Fashion is a business in which image is all, and certainly in this world, how you look is who you are. It might sound a bit shallow and superficial judging a person based on his or her looks, however the fashion industry’s identity of manufacturing of desire and prestige, justifies it. Season after season, trend after trend, fashion re-invents itself and with it, our wardrobes too. Paradoxically, the most well-known and established figures in fashion, the ones who actually craft this ‘fashion world’, have adapted to a relentless repetition form of dressing. From Anna Wintour being easier to spot than Waldo with her iconic bob and massive Chanel sunglasses, to Alber Elbaz’s caricature-looking voluminous suits and colourful ties, it seems uniform dressing is the norm of signifying success within fashion. Dressing is indeed a very personal matter influenced by a sea of factors; occasion, mood, funds. However, when it comes to a mathematical precision of uniform dressing by fashion’s elite, is it personal branding or the epitome of style?
An unsuited Tom Ford is as rare as a nun in a bikini. Having built his entire brand based on his idiosyncrasy of what an articulate lifestyle is, the designer is the living proof that the ‘Tom Ford Man’ can really exist outside fashion editorials and catwalks. Ford can almost always be found wearing a black suit, a white french-cuffed dress shirt and either a black tie or a three-button teasing open collar. Despite most people’s association of wearing a suit with either business or the formality of an event/place, the designer’s perpetual dedication to a black suit-white shirt combination seems to have a rather human explanation than a much expected strategical brand move. “A suit is armour,” Ford explains. “I don’t wear a black suit-white shirt combination all the time to be “iconic”, but because I am most comfortable in this and I don’t feel the need to experiment. You gotta learn in life what makes you feel comfortable in terms of clothing and that’s what you should wear.”
In an industry which thrives on change every season, the designer’s mannerism of steering clear of trends sounds a bit controversial. Probably, as controversial as finding wearing a suit comfortable. For Tom Ford being in fashion means being comfortable with who you truly are. Instead of constantly exploring potential ‘characters’ through every new season’s trends and collections, the designer triumphs on personal style, even if that gets a bit repetitive and monotonous. As Anna Wintour has stated, “Trend is a dirty word.”
Sporting the same bob hairstyle since she was fourteen years old, a devoted A-line silhouette dresser with a hemline falling to her knee or below and always accessorised with her favourite necklaces and trademark sunglasses, Anna Wintour is the definition of uniform dressing. One of the most widely regarded people in the fashion industry, Wintour’s personal wardrobe is understandably often scrutinised. Typically under the shade of her gigantic Chanel sunglasses, Wintour has become an elusive figure, surrounding her with a palpable sense of mystery. However, Wintour wasn’t always the devoted A-line silhouette dresser we all know. Maybe the bob and the sunglasses were there, however photographs of her from the late ‘80s and ‘90s, show a much more versatile, experimental dresser; baby pink satin trousers, oversized sweaters and, strangely, most often a big smile.
Anna Wintour’s style became notably consistent since her appointment as editor-in-chief of US Vogue. It seems Wintour had to create this cold-hearted “Nuclear Wintour” character in order to be respected and survive in such a hypercritical industry. “They [sunglasses] are seriously useful. I can sit in a show, and if I’m bored out of my mind, nobody will notice. And if I’m enjoying it, nobody will notice. So I think at this point they’ve become, you know, really armour.” Except from Wintour’s inseparable sunglasses, which serve a purpose beyond fashion as they are actually corrective lenses for her deteriorating vision, Wintour’s consistent form of dressing doesn’t end there. A person with a mythical access to designers' goods has chosen to wear the same pair of shoes for more than twenty years now. Customised Manolo Blahnik sandals in several shades of nude can be found in almost every photograph of her, making her look like a character from a game in dress up mode. Everything stays the same, except from the colour or print and the sleeve length of the dress. Seriously, see for yourself above.
Whether this is intended or not, being famous within the industry corresponds with Wintour being seen as a style icon. This border-line obsessively consistent manner of dressing might be truly thrilling to Wintour personally, or easily chosen due to its efficiency. However, as Karl Lagerfeld has proven, having a signature look in the fashion industry can be a business of its own.
A slicked-back white ponytail, oversized sunglasses, a high-collared shirt, a black blazer, black pants, and, of course, a pair of gloves. Who else could it possibly be, other than Karl Lagerfeld? Being the creative director of three fashion houses at the age of 84, Lagerfeld has proven that there is no limit to what you can do as long as you are passionate. The designer’s immutable trademark appearance was ‘launched’ with his extreme weight loss in the early 2000s, simply because he wanted to wear suits designed by Hedi Slimane. “Well, there came this new line from Hedi Slimane at Dior that you needed to be slim to wear. It said: 'You want this? Go back to your bones.' And so I lost it all. I lost 88 pounds and never got them back.” Unconcerned by social pleasantries and political correctness, Lagerfeld is never afraid to speak his mind. Having become a walking brand himself, from Fendi’s ‘Karlito’ fur bag charms to his very own brand, Karl, with its logo being literally Lagerfeld’s portrait, the designer hides behind no pretentiousness. “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that. It’s like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long.”
There are numerous fashion figures that have evidently adopted the art of uniform dressing apart from Ford, Wintour and Lagerfeld; Tonne Goodman always found in a pair of white jeans and a black shirt; Riccardo Tisci in total black and immaculately clean white trainers; Carolina Herrera in crash white button-ups and A-line skirts paired with subtly pointed-toed heels. Regardless of the motives behind each uniform, there is a certain appeal to the ability to streamline, edit and define your wardrobe based on a two-three factor combination. It exudes confidence and authority. A poised personality that is not affected by trends and ephemeral likings, and doesn’t partake in any potential risk involved with experimentation. It showcases an exclusive focus on this fashion world crafted for the consumers and readers that doesn’t allow time to be wasted over what outfit to wear. Every day is a simple decision of which version of each staple to put on, and sometimes not even that. However, doesn’t that dismiss the existence of the fashion industry itself, particularly when it’s done from within?
As mentioned earlier, dressing is a very personal matter, therefore no-one can be certain for the motives behind uniform dressing within the fashion industry. Whether it is a genuine, defined personal style or a visual trademarking strategy, it is only for the person to know. However, the norm in the industry of making a caricature out of yourself to underline success, is nothing more than self-exhibitionism. Desperately trying to stand out through the monotony in an ever-changing scenery. Fashion is about the thrill of getting ready in the morning. Of craving to try new things, feel new fabrics and take ‘risks’ in those rare epiphanies. All these fashion figures who refuse to get out of their comfort zone by repeatedly wearing the same pieces, is a stance that goes against everything this industry stands and profits from. Finding your true colours through clothes is indeed the epitome of style. As well as having beloved pieces is part of it. Having a uniform is a gilded cage.