Obama does the same thing (for reason #1): http://www.fastcompany.com/3026265/work-smart/always-wear-th...
It might be a bit mundane, but I can appreciate the pragmatism.
Ask HN: Uniforms
11–20 of 21 posts
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#12It's broadly positive as long as the person's clothes are clean. Occasionally I've run into someone who seemed superficially well-dressed but when I got close to them I realized their clothes were falling apart, which is sad in multiple ways. If you're going to do this, get someone to help you in figuring out what looks good, and spend money on it, ie if you end up wearing a blazer and jeans and a t-shirt, get the bl…
It's not hard to tell the difference between an outfit that looks good and an outfit that looks bad. I think you advice is flawed. Maybe people like you seek to validate yourself by asking for others opinion about what you should wear in order to impress other people, but you shouldn't assume everyone else needs other persons validation.
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#13I do. (The number of layers varies with the temperature.) May I ask the opposite question? Why do many people change outfits almost every day? Do they derive satisfaction from the process of choosing clothes? Or do they derive satisfaction from the fact that other people notice these changes? As you point out, choosing and owning different outfits comes at a cost, and people who choose to do so must have a reason for…
Why do many people change outfits almost every day?
Well, you're going to change clothes every day, so why not add some variety? Plus different outfits for different contexts, of course.
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#14I do. (The number of layers varies with the temperature.) May I ask the opposite question? Why do many people change outfits almost every day? Do they derive satisfaction from the process of choosing clothes? Or do they derive satisfaction from the fact that other people notice these changes? As you point out, choosing and owning different outfits comes at a cost, and people who choose to do so must have a reason for…
Some people just like dressing up. Other's like to feel confident and they choose to take that confidence from their choice of clothing. Whether this is a good or a bad thing is another discussion.
So yes. "Most" people are superficial in the sense that, given that they look good, they are more likely to feel confident. I personally think that one shouldn't have external influences as a source of confidence (as that can be taken away) but that doesn't say that a lot of people don't feel that way.
Sometimes you just want to feel pretty, I figure.
On top of that, fashion is all about context. If I wear leather shoes I am dressed-up more than 99% of my peers. However, if I wear leather shoes in ... let's say Paris, I'm just one of many. Fashion is all about context. Imagine Steve Jobs going to a black turtleneck and dad-jeans con ... lol
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#15It's broadly positive as long as the person's clothes are clean. Occasionally I've run into someone who seemed superficially well-dressed but when I got close to them I realized their clothes were falling apart, which is sad in multiple ways. If you're going to do this, get someone to help you in figuring out what looks good, and spend money on it, ie if you end up wearing a blazer and jeans and a t-shirt, get the bl…
Thanks for this contribution. I'm considering adopting a dark grey t shirt, black hoody, dark jeans and black Converse as it seems to be the most neutral and versatile look that someone can have. And I certainly agree on fit. Nobody wants to have their jeans dragging under their shoes.
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#16Joshua Klein does this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXQAgzfwuNQ I remember him saying why he does it, for the exact reasons you state. In terms of the perception of others; different issue entirely. That's why we have normcore : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normcore
That's right! I'd forgotten he did this. He calls it the Black T shirt Prject and explains it here. http://www.josh.is/the-black-t-shirt-project/
My only gripe with his approach is that he owns two pairs of pants? I was thinking three would be the minimum that one would need; two in the wash, one out?
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#17I spend basically zero cognitive effort or decision time on what to wear once it's purchased. This is because I have difficulty caring about my appearance and so I just grab the first clean thing. (Though I can care about my appearance with some effort, either to satisfy someone else or to derive some personal value from it.) I was running a company, or a public figure, or both, I imagine I would place a higher value…
I agree that people who run companies and thus are in the public eye are open to much more scrutiny but this is more a societal problem. Tim Cooks most public appearance is during a key note and has the staple dark shirt, dark pants and black shoes. Possibly great deal of thought went into this (How the outfit affects the viewers perception of the slides, detracts from products, etc. but it's still seen as a strong and staple look.
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#18It wouldn't bother me much although I would initially assume they were rewearing the same clothes and not clean ones each day. Over time, when they didn't stink, it would sink in. But that said, if it's all about points 1 and 2, you don't need to spend more than 10 seconds "deciding" what to wear. Make sure all your clothes are neutral enough to go together (but are not necessarily identical) and then just pick the f…
You could probably work around the same-clothes-not-clean issue by doing what service techs that deal with the public do: Get a patch sewn onto the shirt with your name on it.
People's minds are conditioned to think shirts with patches on them are uniforms.
You don't even have to use your own name. Thrift stores will sometimes have uniforms for sale with name patches still on the shirt. Aside from being comfortable with the sticker price, you'd just have to be comfortable using some other guy's name patch on your shirt.
For the record, I'd be cool with a patch that says "Peter Cooper".
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#19I do. (The number of layers varies with the temperature.) May I ask the opposite question? Why do many people change outfits almost every day? Do they derive satisfaction from the process of choosing clothes? Or do they derive satisfaction from the fact that other people notice these changes? As you point out, choosing and owning different outfits comes at a cost, and people who choose to do so must have a reason for…
>Why do many people change outfits almost every day? Do they derive satisfaction from the process of choosing clothes? Or do they derive satisfaction from the fact that other people notice these changes?
I like to match different colours and materials, it's fun to try new things and styles. After a while you will learn what fits together and what don't, and then you can start experimenting even more
Re: Ask HN: Uniforms
#20If someone wore the same outfit everyday, they must really enjoy what they wear. For example, my dentist always wears scrubs and tennis shoes to work and he does not care what people think because it is comfortable to him. He also does not have to worry about ironing his clothes, getting his nice clothes messy, and it looks professional. I agree with the fact that it establishes a brand, because wearing scrubs gives the connotation of being in the health care field. Wearing the same thing also saves a lot of money, because you can get your outfit in bulk or on sale.