After reading Dress Your Best Life by Dawnn Karen and Sarah Chuck’s post about fashion uniforms I wondered if I could ever wear one since I’m such an eclectic fashionista.

Throughout what I hoped would be a thought-provoking experiment, I began with theme (masculine/feminine or vulnerable/strong) then I chose my individual components.

Initially, my my toppers consisted of button-down shirts under a pullover sweater and my bottom, a pair of Dickies overalls. Following the first day, however, I felt trapped and stifled by the denim so I decided to partially revise my uniform.

While I loved pairing the overalls with a white silver-trimmed ruffled pull over sweater from Macy’s with a dark blue denim button-down Universal Threads denim shirt from Target I didn’t love how much of a rut I’d be putting myself in if I repeated the pattern. So, instead I decided to pair different pants with the sweater and button-down shirt combo, making the top portion of the outfit the uniform.

On the second day, I wore an off-white crocheted sweater over a light blue and white button-down, Abercrombie and Fitch shirt, and red plaid pants. Unlike the outfit I wore the first day, this one was a mix of secondhand and contemporary with a sweater and button down hailing from two thrift, stores, (Council and Goodwill) and the pants from H & M.

When I re-examined what story, I was trying to relate with my revised uniform. I came up with strength overcoming adversity. I examined the events and occasions I’d have to contend with during the week, such as Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday on Monday, work as a Special Education Instructional Assistant Tuesday through Friday, and a yearly visit with my oncologist Wednesday and assessed whether or not my uniform would function effectively and be a winner.

Unexpectedly, I realized my uniform was a winner when I had to go to the ER on Thursday, because I was severely anemic and needed four blood transfusions. Anxious and exhausted, the soothing texture of the crocheted pull over sweater, and the soft, harmonious light blue and white palette of the button-down contrasting with the vivid red of my plaid pants made me feel internally calm enough to deal with such a stressful situation.

On Friday, the last day I wore this uniform was easy enough and consisted of a vintage off-white Williwear sweater vest over a blue and white striped shirt from H & M and a pair of wide leg jeans. Comfort was on my mind, after such a harrowing week, so I kept it light. Blessed with a low-stress day, minus a lot of unnecessary drama, I ended my experiment on a high note.

While I’m still not a fan of uniforms, this type of dressing does have one advantage it helps you dress well, in a pinch, during a busy and unpredictable work week.