The VIRTUES of a UNIFORM

21 days in a Perfecto, Sofia Coppola, and Who is William Onyeabor?

DRESS CODE

THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT A UNIFORM. It’s an introduction to yourself. A security blanket. A rig (what us Ralph Lauren alum call an outfit). At best, rigging is an unrecognized art form. At worst, it’s one less series of decisions to make at the beginning of your day. And I would be remiss to not mention the number of creative geniuses (e.g. Steve Jobs, Wes Anderson, Tom Wolfe, Karl Lagerfeld, Fran Lebowitz) and high-level decision makers (e.g. the President of the United States of America, Hillary Clinton, Mark Zuckerberg, The Pope) who’ve adopted uniforms for this very reason.

A uniform, as loose as it may be, is integral in shaping one’s personal style or…persona. Over time, it defines how you look. Consistency is key. If you always wear a uniform, you make a statement. And what you’re saying could be any number of things.

Wes Anderson’s films exemplify this idea. His characters often live in one costume that identifies what that character does, is into, or their associations. Often, the costume design is an actual uniform. Bellhops, concierges, shipmen, private school students, Khaki Scouts, tennis pro, police captain, and inmates to name a few. Quirky sartorial touches serve as the main vocabulary, often communicated through a singular signature piece.

Anderson’s oeuvre taught me that you could wear a suit every day for the rest of your life and you’d never be overdressed, under dressed but seemingly just right. Whether you’re climbing the high school social ladder, traveling across India by train on a spiritual journey, or surviving a dysfunctional family reunion while confessing you’re in love with your (adopted) sister…all can be carried off effortlessly in a suit.

As a menswear designer, I choose to wear suits; they aren't required. What they are is a uniform. And not all uniforms are created equal, mind you. After all, just because you’ve developed a signature uniform consisting of a hoodie and flip-flops, doesn’t mean you look great—or even good for that matter.

MOST CREATIVE EFFORTS require some iteration of workshopping. A script. A recipe. A musical. Hell, even a marriage proposal—especially a marriage proposal (gentlemen!). A uniform is no exception. But how often do we try something out and later forfeit at the conclusion that it doesn’t look quite right or make us feel like the best version of ourselves?

In the fall of 2021, when I conceded it was finally time to wear a black Schott Perfecto biker jacket (my mid-life crisis may have had something to do with this), I didn’t immediately know how to wear it…I’d been living in suits for the past decade, after all. While the Perfecto is arguably the sexiest singular piece of fashion I’ve ever encountered, how to wear it wasn’t exactly self evident. My Perfecto rig needed workshopping.