"Lizzie Mcguire, you are an outfit repeater!"
In the days of Lizzie McGuire, "outfit repeater" was pretty much the worst insult someone could give you. It implied an innate laziness, a limited sense of creativity—and ultimately an utter sense of un-coolness. And yet today, where minimalism runs rampant, outfit repeating is hardly the fashion faux pas that it once was. In fact, it is a practice regarded pretty highly of—pegged a "uniform" by many like-minded fashion people.
Case in point: I have worn variations of this exact outfit for the past week or so. Not only has no one seemed to notice, but I've actually received compliments! Compliments on a semi-repeated outfit! Who knew!
According to the blog Into-Mind (aka a minimalist's treasure trove), a signature uniform is "the holy grail of personal style." In order to develop said look, it is necessary to "refine your style concept," "figure out your wardrobe needs," and finally build the look—considering not only the actual pieces of clothing but also proportion, color, accessories, details and hair & makeup. The idea is to have multiple looks composed of versatile pieces, with the result being a look that can easily be modified by other pieces in your wardrobe.
That is where this look comes in. These jeans—the first non-thrifted pair that I actually like (ironic, as these photos were shot against the wall of a thrift store)—are simply perfection: slightly high-waisted, semi-baggy, made of real (gasp!) denim, and somehow flattering. The mere fact that they are made of real denim (thus requiring a sort of break-in process) further justifies the fact that I have worn them practically everyday. The hand-me-down blouse adds the perfect touch of laid back cool, while the parka and Dr. Martens are no-brainers.
At the risk of turning into Buzzfeed run-off....
(I had to.)