The growth in just 3 videos is quite astounding. I mean in the quality. You worked out the kinks in audio and are already way more comfortable talking to a camera. Great job.
Great video Peter! I've been delving more into Ram's philosophy and agree with the less, but better statement. I've realized that I prefer the basics, but very well curated. Instead of going for loud and maximalist pieces, I prefer minimalistic, soothing garments and pieces that make my personality and mentality stand out more. thank you for this awesome video
This is great Peter thank you! I’ve recently overhauled my wardrobe with a style I love and have lately been thinking about how to simplify it so that I can make faster decisions in the morning and this helped! I have even used the phrase “personal uniform” to one of my designer friends. I really enjoy your content! It’s helpful!
For me (and this may seem obvious) the biggest revelation has really been that there is indeed a distinction between clothes that I find attractive and clothes that I feel good wearing. That there can be clothes that I “like”, but that liking something is not the priority, after all, that is usually if not always a response to only one aspect of clothing-its appearance-when the bulk of it is its experience. So I’ve tried to pay attention to how I feel in my outfits throughout the week, if they burden my day to day routines and emotional well being or aid it.
I feel this too. I love a lot of looks I see on the street, but would feel awkward wearing them. I believe that when you feel good wearing your clothes, that confidence comes through in many ways.
Wow, thank you for the videos so far - they've been incredibly insightful. The way you've put things together really resonated with me. My personal reference points and what influenced my current outfit took shape thinking back to my environment. Growing up in Mexico, where cartels were prevalent, I found myself wearing a lot of polo shirts and shorts, which was common attire there. Additionally, I wore Casio watches, a subtle militia habit that I hadn't noticed until your video pointed it out. Later, playing a lot of football to stay fit and healthy led me to incorporate sports gear into my wardrobe. Today, I still wear sportswear-inspired shoes and clothing as part of my overall aesthetic. The connection between childhood experiences and current style preferences is now clearer, and the transition to adult influences is smoother.
Love that you brought this up. So much of what makes up our 'visual' identity comes from our history, our past experiences. There's a part of me, for example, that will always have a preppy angle. I love that you're leaning into your past to fully express yourself as an adult!
Finalmente a fashion channel as useful as a good lecture course. Thank you Peter! I hope you will gain your deserved recognition here as soon as possible. Also, cool tattoos.
Just commenting to share some encouragement, I really enjoy your videos and content. Looking forward to seeing this channel grow! Industrial Design and fashion are such a great combo with so much potential.
Well done, Peter! My favorite piece are shoes and boots. People don't realize that fashion brands often don't make the best quality shoes. Same with watches and other accessories. For shoes I always go with companies that primarily make shoes. Love the look of your pebbled leathes wingtips.
It wasn't till i found your tiktok that i realized that i have a work wear uniform! All built around Japanese tech fabric suits. For the adventurous the same principals can apply. I have easy mix matchable pieces that make outfits my friends have dub my villain era.
Black, grey, and blue, super easy! I tried scouring the Internet for the brand but I think DQ made it themselves. Haggar had something that seemed similar but last I checked it was on clearance so maybe getting phased out.
Excellent work, thanks. My uniform lately... I've been feeling best when wearing a trucker jacket. I have a tan colored corduroy trucker from J.Crew that I bought about 20 years ago that I've rediscovered in my closet. And a Levis tan roughout leather trucker, likely from the 80s. I'll pair them with some OG-107 inspired fatigues or dark blue jeans, and some dark brown service boots. In other words, workwear. 🙃 Also, the NATO strap on your watch is a nice match with the ribbon on your Thom Browne pieces. Well done.
within three videos you have become a staple of my RUclips experience and I enjoy when you upload. Thanks for the great content. I love how you broke this down and it has been my goal recently to build a curated wardrobe that fits me so great timing on this subject.
Believe it or not, while travelling home from work this evening I was asking myself what my personal style is because I've been feeling a bit lost in that regard. Thank you Peter, your advice has helped me a lot.
I mentioned to another commenter that it's a process, and that it evolves. But I love that my video has helped kick start this thinking for you! Appreciate your comment 🙏
This video resonated so much with this particular moment of my life. I come from a tropical country and have been living for two years in a place with harsh winters and been tinkering a lot with my clothing trying to simplify my wardrobe into key pieces for work and more formal occasions while taking weather into consideration. Thanks for sharing your experiences, I personally found the content very insightful. While I agree with the coments saying that in some situations we might want to spend time putting a look together I think that having a "Personal Uniform" that I can just switch around and not think too hard about it while being confident I'll look good is definitely worthwhile advice :)
The clothing piece I feel most comfortable in is the Oxford shirt. It has a great balance-not too dressy, yet still polished enough for a more put-together look.
