I saw the Queen yesterday (the day I wore jeans). More on that later as I didn’t have the energy to write last night.
This morning my friend made me chuckle with a link to an Inc. article – Why Successful People Wear the Same Thing Every Day
You see by wearing the same thing, or roughly the same thing, they increase productivity by reducing their daily decisions. Take the likes of Dr. Dre (only wears Nike Air Force 1) Obama (only wears grey or blue suits) and Steve Jobs, who became known for his black turtleneck, jeans, and New Balance combo. The entrepreneur/author of the article, Craig Bloem rarely strays from Levi’s 513 and Lululemon jackets himself. I am, by total coincidence doing my American techie look in Patagonia and pre-loved Levis.
Here’s how Craig Bloem’s advice stacks-up for successful women and what I’ve learnt from the Six Items Challenge so far. Intertwined with looks from the Richard Quinn show that the Queen (and I) attended.
“You’ll waste less time.
I hate wasting time. Having a regular uniform makes it quick and easy to get dressed. Rather than deliberating for five or even ten minutes, I can grab my outfit, throw it on, and get started on the more important things on my to-do list.
A go-to outfit also saves loads of time shopping. You know what you’re looking for and can get right to your favorite store. Or better yet, if you know your size, style, and color, you can order everything online — without the annoyance of sending back returns.”
…Or the environmental impact of all those online shopping shipments. Okay, I’m with him there and I’ve definitely saved time which is great on early mornings during a crazy-busy work schedule. I don’t miss it yet, but the deliberating can also bring delight when you’re enjoying a try-on session for five, ten, or even 30 minutes.
“2. You’ll save brainpower.
As Obama said in an interview with Vanity Fair, “You need to focus your decision-making energy. You need to routinize yourself. You can’t be going through the day distracted by trivia.”
When you wear the same thing, you’re one step closer to avoiding the distraction of trivia. It takes no thought to get dressed in the morning. You can channel all that decision-making power directly into growing your business.”
It definitely depends what your business is. I am sure Queen Elizabeth examined her skirt suit before the surprise stop at London Fashion Week. However, it is true that many fashion icons have go-to shapes, styles and colours that they return to again and again – just like American Vogue Editor, Anna Wintour who was wearing her signature colourful prints, neutral boots – most likely Manolo and big sunglasses whilst sat next to the Queen at Richard Quinn’s show.
“3. You’ll always feel good in what you’re wearing.
If you choose your clothes for comfort, they’ll always feel good. If you choose them for style, you’ll always think they look good on you (even if others disagree). Either way, you’ll feel good about what you’re wearing. It’s an automatic confidence boost.
I constantly get made fun of by my friends and family for wearing the same thing, but it works. See if it could work for you.”
I don’t normally document my outfits, but I have to say it’s quite useful to see if an outfit is working the way you thought it was in the mirror. If it’s true that on average we make 35,000 decisions a day then saving brain power with less sartorial decisions might be worth a try.
I don’t think you have to wear the same thing every day, but knowing your wardrobe, knowing go-to combinations and actually wearing everything in your wardrobe could arguably be the uniform for success.
Lady in lavender – the back of Fashion icon Erin O’Connor MBE
©Photographs Reclaimed Woman