To wear the same outfit to work everyday

[Adamsants]

I am starting a new job soon..I need to buy new clothes as not worked for a few years as been a sahm. I was thinking wearing the same outfit everyday. Not the exact same....clean but the same Like a uniform. Is this weird? Does anyone else do this....or AIBU?

I did this when I had a low paid job that I hated. I didn’t care about the job and I didn’t care what colleagues or customers thought about me. I had one pair of black shoes, several pairs of black trousers and plain long sleeve tshirts in different colours. Bland, practical, forgettable. Worked there for four years and nobody ever commented or cared.

Would you at least vary according to the weather? Or would you wear (e.g.) wool trousers in the summer and the winter?

I worked with a woman who wore nearly the same thing every day: flat court shoes, a black pencil skirt, a fitted Breton-type top and a chunky necklace. She had maybe 3 different tops and four different necklaces but never varied from that. She always looked fine.

A woman in my old work used to do this. I only noticed after the first couple of weeks that she wore the same two dresses on rotation. I thought it was a great idea and she always looked really smart.

[quote helpfulperson]Many top men do exactly this. Look at what Steve Jobs work. There was also a TV newsreader who wore the same suit for a year and noone noticed. Its another example of unconscious misogyny so challenge it.

www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/10/05/steve-jobs-always-dressed-exactly-the-same-heres-who-else-does/?sh=12da7eb65f53[/quote]
The newsreader one was interesting because female newspeople are pretty much forced to wear a varied wardrobe because if they don't people write in to complain if they notice an outfit is repeated 'too often' .

There was a case where one of the female BBC high profile news presenters brought a case where she tried to claim her clothes were tax deductable because she was expected to have lots of new outfits, but she lost because they were normal clothes that could be worn at any time.

See also the endless DM stories about royals and other prominent women 'recycling their outfits' if photographed in the same clothes twice.

Men wear the same suit or two, a small selection of identical shits and a few different ties and no-one ever notices or comments.

If you wear all identical things they will all wear out at the same time and then you'll need a new uniform. Fashion changes for women faster than for men so you'll find that the items are near impossible to replace, there won't be identical clothes whereas for a man it's a lot easier.

I do this when I don't have to wear chef whites. I have 2 pairs of black trousers, and a couple of shirts, 1 black, 1 white. And a black cardigan. I have a few cheap chunky necklaces and alternate those to look a bit different each day

If I’m honest I’d think that was weird; i wear the same 10 tops to work with black jeans because it’s easy more than anything and smart but not the exact same top

I probably have 30-40 outfits for work for seasons. I could not wear the same thing every single day. What's easy about wearing the same thing?

Get staples the same in different colours maybe but not the exact same 'uniform' every day, that's weird.

@JaninaDuszejko

If you wear all identical things they will all wear out at the same time and then you'll need a new uniform. Fashion changes for women faster than for men so you'll find that the items are near impossible to replace, there won't be identical clothes whereas for a man it's a lot easier.

Well yes I did think that as well but if it was black trousers and a white shirt it wouldn't be that noticeable would it?

I know some women working in the city who have a kind of uniform to make dressing easy. For example they always wear black trousers, black leather shoes, a plain t-shirt and then have a variety of bright jackets to wear over the top.

@katieg03

I probably have 30-40 outfits for work for seasons. I could not wear the same thing every single day. What's easy about wearing the same thing?

Ehh? Of course its easy. I am just not bothered about clothes

Of course it's not weird. Men do this all the time. DH wore black chinos, white shirt, black jacket every day for work. His 20 identical white shirts and 4 pairs of black chinos now hang in the wardrobe unused. The only thing that changed was his tie. No one would have had a clue if it was the same white shirt or black trousers. And, more to the point, no one cared.

Primark is your friend for work clothes.
I get quite a lot of my work bits in there.

What style of black trousers? Wide leg, bootcut, skinny, ankle skimmer, cropped wide leg, paper bag, etc etc? What is fashionable now won't be in 5 years. That's my main reason for not buying all identical. Buy along a similar theme but different to allow your wardrobe to 'evolve' as items wear out.

Do it! This woman did it for 3 years

www.businessinsider.com/woman-wears-same-work-outfit-matilda-kahl-2015-4?r=US&IR=T

@eurochick

I know some women working in the city who have a kind of uniform to make dressing easy. For example they always wear black trousers, black leather shoes, a plain t-shirt and then have a variety of bright jackets to wear over the top.

I think this is what would be more useful for op to do - depending on the job, could be different cardigans over the top rather than jackets. You can't wear the same thing every day, sorry but you can't.

Why not get a couple of pairs of black trousers and a rotation of different coloured blouses?
It's as easy as 5 white blouses.

I think it might be perceived as a bit odd. Why not get a few shirts/tops in different colours or patterns.

@Tal45

I wouldn't think it was weird, possibly autistic but not weird.

How funny, I have 3 pairs of the same black work trousers that I wear on rotation, I must ask my colleagues if they have any views on my cleanliness or position on the spectrum

Yes you can do this but vary the colours or patterns. So maybe 3 pairs of work trousers - one black, one navy one gray or one dark wash jeans one black high waisted one grey wool checked. And then 5 shirts/blouses/tops that will go with any of the trousers. It’s fine for some to be exactly the same too but in different colours or patterns. You could have a skirt that works with all the shirts too. 2 jumpers and a cardi to mix and match over the top. Then one pair of work shoes per season and overlap in autumn and spring. Lots of people do this, sometimes without realising.

I have

Black wide leg trousers

Skirts in navy, black, patterned

Blouses in green, navy, maroon

Cardigans and blazers in black, navy and patterned

Black heels, black loafers, black boots

Mix and match daily! I also have dresses which work well and all match the cardigans and blazers

www.fatface.com/women/clothing/trousers/lyme-jacquard-cuffed-trousers/972303.html?dwvar_972303_color=black&cgid=women-clothing-trousers#pagination=true&start=45
Basically this with 5 different tops. You could probably cheat on the trousers and rotate 3 indentical pairs

not weird at all.
I have a few black trousers and a number of tops (10 or so) of the same flattering style. plus scarves, necklaces and other accessories.

mornings are quick that way. just grab whatever is at the top of the pile.

make sure it fits well and is comfortable and easy to wash/dry.

Would most people really notice? I really stopped noticing what colleagues wore from one day to the next before lockdown unless it was really nice, but I don’t know whether this was normal or not.

I think if you had varieties of the same thing people will quickly get used to it and will realise you’re clean but unbothered.