I watched all your first videos here, Peter, and I love the perspective you bring, which is why I must also disagree with phrasing about personal uniforms like “you don’t have to think as much” or “it requires less time”. Less thinking should never be the goal. On the contrary! The thought and reflection you put into this video and the consideration that allows you to enjoy your daily uniform, I would say, is an example of more thinking! I think the whole point is to encourage people to think more about their closet, how it reflects identity and hence how much joy a distilled personal uniform can bring! I have a uniform too, entirely consisting of pieces from Acronym:)
Great counter, appreciate your chiming in. You're right that it does require more (and intentional) thinking. I think for some folks, they're not used to allocating mental energy in this direction but I think you'd agree that it's worth it. It can unlock a new level of expression that had been dormant/unrecognized. Also, 🖤 Acronym 🔥🔥🔥
Great Video! This really resonates with me as I've been having trouble building a uniform since I want a blend between two different styles. I enjoy wearing the professional minimal Korean look that's popular over there (Uniqlo, pleated pants, dress shirts), but I also feel comfy in an English outdoors-man style with articles like brown suede leather jackets, Barbour, and denim. I've been looking for a way to tie them together with not much success, but this video gives me hope to keep trying.
There's a way to tie them together and you're figuring it out. Love that. You'll get there, I'm sure, and you're gonna wind up with a really cool and unique look!
Good point on being sharp without investing too much time into careful calculation of the exact combination of clothes you plan to put on every morning. Can't say it is exhausting, but hastily combined outfit sometimes brings some sense of imperfection which stuck to the back of your mind, distracting from full concentration on a creative design task. P.S. Is it your all-year-round uniform? Or just summer-autumn part of it?
It's mostly late summer onwards for me and TB. NYC summers can be brutal and because my TB 'uniform' is focused on basics in oxford cloth and wool suiting (and not seasonal items, which I don't love) I switch to a lighter selection of basics for summer.
I have subscribed and enjoy your content. I'm not sure about the uniform concept. Here in New Zealand, it's more about the weather rather than selecting type and shades of clothing. Having said that I do have my go too's for items in particular weathers and seasons. Please keep your channel going. I really enjoy it and you have great style.
Cool to see that you were also a former senior designer - albeit I was in the satellite engineering field! Such an informative and well put together video :)
Thank you for the video Peter. One question - you personally opted for your uniform to be all from the same brand/designer, how important would you say this is?
Thanks for bringing this up! It’s an interesting question because I don’t think it’s necessarily important, but it also really depends on what you’re going for. Thom Browne’s foundational garments and their styling really spoke to me, and I found the tailoring to be quite specific. Over time, as I was building up my current uniform, I experimented with how I felt about the looks stripped down…or mixed in with other pieces and it didn’t speak to me as strongly. I attempted to style the pieces in a way that didn’t resonate, and that’s how I wound up with a mostly head-to-toe approach. I can’t say this will be forever, but it’s worked for me for a while now. There’s a celebrity I see from time to time in NYC who is always in Thom Browne - his name is Bob Harper - and he mixes it up with Rick Owens, the combination of which I personally find inconceivable. It’s really hard for me to imagine myself trying to wear Owens’ Kiss heels with Thom Browne … But the way Harper does somehow makes it work for him. I applaud guys who have a really individual approach to how they dress, and many of them are able to articulate their unique sense of style through a mix of different brands, along with new and vintage pieces. To me, this is the wardrobe holy grail: You know exactly what you need in order to fully express who you are, and it becomes less about brand.
Personally, I dress less to a "uniform" and more to a fairly consistent set of style principles. For bottoms, I pretty much always wear pleated high waisted trousers with a full cut, regardless of the formality of the rest of my outfit. My footwear is almost always a pair of loafers. My tops can vary, sometimes I wear dress shirts, other times sweaters, knitted polo's, etc. I usually wear a jacket of some kind, often times a sport coat but also blousons, silk jackets, denim chore jackets, overcoats. And I'll pretty much always try to make sure there's texture in the outfit, as well as consideration of color. Sometimes that consideration leads me to a monochrome outfit, other times to employ a pop of color, or to really lean even further into color. I feel like dressing to certain principles rather than a literal uniform/capsule wardrobe helps you be more discerning with your purchases and still allows you to express yourself and to develop a sense of iconography while still having fun and expressing how you feel or what character you want to embody that particular day. I am to avoid clutter in my wardrobe, but not to roommate choice. But I genuinely think that this is a viable option for the people who want it.
Important points you raise. There are a lot of variables and play and how that translates to your sense of self is super important. Texture, along with cut, fabric, and color can make a huge difference if chosen wisely! It's a good thing to keep these variables in mind when you're looking to add to your wardrobe. Thanks for this comment!
Wow, thanks for this. I agree on almost everything. I can‘t relate to the women wearing mostly adapted men‘s clothing. Like another planet to me. One question: when you change your uniform, then the old uniform has to go to goodwill or the landfill. How do you feel about that?
I hate the idea. I'll do everything I can to avoid that. A couple of years ago my 'uniform' was Rick Owens and when I moved on from that I sold everything on Grailed and eBay and used those proceeds to move on to Thom, which is a mix of new and secondhand. I think a lot of people don't know that dumping bags of clothes at Goodwill does not mean it's NOT going to landfill, or polluting the environment in other countries. I will also avoid fast fashion as much as possible and mend what I have until it actually can't be mended any further. Basically I'll do what I can to not contribute to the landfill problem. Great question and one I hope others will think about. 🙏
@ I think we are cut from the same cloth. So in your experience you were able to sell all or nearly all of those pieces? I am always scared off by the fact that in my town, and I think mostly on ebay as well, there are thousands of pieces of clothing that just don‘t sell…
In my experience I was able to sell most of the pieces I no longer wanted. Some of it obviously went for much less than I had hoped but that's OK. I'm no expert in this arena but what I try to do to maximize my odds is take great care of my clothes while I'm wearing them, and invest in pieces that I know will likely be relatively season-less. There are a ton of online secondary clothing platforms so it's worth investigating if you want to sell your clothes. Good luck!
