The Shore Life According to M: Creating a Personal Uniform

Let's have a little chat about why creating a personal uniform will actually make your life easier. Have you ever wasted time in the morning by standing in front of your closet scrounging for the perfect outfit to wear, but after throwing something on and running out the door you're still not satisfied? Yeah..me too. I can definitely say searching for something to wear has made me late at least a time or two. Aside from picking my outfits ahead of time for the week, I have also found that creating a personal uniform is helpful. This personal uniform helps me to save time, minimizes morning stress, and provides me with a signature look. Three things that are pretty valuable.

Most people hear the word uniform and think of two things: sports teams or catholic school. This personal uniform is neither of these things. Additionally, a common thought is that a uniform is pretty dull. Contrary to belief, this personal uniform will help you be consistent and fun in your fashion choices. Thus giving people a way to remember you. Think about some large icons- Jackie Kennedy was known for her distinct style, Mark Zuckerberg and his plethora of gray t-shirts, and Vera Wang's constant get up of leggings and tunics just to name a few. The personal uniform does not have to consist of you wearing the same exact outfit everyday. However it is what you create it to be- there are no rules. Below are the simple steps I took to build my uniform. Your steps might be different, but my hope is that these will at least inspire you to begin.

Gather inspiration

I began by creating a pinterest board filled with outfits, color palettes, and patterns that I liked. After an extended time of pinning, I sorted through the pins to get rid of the ones that just didn't seem to belong. Doing this helped me come up with a central theme for my uniform.

Eventually, I created pinterest boards based on the seasons. Overall, my color palette stays the same, but the articles of clothing change based on the temperature. My theme seems to be classic prep featuring hues of blues, white, grays, and pinks. As far as patterns go you will be able to find lots of stripes, a ton of plaid, and a little bit of leopard as well as polka dots.

Create guidelines

Use the theme you're looking to achieve to set guidelines for the pieces you'll add to your wardrobe. My advice would be to stick to the classics rather than the trendy stuff.

My guidelines were to find pieces that I could mix and match rather than something I could only wear with one top. Additionally, I tried to stick with the themes I created too.

Find your signature accessories and stick to them

Choose a few go to accessories and wear them continuously. You honestly don't need a hundred pairs of different earrings, the same Kendra Scott necklace in every color, nor a ton of headbands. Less is more when it comes to accessorizing. Keeping your accessories to a minimum ensures that they match your theme, allows you to spend less time focusing on how you will accessorize each day, and it gives you something to remembered by.

This was an easy thing for me to figure out. I am known for my love of pearl and monograms. My signature accessories would be stud earrings, a peal necklace, a simple silver bracelet, my Fitbit, and something monogrammed (either my necklace or ring).

Find items that look good and make you feel good

Don't buy something just because it's trendy. Purchase items that actually look good on you. You are more likely to wear an article of clothing that fits you well. When it fits well, it will make you feel good.

Crop tops have been all the rage the last few years. I've kindly declined to jump on the crop top train. They don't flatter my figure plus they make me feel super self conscious. Another article of clothing that I refuse to wear are denim shorts. They just don't fit my style plus I find them incredibly uncomfortable.

Remember this is an investment

It's important to keep in mind that you are working to build a long lasting wardrobe. You are not searching for the cheapest trendiest items. You want to be particular with what you buy. This might be splurging on some items here and there, which is totally okay. Quality of quantity is key here.

In the past few years I have opted for more expensive shoes. They are all timeless looking, top quality, and will last me longer than a cheaper version.

So what does my personal uniform look like?

I have a business casual uniform. You can checkout some of those looks here. They mainly consist of nude or black shoes, stripes, and cardigans. My weekend uniform consists of athleisure (black leggings, sneakers, and an oversized long sleeve shirt) or something casual (jeans, a simple top, a comfortable over sized cardigan, and booties).