A uniform template that works

We’re entering our flare pant era

A funny thing starts to happen with your style as you become more familiar with yourself: you no longer get dressed to learn who you are, shape shifting as you go, so much as you do get dressed to confront where you’re at — to be armed with what you feel like you need to get by.

So even if your style stops changing so seismically once you know what you like, the wavering circumstances that meet you in life, the ones that demand whatever they do from you, never stop rushing in, storming out. How do you meet these moments with clothes? How do they change what you want to wear without changing what you already know about how you like to look?

As I see my style settling into its mold with more conviction, these questions seem paramount to the task of building a uniform that is flexible enough to greet you wherever the 🌀 vibe of the day 🌀 finds you. Because for a uniform to actually stick (and remain interesting), it has to be nimble enough to endure adjustments, can’t seem so much like a rigid framework built over a house of cards.

The template I’m going with looks like this:

By Malene Birger jacket (the long version is on sale here and here), Marisa Klass shell necklace (I’m really drawn to these from Prada lately too), Loulou Studios ‘Mora’ sweater, Khaite white t-shirt (a whopping 10% off here), Victoria Beckham pants. They have been The Definitive Fall Wardrobe Hero (and I like these too)

The overarching variables are:

• shrunken crew neck sweater (the crew neck provides more flexibility for a broader host of coat collars to work with it)

  • Great option from Ref ($168), another from J. Crew ($118)

• flare leg pants (I tried on these from Brunello Cucinelli at Bergdorf Goodman some months ago when we were filming the holiday video. They are what set off the idea:)

  

  Wanted to see what the $$ fuss is about! Turns out it’s how well they fit. But these from Acne for $580 look pretty similar…(Styled with a Bode t-shirt, men’s RL sweater and these loafers from The Row)

  • I think these are the definitive winter ones

  • But you can find great options on TRR too. Search Prada! I did also get these (in a smaller size) earlier this season. They’re a lovely silk faille that blends so well with wool, leather and suede.

    

    The pants in question, styled with a Bode jacket (this one from RL is a bit more refined), Loro Piana sweater, Kolonaki Madrid knit helmet and Toteme boots

• sliver of cotton t-shirt (to break up wool sweater, wool pants)

  • The goal is to opt for a true crew — almost like a mens tee to make sure the sliver stands out, and something short so you don’t have to deal with too much tucking. Hence Khaite’s Emmylou, but my friend Claire wears Uniqlo’s shrunken tee and she always looks like a milli bux.

• soft shoes

The dynamic I’m paying closest attention to is in the interaction between the flare pants and soft shoes (this can mean literally supple, like the moccasins pictured here; they come in olive too). In relation to the fabric — think about how suede looks against fabrics like wool vs. a brushed or crisp leather.

The Row’s ‘Tyler’ booties (45% off here, 32% here)

Together, they create a casual slouch effect between is an otherwise formal pant silhouette and overwhelmingly, almost impossibly informal shoes.

The same formula, this time swapping out a shrunken sweater for an oversize one (but maintaining the crew neck — this is the flexibility I was talking about) and choosing more durable pants (corduroy as opposed to fine wool, but still flare) could look like this:

Patou coat (it’s 40% here; and while we’re talking Patou, I’m highlighting this hooded toggle coat which is 70% off), Elder Stateman sweater (there is a great range on TRR; I’m hot on this one and this one rn), here are two pant alts (the brand that makes these no longer exists), Cuyana handbag, The Row brogues, comb necklace (Jalil made one with this Judith Lieber comb and black string) and sunglasses

You’ll notice I’m not wearing soft shoes. The pants here are heavier, and that lends itself better to a heavy shoe (this time in that brushed leather I mentioned above. They balance out the long coat better but still feel casual because of their Doc Marten-esque shape).