Wow....another great video Peter! Fast fashion is bad for environment. Most used clothes people donate end up in landfill. Take a look at old photos from 1960's. People dressed way better with higher quality clothes. Your closet may be crammed with cheap clothes you never touch and may represent your hard earned money wasted. I think dressing better will also make you feel better. If you put some thoughts on building your wardrobe as Peter suggested, it will be easier to get dressed. I don't know how many times, I stared into my crammed closet and declared, "I got nothing to wear."
My style has always had workwear elements as I grew up a blue collar guy. Now approaching retirement and doing less hand work I find myself wearing comfy chinos t shirts and a simple wool sweater during winter. I don't want to vary much from this as I feel very relaxed and comfortable. I cant look at a plaid shirt anymore-so much workwear shirts are that. And I dont want to wear jeans anymore. I think as I've aged, and career has morphed, my clothes have too. It is a challenge though, to find what suits you and i have made purchases that didnt pan out the way I thought they would. Over all, i'd say as I have grown older, my way of dressing has pared itself down into a simpler more narrow and earthy palette, and comfort has taken a key place.
@@millieolsonI understand this experience completely. Being comfortable in your clothes goes a long way to a better representation of yourself. Your personal uniform sounds great!
Is Tom Brown French? Even the nato strap is on-brand. Some people could be getting cynical thoughts ( not me) . Enjoyable opinion; well put together. My answer: J.Crew navy peacoat.
The red-white-and-blue striped ribbon is a brand design detail present in most of my pieces, yes. It is visible, so that is an aspect of the overall look/presentation. The timing of your comment is great. I'm working on an episode where I talk about visible branding as it pertains to what we put on. Appreciate your chiming in about this!
I'd start by thinking about what your personal uniform looks like and what you feel good in. Determine your unique style and how you want to present yourself. You might have already worked through this part. I'd prioritize versatility since you're on a budget - pieces that will work in a lot of circumstances. Then I'd map this all out to figure out what I already have, vs. what I need to get. Make sure you think about color and how it all works together, and try to maximize what can go together (the more the better). When you're ready to add new pieces to your wardrobe, try to avoid going the fast-fashion route… but if you have to, scrutinize the fabric content and look at the construction and try to determine if it can withstand wear and be easy to care for. Alternatively I'd suggest going to secondary market platforms (Grailed, Vestiare, Mercari, eBay, etc... there are many). On these platforms you're likely to score incredible deals on quality labels. Also, don't be in a rush. You don't have to get everything at once. Designing your wardrobe with intention will help you really refine it in the best way possible, to really articulate what you want to achieve.
Basic wardrobe: Jacket. Navy Full zips ribbed. Navy (dark grey burgundy) Crewneck. Navy dark grey (dark green/brown) Collar shirts. White light blue and striped blue T-shirts. White (black navy) Trousers. Dark-, medium- and light gray (blak) Jeans. Dark denim blue denim (black) Shoes. Black split toes Black sneakers Home. Sweat pants. Half zips. Shorts. Tshirt. Sleep. Pajamas. Gym. Hoodie. Shorts. Tshirt. The problem is: Bad materials, polyester Bad fit, too tight or baggy Bad price, too expensive Bad colours, non versatile colours Bad quality, shrinks or torns apart Bad buy xp, no refunds, long delivery time.
I will say, almost all menswear influencers are promoting this idea of a uniform, and classic, staple or versatile pieces. But I think it's important to point out that that doesn't work for everyone. I learned that I just need to go with the flow for myself. Sometimes I'm person A, sometimes person B. Sometimes masc, sometimes femme. I tried for way too long to fit an aesthetic. At the end of the day, a uniform was not it.
Thanks for chiming in about this. You're absolutely right, and I should have been a lot more direct about that (though, for me, I do feel strongly about having a personal uniform/uniforms). It's NOT for everyone. Some have a single uniform, some have several, some have NONE, and there are shades in between; e.g. a basic uniform or several uniforms with rotating outliers that come in and out. I think the important point is that you should think about your wardrobe with intention, enjoy what you're wearing and have it work for you as a reflection of how you want to come across - as opposed to just wearing whatever because you have to wear clothes.
You made some great points about the function of sticking with a uniform but does it bother you that in your selection, you are inadvertently a walking advert for the luxury designer and/or status signaling?
It doesn’t bother me, no. I didn’t choose this capsule collection because I wanted to status signal but I have no problem with status signaling in general. It’s part of human nature.
okay okay okay. Is this an approach you take just for work or both work and time off? I think this is an interesting approach to someone who isn't into fashion and doesn't have a clear grasp of styling as you've said. it's just very sound advice to direct people into buying less, with intent, and prioritizing quality. BUT for someone into fashion i think they like to think about what they wear on that day and it's a creative process putting together an outfit. I think you make a good point that it's a Sisyphean task to try to capture exactly who you are in an outfit which will never work out as people have too much depth to their lives to capture it in a single outfit or wardrobe. I like to think that fashion isn't that deep and people will look at you at a glance and make only broad judgements about the person standing in front of them so it is pointless to try to push meaning through what you wear and instead it is much more fruitful to wear things you enjoy for yourself as you know yourself best and it is up to you to express your personality by communicating it. The thing is that for many of us styling ourselves is a really fun aspect of life and i can't for the life of me think to just adorning a bunch of over priced thom browne everyday, looking at my gray self, seeing my image be tailored by a singular designer, and think "wow this is fulfilling". I think the fun in dressing is mixing and combining things not always necessarily to a single designer's vision but rather my own take on it. So my question to you if you are so into fashion why settle for a singular man's vision? Why not bend some of their rulings?
