Choosing or Defaulting?

When Did This Become Your Uniform?

Lately I’ve been wondering about something.

Have you ever reached for the same thing so many times that you stopped noticing you were doing it?

Maybe it started as a favorite, or it was the thing you knew would always work. Maybe it simply made getting dressed easier.

Then one day you realize you’ve been reaching for the same formula for a very long time.

Take my denim collection.

I own more denim than any one person probably needs. Jeans, jackets, shirts, skirts, dresses. I even own a denim tie.

From the outside, it might look like I’ve created a uniform.

The truth of the matter is, I haven’t.

I know why. Because I LOVE denim.

I enjoy finding different ways to wear it. In fact, if I have a certain look in mind and the first pair of jeans doesn’t quite work, I’ll try another pair. Sometimes another after that. My aim is to create that look.

Still denim.

Still intentional.

And that’s where things get interesting.

Looking at my closet, you might assume I’ve settled on a formula. The reality is that every piece is there because I chose it.

That got me thinking.

I don’t think most women decide they’re going to create a uniform.

One piece works, so you buy it in another color. Or maybe the same color in a slightly different style. A favorite top becomes three favorite tops. Before long, you’re reaching for some version of the same formula most days.

Not because it’s wrong.

In fact, those choices may have served you really well for a long time.

That’s what I’ve been thinking about.

At what point does something stop being a choice and start becoming a default?

I started wondering who I’d be shopping for.

The woman from an earlier chapter?

Or the woman living this chapter now?

The question isn’t whether the choices were right or wrong.

It’s whether I’d make the same choices for the woman I am today.

Every chapter of life asks something different of us.

And then there’s another question I’ve been sitting with.

I know. So many questions.

When was the last time you surprised yourself?

I’m not talking about a complete makeover or a whole new wardrobe.

Just something small.

A color you don’t normally wear.

A different neckline.

A pair of earrings that usually stay in the jewelry box.

Something that made you pause and think, “Huh. I haven’t worn that in a while.”

Because the longer I’ve sat with these questions, the less they feel like clothing questions and the more they feel like life questions.

If someone described your style today, would they be describing the woman you are now?

Or would they be describing a version of you from an earlier chapter?

I don’t know the answer.

I suspect it’s different for each of us.

But I do think it’s worth asking.

Because once you notice something, it’s hard to unnotice it.

And lately I’ve found myself wondering:

If you were building your wardrobe today, who would you be shopping for?

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