The other thing I’ll say pertains to the bag:

Cuyana ‘Concertina’ bag

I’ve been wearing a bag shape like this a lot since Fall started, and have been using this one in partic the most recently. I like how the shade of beige — more grey beige than yellow beige — reflects off color and lets rich fabrics like the corduroy pants pop.

From a practical standpoint, it’s also big enough to carry all the things I need (phone, wallet, headphones, key, chapstick, sunglasses and even journal) and serves as a discreet and elegant add to any outfit that either features more whimsy, or color (see: tie dye) — sort of toning it down, or maturing it up. I suspect this happens because of its minimalist structure and the length of the strap.

My final styling notes are that the (thick) black leather cord necklace over the sweater is meant to correlate to the heaviness of the shoes, adding a subversive element of whimsy on account of the silver comb portion.

More broadly speaking, actually, now that we’re here and I have a few more real-life examples under my belt: another good thing about a crew neck is that the versatility factor does not only apply to coat collars — it accommodates a broader range of necklace lengths too. Example:

Adina Reyter chord necklace and charms (she is giving 20% off to Cereal Aisle subscribers today with the code LEANDRA20)

A more timely (that is, holiday season-centric) interpretation of the uniform template could look like this:

Raey ivory ribbed turtleneck, LMND button down shirt in ‘rust’, Ralph Lauren crew neck (J. Crew’s are nice too; I get a M), Cafe Leandra x LDJ pants (same shape here, but printed velvet if its more your thing, Re/done boots (if you’re a size 7, these from Celine are great)

I’m layering way more shit with the sweater — namely turtleneck and button down shirt, but the crew neck can still hold its own with the add of another shape of coat:

Rixo leopard print coat (one alt here, a pretty close one here, something sort here, and a similar shape ref here), Oliver Peoples sunglasses (here they are in red from TRR, which is where I got mine, for $103)

I’m calling this one “holiday festive” because of the brocade pants (Cafe Leandra x La Double J) and the color combination of burgundy and camel (the toned down equiv of christmas red and gold). You can fully approximate this pairing with whatever works from your wardrobe as far as color combos go. Below in fact is a pic from last year that inspired the current re-up:

Here is a fine turtleneck alt from Everlane, and the sunglasses, one more time.

Consider it proof that the look doesn’t need the holiday season to make sense. The turtleneck breaks up the collar/crew pairing and something about the suede on the shoes (which is what makes them “soft” by my definition) creates an evergreen effect.

But btw: if after all this, you’d rather wear another kind of neckline, do that!

Polo RL polo knit (the length is great for over pants — hits just below a midrise waist line), the Khaite t-shirt, Giuliva Heritage ‘Laura’ pants (have not tried them in denim, but it’s a consideration), Chanel shoes (I bet these with black socks, or even these could yield the same visual result)

It’s not off limits, and polo necks are running rampant through our wardrobes these days so it would be foolish to relegate them to the status of irrelevant just because crew necks might be more versatile.

As far as coat for this, I’d go with something that buttons all the way up to the neck and has a collar, like the leopard print option above or something all together collarless. That link isn’t a real rec, but damn. That coat!

Meanwhile, here’s what an elastic flare pant brings to the equation:

Tory Burch coat (here's a good alt, 40% off, in yellow satin from Dries. For $1,189 this Tory Burch coat in the same shape but green satin is also still available and for metallic specificallu, another expensive but good looking silver option is this from Lafayette 148), Venstore cardigan (VS is no more; but &Daughter’s crew neck cardi might be more durable anyway), The White Tee (you know which), Alo Yoga pants, The Row moccasins (these are good too)

More cropped than the task order calls for but presents the new challenge of how to look and be comfortable in leggings without looking like you’re in leggings.

Pardo hats headband, Christopher Esber sunglasses, Sophie Bille Brahe pearls

I think it’s the combo of pearls, headband, coat that contextualize this one, but the rest of the template does stay the same, with soft shoes (which could fully be tennis shoes too) and a crew neck (cardigans work!).

Now for the market work, broken down by variable within the equation, that’s…