Hey there, really appreciate this comment. I do employ this uniform for work as well as time off. It's not exclusive, though; like I mentioned in the video I don't need to wear this to go grocery shopping. And even though it is all TB, I'm still able to mix up what I have enough to create different 'looks' it's just that they're all within that world. And as self expression that works for me currently: the tailoring, the palette, the details, the references, the brand as a whole. Will that always be the case? Likely not, but this is where I am currently; hence the reference to Sisyphus 🪨. I do also want to add that while dressing for yourself is important, we're social creatures. As superficial as all of this may seem, we live in a complex world governed by a lot of social rules, and whatever we can do to feel like our best selves in it, and have others appreciate us for that effort - I think - is worth it. One of my goals with this channel was to start dialogues like this, and to learn from them myself, and it's happening right now …and I thank you for that.
@@PetersPrism for you how long does a (for lack of a better word) "phase" last as far as your uniforms or styles go? Not to bring up age because i know everyone is at different stages of maturity which might be completely detached from their physical age but... i want to know if as you mature do you feel like you're less likely to shift your taste, if you feel like you've experienced enough in fashion to say you've arrived at the few brands you truly love now. I feel like the younger you are the less you've experienced so everything is novel to you and one would be more easily impressed. Is it too much to ask of a younger person to settle down to a uniform?
I think it really depends on the person. There are a lot of folks who want to look good but who also don't want to be overwhelmed with clothes or having to constantly figure out what to wear. And that can be relevant at any age. If you're young and into fashion, however, experimenting is inevitable. I think there will be a core set of ideas that will carry you through most of your adult life but there is no doubt you'll have diversions. I think that's part of the journey, and how you figure things out. This is reminding me of a phase I went through a few years ago where I only wore black, mostly from Rick Owens but with other streetwear-type brands thrown into the mix. It was unexpected but something I think I wanted to explore as someone much older because it connected me to goth-like phases I went through in high school. I have great admiration for Rick Owens but it's not for me, and I know that now.
most of my clothing items , are in black gray or dark blue , pants , button shirts , jacket and coats , few wast coats and cardigans , shoes are all are black leather ,one of each classic style , and few sneakers and ,hicking boots , with 3 level of formality and 4 weather , and i like classic hats , fendora trilby nb cap flat cap, never buy anything with strange colour or strange shape , everything i have will fit with everything , well will not wear hicking boots with suite and tie ,, like i will not wear my oxfords with cargo pants ,
Too dull. If “you are” someone who can’t decide, have limited imagination, look the same year in year out, cause no ripple as you enter the room, have no joy in discovering something new, don’t progress your personal style, pretend you are too busy make these choices………otherwise don’t be so ordinary
Man turns up in front of camera to discuss men’s design with a skewed badly shaped shirt collar , unbuttoned , with a boring unwoven silk tie again skewed, poorly made .
The growth in just 3 videos is quite astounding. I mean in the quality. You worked out the kinks in audio and are already way more comfortable talking to a camera. Great job.
Thank you, really appreciate this. It's still not easy but my hope is that over time it'll get even better. 🙏🙏🙏
It's so nice seeing more of the fashion channels with people giving out massive amounts of information on the various topics of fashion. Thank you!
Thank you for tuning in!!
Great video Peter!
I've been delving more into Ram's philosophy and agree with the less, but better statement.
I've realized that I prefer the basics, but very well curated.
Instead of going for loud and maximalist pieces, I prefer minimalistic, soothing garments and pieces that make my personality and mentality stand out more.
thank you for this awesome video
Can't go wrong with a well curated but small collection of basics IMO! 👏👏👏
This is great Peter thank you! I’ve recently overhauled my wardrobe with a style I love and have lately been thinking about how to simplify it so that I can make faster decisions in the morning and this helped! I have even used the phrase “personal uniform” to one of my designer friends. I really enjoy your content! It’s helpful!
That’s awesome, Matt! 👏👏👏
Great video and a very likeable person , keep going man 🔥
Appreciate it!
I looove the microphone handle when you talk about your Thom Browne pieces! So chic and cool!
🙂
For me (and this may seem obvious) the biggest revelation has really been that there is indeed a distinction between clothes that I find attractive and clothes that I feel good wearing. That there can be clothes that I “like”, but that liking something is not the priority, after all, that is usually if not always a response to only one aspect of clothing-its appearance-when the bulk of it is its experience. So I’ve tried to pay attention to how I feel in my outfits throughout the week, if they burden my day to day routines and emotional well being or aid it.
I feel this too. I love a lot of looks I see on the street, but would feel awkward wearing them. I believe that when you feel good wearing your clothes, that confidence comes through in many ways.
