Harpers Bazaar recently published an article by Matilda Kahl where the art director discussed her choice to wear the same outfit to work every day and how this choice to simplify her work attire has made her life much less stressful. It is an interesting article, particularly because it seems counter intuitive for a woman in a creative industry with license to wear anything to choose to don the same uniform to work each day. But her choice to simplify her life makes sense.
The article got me thinking about the uniform I wear every day to work. Law firms tend to be a conservative place. Although practicing law on the West Coast means freedom from wearing a business suit, lawyers still have to look professional. I love fashion but have to balance that with the unspoken conservative dress code and the lack of time (and frankly the unwillingness to waste time) to labor over the daily question of what to wear. My solution is a curated work wardrobe of my favorite staple- the dress.
Wearing a dress means I only have to pick one item of clothing. I pick a dress, slip on heels and I am ready to go. If I have a client meeting that day, I throw on the traditional black blazer that hangs in my office. If I have extra time in the morning and feel inspired, I can always experiment with layering jewelry, adding a waist defining belt or sporting a higher heel. The dress gives me some creative freedom but doesn’t have multiple degrees of freedom to result in paralysis by analysis each morning.