Minimalist Monday

Uniforms are In! By Cheyenne Coleman

Do you feel like you have nothing to wear, but have a closet full of clothes? Truth is, you probably have plenty of options. The problem is that there are too many options. I am going to tell you why I am choosing to wear a ‘uniform’ as a teacher.

Ideally, I would love to get down to the same five blouses and pants and one pair of black shoes. Thing is, I’m not there yet. As I told you all, I am on a journey that has just begun. Minimalism doesn’t happen overnight.

So here is my take of a uniform for teaching:

Tops

  • 2 white/cream/tan blouses
  • 1 white/cream/tan sweater
  • Plaid navy shirt
  • 1 Olive green blouse

Bottoms

  • Black jeans
  • Black capris
  • Black ankle dress pants
  • Olive green pants
  • Leggings

Shoes

  • Black Ballet Flats
  • Brown Ankle Boots
  • Olive Green Rain Boots

Seems simple enough. I have five shirts that can match with all five bottoms and can be worn with all three pairs of shoes.

The thing about minimalism is that a lot of stress comes from the decisions we make. The more decisions and the more options, the more stress.

So, look at my ‘uniform’ again. Just paring down to those items, I still have 75 options! (5X5X3)That is still way more than I would like. That is why I would eventually like to be able wear the same exact thing every day. For those of you still skeptical about the idea, think of it this way; you would only have to wear the same outfit 2-3 times per year. You can still have style with a uniform. The less time I spend figuring out what I want to wear, I can be enjoying sleep or a cup of coffee or for us teachers — that means more time to grade.

This decision didn’t come to me right away. I had heard Dr. Andrea Hyde talk about wearing a uniform for teachers in one of my classes. It didn’t trigger anything for me until I really started digging into minimalism. The more I read about a uniform for work, the more I loved the idea! With my pre-student teaching starting next semester, I am so ready to try it out. I feel one step closer to contentment.
Weigh in. Would you wear a uniform to work?

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