Wow, thank you for the videos so far - they've been incredibly insightful. The way you've put things together really resonated with me. My personal reference points and what influenced my current outfit took shape thinking back to my environment. Growing up in Mexico, where cartels were prevalent, I found myself wearing a lot of polo shirts and shorts, which was common attire there. Additionally, I wore Casio watches, a subtle militia habit that I hadn't noticed until your video pointed it out.
Later, playing a lot of football to stay fit and healthy led me to incorporate sports gear into my wardrobe. Today, I still wear sportswear-inspired shoes and clothing as part of my overall aesthetic.
The connection between childhood experiences and current style preferences is now clearer, and the transition to adult influences is smoother.
Love that you brought this up. So much of what makes up our 'visual' identity comes from our history, our past experiences. There's a part of me, for example, that will always have a preppy angle. I love that you're leaning into your past to fully express yourself as an adult!
Finalmente a fashion channel as useful as a good lecture course. Thank you Peter! I hope you will gain your deserved recognition here as soon as possible. Also, cool tattoos.
Much appreciated!
Just commenting to share some encouragement, I really enjoy your videos and content. Looking forward to seeing this channel grow! Industrial Design and fashion are such a great combo with so much potential.
Thank you so much!
Thanks Peter.
Thanks so much for watching, I really appreciate it!
By far best video I have seen on the topic! I personally love wearing white long sleeve waffle shirts in the fall
Wow, thank you! ... Long sleeve waffle shirts are great. Very practical!
Well done, Peter! My favorite piece are shoes and boots. People don't realize that fashion brands often don't make the best quality shoes. Same with watches and other accessories. For shoes I always go with companies that primarily make shoes. Love the look of your pebbled leathes wingtips.
👏👏👏 I think it’s important to invest in quality construction for footwear … especially if you live somewhere you have to do a lot of walking!
Lovely channel content. Thanks.
Thank you too!
Just a comment to boost the algorithm. Great content!
Using that rail to hang the smart/office attire on is brilliant
It wasn't till i found your tiktok that i realized that i have a work wear uniform! All built around Japanese tech fabric suits.
For the adventurous the same principals can apply. I have easy mix matchable pieces that make outfits my friends have dub my villain era.
That’s cool! What is the palette like? Would the brands be familiar to us?
Black, grey, and blue, super easy! I tried scouring the Internet for the brand but I think DQ made it themselves. Haggar had something that seemed similar but last I checked it was on clearance so maybe getting phased out.
This randomly popped up on my feed keep up the good work!!👌
Excellent work, thanks. My uniform lately... I've been feeling best when wearing a trucker jacket. I have a tan colored corduroy trucker from J.Crew that I bought about 20 years ago that I've rediscovered in my closet. And a Levis tan roughout leather trucker, likely from the 80s. I'll pair them with some OG-107 inspired fatigues or dark blue jeans, and some dark brown service boots. In other words, workwear. 🙃
Also, the NATO strap on your watch is a nice match with the ribbon on your Thom Browne pieces. Well done.
Solid workwear look! 👏👏👏
Great video peter! Lately my favourite pieces are my windowpane shirts, slightly oversized.
within three videos you have become a staple of my RUclips experience and I enjoy when you upload. Thanks for the great content. I love how you broke this down and it has been my goal recently to build a curated wardrobe that fits me so great timing on this subject.
Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it. It's a process - curating one's wardrobe - and it evolves!
This is my first time seeing one of your videos and it was extremely well done. I really look forward to seeing more in the future!
Thank you very much!
Im excited to follow and see this channel grow!! 0:01
Appreciate your support 🙏
Great topic explained very well. Many thanks for these tips.
Believe it or not, while travelling home from work this evening I was asking myself what my personal style is because I've been feeling a bit lost in that regard. Thank you Peter, your advice has helped me a lot.
I mentioned to another commenter that it's a process, and that it evolves. But I love that my video has helped kick start this thinking for you! Appreciate your comment 🙏
Your uniform are goals
Great stuff. Really have been enjoying your channel so far! Looking forward to more content from you. Keep it coming!
Thanks, will do!
This video resonated so much with this particular moment of my life. I come from a tropical country and have been living for two years in a place with harsh winters and been tinkering a lot with my clothing trying to simplify my wardrobe into key pieces for work and more formal occasions while taking weather into consideration.
Thanks for sharing your experiences, I personally found the content very insightful. While I agree with the coments saying that in some situations we might want to spend time putting a look together I think that having a "Personal Uniform" that I can just switch around and not think too hard about it while being confident I'll look good is definitely worthwhile advice :)
Thank you so much for watching!
The clothing piece I feel most comfortable in is the Oxford shirt. It has a great balance-not too dressy, yet still polished enough for a more put-together look.
Can't go wrong with a classic Oxford shirt IMO. Looks good in almost any circumstance.
Just stumbled across the channel today and am now subscribed. Please keep the great content coming!
Thanks so much for the sub!
I watched all your first videos here, Peter, and I love the perspective you bring, which is why I must also disagree with phrasing about personal uniforms like “you don’t have to think as much” or “it requires less time”. Less thinking should never be the goal. On the contrary! The thought and reflection you put into this video and the consideration that allows you to enjoy your daily uniform, I would say, is an example of more thinking! I think the whole point is to encourage people to think more about their closet, how it reflects identity and hence how much joy a distilled personal uniform can bring!
