Matilda Kahl ignored fashion trends, creative choice and adopted a ‘work uniform’ for three years.
Could you get up and put on the same thing EVERY day? Admittedly, it eliminates a wardrobe spin during the morning hustle but could you really ignore a new sweater or that favourite silk shirt and opt for the SAME ensemble day in, day out? For years?
Matilda Kahl has done just that. A creative at Saatchi & Saatchi New York, Kahl decided to abandon all choice when it came to her wardrobe and wear the same outfit to work every day for more than 1000 days.
The art director developed her own personal ‘uniform‘ after she spent too much time deciding what to wear one Monday morning and was subsequently late for an important meeting. Kahl said she invested in 15 white shirts and several pairs of the same black trousers to make things easier washing-wise (just imagine the nightly laundry hell if she hadn’t…)
Then, with school-girl type precision she woke up every day for three years and dressed in the same outfit to go to work. The simplicity of the outfit allowed for the addition of some personal flair now and then with shoes or a jacket but otherwise? Kahl eliminated the ‘what will I wear?!?’ conundrum from her daily routine.
Kahl wrote about her decision in an op-ed for Harpers Bazaar magazine and said it was all about simplifying her life so she could focus on her job.
“The simple choice of wearing a work uniform has saved me countless wasted hours thinking, ‘what the hell am I going to wear today?’ And in fact, these black trousers and white blouses have become an important daily reminder that frankly, I’m in control,” Kahl said.
Read more: The word that is hardly ever used to describe a smart woman. Even if she is one.
When she started wearing her version of a suit, as many men do each day, Kahl faced a flurry of questions from colleagues.
“Immediately, people started asking for a motive behind my new look: ‘Why do you do this? Is it a bet?'”
Kahl’s choice isn’t entirely unusual. Many people wear the same thing to work each day, not by choice but by requirement. One of the many arguments for uniforms in schools is that it means students don’t waste time worrying about what to wear and how they look, instead being allowed to focus on what they do.
In fact, some of the world’s most successful people have adopted the self-imposed ‘work uniform’. Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, US President, Barack Obama and when he was alive, Apple’s Steve Jobs, are all fans of minimising choice from their morning routine.
By wearing the same thing every day, these men effectively eliminated the ‘decision fatigue’ of outfit choice.
But for a woman working in a creative industry? Kahl’s decision is a novel one.
By wearing an identical outfit day in and day out she has effectively removed herself from the artistic canvas of everyday life. It freed up her brain space to devote that imaginative fire-power solely to her work and meant she started each day fresh and not fatigued. But it also meant a whole lot of judgement.
Honestly? We’re impressed. In fact we’d almost consider doing the same thing…. but frankly, we suspect we’d miss the sales too much.
Would you wear a uniform to work if it were an option? Did you wear a uniform at school?
Top Comments
Although I appreciated the simplicity of a uniform when I was at school, I didn't find it adequately warm enough during much of winter. (And the summer uniform wasn't cool enough on super hot days, either...) So I wouldn't choose to wear the same thing all year round because I REALLY like being able to vary what I wear depending on the weather!
But I always choose my clothes the night before, to keep my mornings stress-free. I've also started taking a photo of each outfit I wear so that I can remember what goes with what and don't have to try on half my wardrobe in order to find a cardigan / jacket that matches a particular shirt or dress.
I'm a hairdresser. Black black and black. Makes it simple and I can paint my clients with rainbows to make them happy. #mohsrocks