you can easily swap pieces out to create new looks, all while using that same general basic combination. Think a particular silhouette of pants + type of top + kind of shoe. Ex: straight-leg jeans + oversized button-up with a French tuck + sneakers -- but an outfit formula can be as specific or as vague as is applicable for you. Hypothetically, you could have just 1 pair of jeans but maybe 3 button-up shirts in 3 different colors, so with that same pair of jeans, you could have 3 different outfits. Then if you have 2 pairs of sneakers, that's 6 distinct outfits all from 1 outfit formula.
Then what about a style uniform? To me, a style uniform is the specific outfit uniform that is most recognizable as your personal aesthetic. Steve Jobs and his iconic black turtleneck + mid-wash jeans is probably the most overt example of this (and similarly, girlboss scammer Elizabeth Holmes in her "glory" days in a black turtleneck + black slacks) , but something more general like wearing certain silhouettes/types of items most days is also a style uniform. So basically, IMO, it's a square vs. rectangle situation -- all style uniforms are outfit uniforms, but not all outfit uniforms are your personal style uniform. But for the purpose of today's post, Iâll be using the two interchangeably! The Benefits of an Outfit Formula
If you have outfit formulas at the ready in your back pocket, getting dressed requires much less brainpower. Instead of having to create a whole look entirely from scratch, you can easily rotate the pieces you have with other pieces you already know will work based on your established outfit formula.
In addition, being cognizant of your outfit formulas helps you make smart purchasing decisions. This is really the core premise of the capsule wardrobe. In a capsule wardrobe, the intent is to have everything be interchangeable with everything else you own, and the only new pieces you buy are ones that can fit into your existing combinations. While having every single item in your closet mix and match with all other corresponding items is not the goal for the vast majority of us, it's still good to keep in mind that general idea of proof of concept -- knowing that anything you buy that fits into a pre-existing outfit formula is more likely to be a worthwhile purchase. If you are into fashion as a hobby, then relying on outfit formulas might seem uninspiring. However, it's not like you have to utilize your style uniform every time you get dressed; it's simply a useful tool to have when you know you want to achieve a certain vibe or aesthetic, or when you still want to be able to express your personal style even when it's simply not practical to be super creative (AKA most school days for me with limited time in the morning). Lastly, making good use of your style uniform in your daily life is great for developing your distinct Look, and -- as I'll get into soon -- outfit formulas tend to naturally derive from your personal style anyway; you don't have to force an outfit formula onto your style. When I wear my typical style uniform, which is what I gravitate towards anyway, I know I look and feel like Me, and I'm not even that late to class! Developing Outfit Formulas
Creating outfit formulas/your style uniform ultimately is a matter of (you guessed it) finding your personal style. This is a topic that could be an entire series on this blog, and it's already been talked about so much on YouTube, Reddit, and literally anywhere else style content can be found -- so I'll be relatively brief here.
I hinted at this earlier, but most of the work goes into making wise purchases. Even though the "putting-outfits-together" part is very easy if you have your formulas, it's the "building-up-your-wardrobe" part that takes more effort. It can take me a LONG time to buy things because I know I only wear pants that are super high rise, clothes in a limited color palette, certain patterns of a certain scale, etc. -- so it's hard for me to find pieces that fit my specific style criteria. However, despite all the trials and tribulations, having a well-curated closet is so key to fleshing out your style, making the effort so worth it. With those style criteria in mind, even though my vast collection of clothing certainly does not encapsulate a capsule wardrobe, I still use a similar philosophy of mostly only buying stuff that can be easily mixed and matched with my existing items into my outfit formulas -- unconsciously at this point since I have a fairly good grasp on my style now. Again, it doesn't feel restrictive since it's just what I already like to wear regardless. To help develop your personal style, and thus come up with your style uniform, consider some of these questions:
My Style Uniform
A variation of my style uniform: turtleneck + button-up + chunky sweater + wide-leg corduroy pants. Photo by Lauren Alexa Photography.
Really, I highly recommend considering outfit formulas for your fashion arsenal. It makes getting dressed super easy and super quick (and more sustainable), and it doesn't have to be limiting if they organically develop from your personal style. While you certainly don't have to wear your style uniform every day, it's useful both from a personal style standpoint and from a practical standpoint.
Stay pragmatic and stylish, my friends. IG: @glowymino
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about @glowyminoI have dry skin and very dry and textured lips. I also have a medium-light skintone (somewhere in the realm of NC25-30) with strong warm yellow/olive undertones. I have a tendency to prefer a glowy, lightweight base and color cosmetics in shades of a warm undertone. Read more about me in the about page! Archives
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