I have a uniform too, entirely consisting of pieces from Acronym:)
Great counter, appreciate your chiming in. You're right that it does require more (and intentional) thinking. I think for some folks, they're not used to allocating mental energy in this direction but I think you'd agree that it's worth it. It can unlock a new level of expression that had been dormant/unrecognized. Also, 🖤 Acronym 🔥🔥🔥
Great Video! This really resonates with me as I've been having trouble building a uniform since I want a blend between two different styles. I enjoy wearing the professional minimal Korean look that's popular over there (Uniqlo, pleated pants, dress shirts), but I also feel comfy in an English outdoors-man style with articles like brown suede leather jackets, Barbour, and denim. I've been looking for a way to tie them together with not much success, but this video gives me hope to keep trying.
There's a way to tie them together and you're figuring it out. Love that. You'll get there, I'm sure, and you're gonna wind up with a really cool and unique look!
Good point on being sharp without investing too much time into careful calculation of the exact combination of clothes you plan to put on every morning. Can't say it is exhausting, but hastily combined outfit sometimes brings some sense of imperfection which stuck to the back of your mind, distracting from full concentration on a creative design task. P.S. Is it your all-year-round uniform? Or just summer-autumn part of it?
It's mostly late summer onwards for me and TB. NYC summers can be brutal and because my TB 'uniform' is focused on basics in oxford cloth and wool suiting (and not seasonal items, which I don't love) I switch to a lighter selection of basics for summer.
I have subscribed and enjoy your content. I'm not sure about the uniform concept. Here in New Zealand, it's more about the weather rather than selecting type and shades of clothing. Having said that I do have my go too's for items in particular weathers and seasons. Please keep your channel going. I really enjoy it and you have great style.
Appreciate your comment and for subscribing, thank you!
Cool to see that you were also a former senior designer - albeit I was in the satellite engineering field!
Such an informative and well put together video :)
Thanks so much! Appreciate your support 😊
@PetersPrism Any time, it's a great opportunity to be able to learn from your years of experience
Thank you for the video Peter. One question - you personally opted for your uniform to be all from the same brand/designer, how important would you say this is?
Thanks for bringing this up! It’s an interesting question because I don’t think it’s necessarily important, but it also really depends on what you’re going for.
Thom Browne’s foundational garments and their styling really spoke to me, and I found the tailoring to be quite specific. Over time, as I was building up my current uniform, I experimented with how I felt about the looks stripped down…or mixed in with other pieces and it didn’t speak to me as strongly. I attempted to style the pieces in a way that didn’t resonate, and that’s how I wound up with a mostly head-to-toe approach. I can’t say this will be forever, but it’s worked for me for a while now.
There’s a celebrity I see from time to time in NYC who is always in Thom Browne - his name is Bob Harper - and he mixes it up with Rick Owens, the combination of which I personally find inconceivable. It’s really hard for me to imagine myself trying to wear Owens’ Kiss heels with Thom Browne … But the way Harper does somehow makes it work for him.
I applaud guys who have a really individual approach to how they dress, and many of them are able to articulate their unique sense of style through a mix of different brands, along with new and vintage pieces. To me, this is the wardrobe holy grail: You know exactly what you need in order to fully express who you are, and it becomes less about brand.
Personally, I dress less to a "uniform" and more to a fairly consistent set of style principles. For bottoms, I pretty much always wear pleated high waisted trousers with a full cut, regardless of the formality of the rest of my outfit. My footwear is almost always a pair of loafers. My tops can vary, sometimes I wear dress shirts, other times sweaters, knitted polo's, etc. I usually wear a jacket of some kind, often times a sport coat but also blousons, silk jackets, denim chore jackets, overcoats. And I'll pretty much always try to make sure there's texture in the outfit, as well as consideration of color. Sometimes that consideration leads me to a monochrome outfit, other times to employ a pop of color, or to really lean even further into color. I feel like dressing to certain principles rather than a literal uniform/capsule wardrobe helps you be more discerning with your purchases and still allows you to express yourself and to develop a sense of iconography while still having fun and expressing how you feel or what character you want to embody that particular day. I am to avoid clutter in my wardrobe, but not to roommate choice. But I genuinely think that this is a viable option for the people who want it.
Important points you raise. There are a lot of variables and play and how that translates to your sense of self is super important. Texture, along with cut, fabric, and color can make a huge difference if chosen wisely! It's a good thing to keep these variables in mind when you're looking to add to your wardrobe. Thanks for this comment!
Wow, thanks for this. I agree on almost everything. I can‘t relate to the women wearing mostly adapted men‘s clothing. Like another planet to me. One question: when you change your uniform, then the old uniform has to go to goodwill or the landfill. How do you feel about that?
