The Go-To Uniform
As a girl in the corporate world, you will find yourself constantly in competition with men. Men who can get ready in 15 minutes. Men that can wear suits everyday. Men whose morning routine consists of gel, a razor and facewash. Men who can wear the same thing every day (https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/tv-anchorman-wears-same-suit-for-one-year-to-show-sexism-still-exists-20141811/) without anyone ever blinking an eye.
For you girls that work late nights and show up prepared for early meetings, sometimes you simply don’t have the time or energy to think about what to wear. On those days, a girl needs her GTU.
The Go To Uniform (“GTU”)
A GTU is the work dress [link to Ode to the Work Dress article], suit or pencil-skirt-and-top that never let’s you down. She is your proverbial Trap Queen.
The Six Characteristics of a GTU:
1) Wrinkle Free: Because sometimes there simply isn’t time to steam [link to article about steamer]. For this reason, we recommend that your GTU is made of thick, structured fabric like wool or has some stretch.
2) Black: Let’s face it, black is always appropriate. Black is always flattering. Black doesn’t announce that you slipped on the subway stairs and spilled your pressed green juice this morning. Don’t believe any of the hype—black is not boring. Black is reliable.
3) Modest: My GTU is a black work dress a size bigger than my casual clothes. Although it doesn’t show off my curves, it isn’t a burka either. The GTU should meet the Length Check Test (see our article); it should be an outfit that you would feel comfortable in while sitting squeezed between two male superiors in the back of a cab. Your GTU should not require the aid of a safety pin.
4) Understated: The GTU is not fashion forward. She’s something that your mom (not necessarily your friends) would compliment. Your GTU must be timeless in its appropriateness because your audience may not read Vogue. Basically, if your GTU were a bag, it would be a 2.55 Chanel Classic Double Flap.
5) Period-Proof: We’ll keep this short: your GTU should hold you down when Aunt Flo is in town.
6) Confidence: Your GTU should make you feel comfortable and confident. Despite her modesty and understated elegance, your GTU should make you feel like a boss, and you should look forward to putting her on, even when you wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
Pro-Tip
Resist the urge to wear your GTU every day—if you do, it may not be clean when you really need it. Ideally, you should have more than one GTU, and you’ll find that with time you’ll assemble an arsenal.