To wear a uniform is to know who you are. It's to reject other's ideas of who you should be, and instead, project your vision of yourself. That despite what the world may deem beautiful or relevant or desirable, you choose to dress how you want. How you want the world to see you. How you want to feel.
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Chicken provided by Catherine and Steve Wink
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Navy apron dress by Atelier Bomba. White poplin button down shirt by 100 Hands.
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Navy double face coat by Nanna Pause. Black leather loafer by Aldanondo Y Fdez. Black uniform sock by Maria la Rosa.
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Romney Tweed jacket by J Mueser and kilt by Acme Atelier. Stripe button down shirt by 100 Hands.
To wear a uniform is also to transcend time. Our grandmothers, and our grandmothers before them, valued the quality of the human hand in their clothes. Their singular wardrobes were made of garments stitched by the hours, whether by necessity or choice. They didn't change with the seasons or ebbing trends. It is only recently in history, that women have become such chameleons.
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Red wool duffel coat by Richard Anderson.
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White lace collar by Lepoglava Lace Coop. Worn over navy apron dress by Atelier Bomba.
Perhaps that's because we've been asked to be so much. To be mothers. Daughters. Breadwinners.
Drivers. Bakers. Artists. Activists. All at once.
How to choose just one uniform - just one outer shell - to convey all we've become?
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White linen embroidered shirt by Loretta Caponi. Navy apron dress by Atelier Bomba.
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Housetop quilt by Emma Mooney Pettway. White muslin pleated skirt by Injiri. Navy brogue by Stefano Bemer.
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Upcycled denim patchwork jacket by Grandpa Brand. White poplin shirt by 100 Hands.
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Upcycled denim patchwork jacket by Grandpa Brand.
To wear a uniform is to invest in clothes that will last. That will not harm the planet.
But rather honor the natural fibers and dyes of the Earth.
To continue traditions of craftsmanship that are quietly fading.
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Camel cashmere hand-crochet poncho by Priah. White Muslin pleated skirt by Injiri. Navy brogue by Stefano Bemer.
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Aran crewneck by An Púcán. Blue stripe button down by 100 Hands. Navy apron dress by Atelier Bomba (worn underneath).
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White cotton muslin tie-front chemise and pleated skirt by Injiri.
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For all of these reasons, and many more, owning a uniform now feels like the most modern sartorial choice a woman can make.
Because identity matters.