I hate the idea. I'll do everything I can to avoid that. A couple of years ago my 'uniform' was Rick Owens and when I moved on from that I sold everything on Grailed and eBay and used those proceeds to move on to Thom, which is a mix of new and secondhand. I think a lot of people don't know that dumping bags of clothes at Goodwill does not mean it's NOT going to landfill, or polluting the environment in other countries. I will also avoid fast fashion as much as possible and mend what I have until it actually can't be mended any further. Basically I'll do what I can to not contribute to the landfill problem. Great question and one I hope others will think about. 🙏
@ I think we are cut from the same cloth. So in your experience you were able to sell all or nearly all of those pieces? I am always scared off by the fact that in my town, and I think mostly on ebay as well, there are thousands of pieces of clothing that just don‘t sell…
In my experience I was able to sell most of the pieces I no longer wanted. Some of it obviously went for much less than I had hoped but that's OK. I'm no expert in this arena but what I try to do to maximize my odds is take great care of my clothes while I'm wearing them, and invest in pieces that I know will likely be relatively season-less. There are a ton of online secondary clothing platforms so it's worth investigating if you want to sell your clothes. Good luck!
@ Thanks, I feel encouraged to give it a shot. :)
Wow....another great video Peter! Fast fashion is bad for environment. Most used clothes people donate end up in landfill. Take a look at old photos from 1960's. People dressed way better with higher quality clothes. Your closet may be crammed with cheap clothes you never touch and may represent your hard earned money wasted. I think dressing better will also make you feel better. If you put some thoughts on building your wardrobe as Peter suggested, it will be easier to get dressed. I don't know how many times, I stared into my crammed closet and declared, "I got nothing to wear."
Thanks for this comment. It's not about how much clothing you have, but about what you have!
My style has always had workwear elements as I grew up a blue collar guy. Now approaching retirement and doing less hand work I find myself wearing comfy chinos t shirts and a simple wool sweater during winter. I don't want to vary much from this as I feel very relaxed and comfortable. I cant look at a plaid shirt anymore-so much workwear shirts are that. And I dont want to wear jeans anymore. I think as I've aged, and career has morphed, my clothes have too. It is a challenge though, to find what suits you and i have made purchases that didnt pan out the way I thought they would. Over all, i'd say as I have grown older, my way of dressing has pared itself down into a simpler more narrow and earthy palette, and comfort has taken a key place.
@@millieolsonI understand this experience completely. Being comfortable in your clothes goes a long way to a better representation of yourself. Your personal uniform sounds great!
Peter, your eyeglass frames, what brand are they..? thanks
Hi there, and thank you for asking! They are model number 1290V2-10 from Cutler and Gross - they come in a slightly smaller version as well.
@@PetersPrism perfect for you. Thanks!
Is Tom Brown French? Even the nato strap is on-brand. Some people could be getting cynical thoughts ( not me) . Enjoyable opinion; well put together.
My answer: J.Crew navy peacoat.
Thom Browne is American, actually. Thank you so much for tuning in 🙏
Not sure how I feel about the relatively large amount of branding. Do you wear multiple items simultaneously that are branded with the stripes?
The red-white-and-blue striped ribbon is a brand design detail present in most of my pieces, yes. It is visible, so that is an aspect of the overall look/presentation.
The timing of your comment is great. I'm working on an episode where I talk about visible branding as it pertains to what we put on.
Appreciate your chiming in about this!
peter, how would you navigate developing a personal style and uniform on a college student's budget with very little income?
I'd start by thinking about what your personal uniform looks like and what you feel good in. Determine your unique style and how you want to present yourself. You might have already worked through this part. I'd prioritize versatility since you're on a budget - pieces that will work in a lot of circumstances. Then I'd map this all out to figure out what I already have, vs. what I need to get. Make sure you think about color and how it all works together, and try to maximize what can go together (the more the better). When you're ready to add new pieces to your wardrobe, try to avoid going the fast-fashion route… but if you have to, scrutinize the fabric content and look at the construction and try to determine if it can withstand wear and be easy to care for. Alternatively I'd suggest going to secondary market platforms (Grailed, Vestiare, Mercari, eBay, etc... there are many). On these platforms you're likely to score incredible deals on quality labels. Also, don't be in a rush. You don't have to get everything at once. Designing your wardrobe with intention will help you really refine it in the best way possible, to really articulate what you want to achieve.
Basic wardrobe:
Jacket. Navy
Full zips ribbed. Navy (dark grey burgundy)
Crewneck. Navy dark grey (dark green/brown)
Collar shirts. White light blue and striped blue
T-shirts. White (black navy)
Trousers. Dark-, medium- and light gray (blak)
Jeans. Dark denim blue denim (black)
Shoes. Black split toes Black sneakers
Home. Sweat pants. Half zips. Shorts. Tshirt.
Sleep. Pajamas.
Gym. Hoodie. Shorts. Tshirt.
The problem is:
Bad materials, polyester
Bad fit, too tight or baggy
Bad price, too expensive
Bad colours, non versatile colours
Bad quality, shrinks or torns apart
Bad buy xp, no refunds, long delivery time.
Sounds to me like a solid foundational wardrobe! Curious about the black split toe shoes. Are we talking Margiela tabis? 🖤
I will say, almost all menswear influencers are promoting this idea of a uniform, and classic, staple or versatile pieces.
But I think it's important to point out that that doesn't work for everyone. I learned that I just need to go with the flow for myself. Sometimes I'm person A, sometimes person B. Sometimes masc, sometimes femme.
I tried for way too long to fit an aesthetic. At the end of the day, a uniform was not it.
