I had a math professor in college who wore the same pair of Levi’s corduroys every day. Eventually, he replaced them and looked really, really, uncomfortable in his new pair of Levi’s corduroys. If he had bought five pairs at once, he could have been relaxed about his clothing for far longer!
Such an interesting discussion. Years ago I read a NY Times article about someone who only wore black and white as it simplified dressing choices.The older I get the more it appeals.
The last week I’ve been home cleaning closets and working on house buying and selling. I have realized I am thrilled to wear my yoga pants till done with morning exercise, jeans and LS T with vest for the rest of the day. Color is an irritant in the decision making. But am surprised at myself, as I love color, and once loved fashion design. Maybe a young folks game. Black, grey and green are sufficient, with down or polar fleece vests.
NRSb4, I spend my work life in my comfy royal blue scrubs as well, and the employer will even wash them for me. Makes life so easy!
High five, Pizza Girl! Similar Midwestern location and I am sports clueless by intent, well, make that intentional apathy.
I love that - intentional apathy. I may borrow that phrase, but I’ll give you full credit!
I have always thought scrubs would be the ultimate work outfit, other than the possible problem of being cold. They’d be even better if the employer demanded a certain color and/or washed them.
Freshmen Parents’ Weekend is next weekend, and choice of clothes is giving me stress.
A friend who’s a sr. exec. wears black pants with a white or ivory blouse every day, along with a jacket in black or a solid color. Outside of work, she wears a solid color polo with jeans or shorts. She has two or three black dresses that she rotates for events, but most of her social life is very casual (BBQs at her lake house.) Dh was surprised by how much I love her attitude toward clothes since I tend to wear more color and pattern.
I wouldn’t want to wear the same color daily, but would be happy to find 1 - 3 styles of 3/4 sleeve tops that could be purchased in multiple colors to wear with jeans (or light knit pants for at home.) Guilt over past expenditures is all that’s stopping me from donating 90% of my wardrobe to a charity shop and then only replacing about 1/4 of it with simple basics. (I should go read the Bag a Week thread again.)
Dh & I are also “sports clueless by intent” (great phrase!) which makes us oddballs in an area where football is akin to a religion and one must declare one’s team affiliation upon moving to the area.
My spouse wears scrubs almost all the time, no matter what the season. They’re folded in huge stacks on our closet floor and he just grabs new ones every day. The only time he would change from them is if we are running errands (beyond a quick stop) or if we are going out to eat. It enables my son, who is the same size and works in a nice-business-casual situation (with some business-suit occasions mixed in), to get suits, shirts, pants and sweaters from dad’s closet, hence de-cluttering us AND saving money at the same time!
“Freshmen Parents’ Weekend is next weekend, and choice of clothes is giving me stress.”
See, that’s actually the kind of thing I love! I love planning and packing stuff to wear. I am going to Florida in 2.5 weeks and I already picked out the color palettes I’m wearing (one color palette is aqua blues and greens, the other is black and white) and am pretty much all packed except for a few toiletries!
My sister has worn mostly black clothing for years. She does add a little color which changes over time (usually a single color at a time), wears very current cuts and siloettes and her clothes are high quality. She always looks terrific.
I taught with a lady who had a “uniform” she wore to school, but it took years to notice. Black or khaki twill trousers, short sleeved solid colored polo, knit cardigan jacket in various solid colors. All ordered from LandsEnd back when their quality was great. She said she could read lots of books in the time she wasn’t shopping!
I think there are people who do uniforms in kind of a don’t-notice-me, basic-clothing way, and there are people who do uniforms with very upscale, fine quality clothing where it has a whole different look. Both are understated but understated in different ways.
^ I agree, pg. My sister is in the second category.
“Uniform” dressing can be liberating as long as you are willing to periodically reassess and change your look as needed. Recently I have started wearing almost all dresses to work. As I’ve aged, my waist has thickened, no matter what I do, and I just don’t feel that comfortable in trousers anymore, because if they fit in the waist they are baggy in the hips and thighs and vice versa… I used to wear trousers and jackets, but i now feel better in a dress, scarf, cardigan, and boots. Things evolve. In the summer I wear dresses and sandals all the time. My legs are still OK.