Men already have a uniform for work - the suit.
But I got over that really quick in high school. I just think it's too much work now. For years, I wore a shirt and tie at work to appear professional. And considering how young I look, it helped tremendously in being taken seriously. But I realized that I didn't want to look like an old CEO (well, not yet). I wanted to look like a young professional but with more an entrepreneurial spirit.
So I decided to create my own personal uniform. The inspiration to develop and commit to the idea of the uniform came from this article. An art director wears the same exact ensemble everyday - white top and black slacks. It's brilliant and in so many ways.
Brilliant, firstly because it provides consistency. I consider LividOvid to be my personal brand and having a personal brand means a lot of care has to been taken to protect that brand. Everything from your mannerisms, behavior, style, and associations all represent your image. When you have a consistent look, people will instantly be reminded of your brand's values and philosophies - given that you always uphold those values and philosophies in your work and attitude.
Secondly, it's effortless. I don't have to think about what to wear like women do. I just put clothes on and go. And I don't have to go through the hassle with buttoning up and shirt and putting on a tie every morning.
My uniform consists of skinny jeans or pants and a solid v-neck shirt with a blazer on top. My color palette tends to be black, white, or grey but I throw in some color or pattern every now and then. Right now I've been REALLY into florals and floral print tees. If I'm feeling crazy, I like to mix things up with a patterned tea or different colored pants and blazers.
If you're curious, some of the stores I like to shop from are H&M, Express, Zara, TopMan, and Armani Exchange.
For my day job, it makes it so much easier to dress in the morning and not have to think about it. It's comfortable yet stylish. If I feel like it, I'll add a cardigan or a vest. In the winter, I bring out the pea coats.
In an effort to be consistent, I tend to buy same article of clothing in many different colors.
For LividOvid jobs, I always wear all black. It's professional and also very low-key - as a fine art business owner, I want to direct more focus on my work and my clients rather myself. Also, in photography, black doesn't reflect light when I'm photographing subjects.
This works for me because I'm able to look presentable in professional settings but when it gets time to really dive into my work, I can take the jacket off and work comfortably in the outfit I'm in.
I used to do gigs wearing some kind of suit and tie situation. I probably looked really good but I was really uncomfortable. It's very limiting. And clothes should be the last thing that limit you from doing any work.
The idea is to maintain an image that people expect to see you in. Even if you don't speak or do anything, others will see you and be reminded that they can always expect something great from you. It's a great a thing when your presence alone can speak a million great praises about you.
I know looks don't always matter and who you are personally transcends beyond what any outfit might seem to represent. But the way you present yourself can be very beneficial especially when you want to showcase your work and abilities in a positive light.
The saying goes something like, "Never judge a book by its cover..." but I like Elle Woods' response:
"A book with a tattered cover never leaves the shelf."