Thanks for chiming in about this. You're absolutely right, and I should have been a lot more direct about that (though, for me, I do feel strongly about having a personal uniform/uniforms). It's NOT for everyone. Some have a single uniform, some have several, some have NONE, and there are shades in between; e.g. a basic uniform or several uniforms with rotating outliers that come in and out. I think the important point is that you should think about your wardrobe with intention, enjoy what you're wearing and have it work for you as a reflection of how you want to come across - as opposed to just wearing whatever because you have to wear clothes.
You made some great points about the function of sticking with a uniform but does it bother you that in your selection, you are inadvertently a walking advert for the luxury designer and/or status signaling?
It doesn’t bother me, no. I didn’t choose this capsule collection because I wanted to status signal but I have no problem with status signaling in general. It’s part of human nature.
okay okay okay. Is this an approach you take just for work or both work and time off? I think this is an interesting approach to someone who isn't into fashion and doesn't have a clear grasp of styling as you've said. it's just very sound advice to direct people into buying less, with intent, and prioritizing quality. BUT for someone into fashion i think they like to think about what they wear on that day and it's a creative process putting together an outfit. I think you make a good point that it's a Sisyphean task to try to capture exactly who you are in an outfit which will never work out as people have too much depth to their lives to capture it in a single outfit or wardrobe. I like to think that fashion isn't that deep and people will look at you at a glance and make only broad judgements about the person standing in front of them so it is pointless to try to push meaning through what you wear and instead it is much more fruitful to wear things you enjoy for yourself as you know yourself best and it is up to you to express your personality by communicating it. The thing is that for many of us styling ourselves is a really fun aspect of life and i can't for the life of me think to just adorning a bunch of over priced thom browne everyday, looking at my gray self, seeing my image be tailored by a singular designer, and think "wow this is fulfilling". I think the fun in dressing is mixing and combining things not always necessarily to a single designer's vision but rather my own take on it. So my question to you if you are so into fashion why settle for a singular man's vision? Why not bend some of their rulings?
Hey there, really appreciate this comment. I do employ this uniform for work as well as time off. It's not exclusive, though; like I mentioned in the video I don't need to wear this to go grocery shopping. And even though it is all TB, I'm still able to mix up what I have enough to create different 'looks' it's just that they're all within that world. And as self expression that works for me currently: the tailoring, the palette, the details, the references, the brand as a whole. Will that always be the case? Likely not, but this is where I am currently; hence the reference to Sisyphus 🪨. I do also want to add that while dressing for yourself is important, we're social creatures. As superficial as all of this may seem, we live in a complex world governed by a lot of social rules, and whatever we can do to feel like our best selves in it, and have others appreciate us for that effort - I think - is worth it.
One of my goals with this channel was to start dialogues like this, and to learn from them myself, and it's happening right now …and I thank you for that.
@@PetersPrism for you how long does a (for lack of a better word) "phase" last as far as your uniforms or styles go? Not to bring up age because i know everyone is at different stages of maturity which might be completely detached from their physical age but... i want to know if as you mature do you feel like you're less likely to shift your taste, if you feel like you've experienced enough in fashion to say you've arrived at the few brands you truly love now. I feel like the younger you are the less you've experienced so everything is novel to you and one would be more easily impressed. Is it too much to ask of a younger person to settle down to a uniform?
I think it really depends on the person. There are a lot of folks who want to look good but who also don't want to be overwhelmed with clothes or having to constantly figure out what to wear. And that can be relevant at any age. If you're young and into fashion, however, experimenting is inevitable. I think there will be a core set of ideas that will carry you through most of your adult life but there is no doubt you'll have diversions. I think that's part of the journey, and how you figure things out.
This is reminding me of a phase I went through a few years ago where I only wore black, mostly from Rick Owens but with other streetwear-type brands thrown into the mix. It was unexpected but something I think I wanted to explore as someone much older because it connected me to goth-like phases I went through in high school. I have great admiration for Rick Owens but it's not for me, and I know that now.
Armani? I read he wore cdg
Didn't know this. That's super interesting if true. Can I ask where you heard this?
most of my clothing items , are in black gray or dark blue , pants , button shirts , jacket and coats , few wast coats and cardigans , shoes are all are black leather ,one of each classic style , and few sneakers and ,hicking boots , with 3 level of formality and 4 weather , and i like classic hats , fendora trilby nb cap flat cap, never buy anything with strange colour or strange shape , everything i have will fit with everything , well will not wear hicking boots with suite and tie ,, like i will not wear my oxfords with cargo pants ,
We're definitely on the same page. Practicality over frivolousness any day for me.
do you know derek guy?
LOVE Derek Guy. So much fashion knowledge!
@@PetersPrism Nice. The way you discuss fashion reminds me a little of him.
Whats up with the like ratio, goddamn
Too dull. If “you are” someone who can’t decide, have limited imagination, look the same year in year out, cause no ripple as you enter the room, have no joy in discovering something new, don’t progress your personal style, pretend you are too busy make these choices………otherwise don’t be so ordinary
Thanks for sharing your thoughts here!
Man turns up in front of camera to discuss men’s design with a skewed badly shaped shirt collar , unbuttoned , with a boring unwoven silk tie again skewed, poorly made .
Disagree on the garments being poorly made. And the way I'm wearing them both is actually quite intentional. But I appreciate your comment!