What’s in a uniform? Well, on a basic level, consistency.
A uniform expresses the confidence of striding into a beloved restaurant, sitting at your favorite table, and ordering the usual. On a higher level, it represents self-knowledge. It’s an expression of who you are and how you present yourself to the public.
A uniform is about associations. This can be a color (Johnny Cash was ‘the man in black’), or the lack of something (Steve Jobs in his mock turtleneck sweater). Some people have strong personalities, and they counteract this by underdressing — think Giorgio Armani, playing against type with his navy T-shirt and jeans. If you’re a celebrated designer then do as you like, but the rest of us need to aim higher. It’s really about commitment and dedication. People have to sense that you’ve made decisions, and that you’ve stuck with them.
And while a uniform is often rigorous, it can also be whimsical. You can wear a bow tie or a colored scarf, oversized eyeglasses or a signature scent. The key is that it reflects a sense of who you are. Do men embrace uniforms more than women? Probably. This may have started in corporate life, or it may simply be that women have so much more to choose from.
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A good one sets the term of engagement, conveying a sense of authority or even a secret pleasure (perhaps inviting danger with a different pair of Belgian Shoes every day). A uniform doesn’t reveal a lack of imagination, it shows a well-edited mind. A strong start is a dark, double-breasted suit with a nearly matching knit tie and an off-white shirt with a generous collar. In correct proportions this communicates the rigor of a master sushi chef who never sullies his art with something as novel as the California roll.
Approach your uniform the same way you approach your house wine. A Pinot Noir pleases most of the people most of the time. The sartorial equivalent is the best version of something well-loved — a tailored blue suit (made in Milan or on Savile Row, where they still care about blue suits) a la Bill Nighy. If you want something more rarefied, say an aged Barolo, we’re thinking chalk stripes or subtle tweeds.
Now we’re not Elton John or David Byrne, we don’t need to be theatrical or reinvent the wheel. One good fortune about being a man is that we’ve had established style protocols for a century which really aren’t hard to follow — you could dress like Fred Astaire or walk out of Ralph Lauren and never set a foot wrong.
Remember that a uniform is not the last word — it can evolve. I’ve had many. The first that I really worked on was a pair of gray flannel trousers, brown suede shoes, a navy sport coat that varied depending on the season, and pale-blue dress shirts. The only choice I had to make each morning was which tie to wear. The rotation was narrow, I was a young man, and I saved up to buy more shirts. I wore the shoes into the ground.
This was a conservative uniform, but a strong element can change all that. One summer I wore a pair of white bucks every day. They were blinding in May and really hit their stride, so to speak, once they had acquired a patina by September. (I’m so committed to those shoes, they appear on the cover of my book, Men and Style). An accessory can be a powerful ally and make a uniform your own, whether it’s a pair of tortoiseshell glasses or a vintage Cartier watch.
See also: Can Men Wear Shorts to a Business Meeting?
How do we arrive at our uniform? Well, it takes time. You know a lot about yourself as you approach 40. You may have had phases, some more winning than others. If you’re lucky they don’t show up at the top of the page when somebody Googles your name. Be patient. When you try a serious drink, like aged grappa, the first sip is strong, the second still serious, and the third is smooth. An ambitious uniform is like that too. The first time you wear something different, people may comment. Ignore them. The second time they notice, they may still chirp. The third time it’s your thing and it’s expected of you. You’ve created a new reality.
So you’re not into tailoring? An effective uniform has to be wide-ranging enough to work in all the places that you do, from uptown to downtown, office to club, bar to studio. It should reassure the people you might want to impress. It helps if it mildly upsets your nemesis; when you run into them, they’ll be overwhelmed by your sense of self-possession.
A uniform describes a man who is at one with himself. Because he needs nothing more, his audience doesn’t either. He is undistracted by the vagaries of the runway and never navigates obsolescence. Why concern yourself with the latest trend when you’re a man for all seasons?
