Uniform
I don't know what I'll wear today.
For the last year or so, I've boiled down my wardrobe to a handful of pieces that I wear 90% of the time. The other 10% are special clothes, maybe not the most comfortable, but the most stylish for sure.
I used to explore my personal style a lot more during college. I went to art school for 3 years (my 1st year was online), and the daily contest of expression through fashion there was more competitive than in any other environment I’d ever lived in. Naturally, I absorbed what people around me were wearing, and even though I was far from being the edgiest dresser, it's fair to say that at the time I'd be someone who the average fashion enthusiast would at least observe for a second as we'd cross paths in the street never to see each other again.
Nowadays I wear a plain grey t-shirt for 4-6 days in a week.
I do still participate in my pants game, but even those pieces aren't too loud - they only bring enough variation so that I don't get too bored.
My shift to conformity came as my life became more regular, as I went from a fresh adult straight out of college to a 'still-fresh' adult, but a more lived one. I believe that life has a certain pace, and my style may subconsciously reflect that.
I’ve always worn grey T-shirts - as I’m sure most people in today’s world have at some point - but not as regularly as I do now.
I feel like the grey T-shirt is the most “default” thing you can wear. Black T-shirts are the staple of designers, and white T-shirts have recently become a fashion statement — particularly for men, following the popularity of the show The Bear, where the main character, Carmy, famously wore the same white Merz B. Schwanen muscle tee for the entire show. The grey t-shirt, sitting between those two big pillars of the modern wardrobe, has so far remained unseen.
My priority when it comes to fashion nowadays is comfort. I am fortunate enough to have a regular full-time job where personal style is not a requirement. I've found that grey t-shirts are extremely comfortable and on average stretchier than plain color t-shirts, probably due to the way the textile is woven.
I like people who have their own uniform. It’s a quiet statement, but a lasting one. Maybe it’s too soon for me to say that the grey T-shirt is my uniform, but I don’t see its expiry date coming anytime soon.
If you're interested in great basic t-shirts, here is a list of my go-to daily ones (I am not sponsored by any of these brands by the way):
- Front General Store Cotton-Rayon T-shirt - $40
- Front General Store Cotton-Rayon Pocket T-shirt - $45
- Buck Mason Pima classic tee - $48
- Hering Regular World Tee (a Brazilian brand) ~ $14