I don’t profess to having a daily “uniform” a la Carolina Herrera or Mark Zuckerberg – as in I don’t wear the exact same thing daily.   However, I have a go-to “look” which changes depending on the season.  When it’s cooler out (say, October to late April or so), I like my long sweaters or tunics (or loose tops) and skinny pants/leggings.  These are either paired with wedges or tall boots, depending on the weather.  In the summer?  It’s almost always a dress and sandals.  This is the beauty of working from home – I don’t need a “real” work wardrobe unless I’m out meeting with clients (so yes, I *DO* break away when I need to.  It’s like having a “grub” (aka “civvies”) day in a school with a uniform).

Cynthia, wearing a loose blouse/tunic, skinny jeans and tall boots

Unlike having a daily “uniform,” however, I STILL spend time wondering what EXACTLY to wear.  After all, like most people, I have more than one of my “regular” pieces.  However, one thing which remains fairly constant is my beauty/make-up routine.  I keep things really simple, perhaps due to upbringing.  While make-up was never actively discouraged by my parents when I was a teen (my mom introduced me to teen lifestyle/fashion magazines, citing she and her friends passed around copies of Seventeen when she was growing up in 1960s Hong Kong.  It was her insight into western culture and what was “cool.”  You may say that these magazines give off negative body image issues, but remember, in the mid 90s, there was a lot of talk on STDs and such.  It was the height of HIV/AIDS activism and I learned A LOT from the FAQ sections of Seventeen, YM and ‘Teen.  I wasn’t much of a Sassy girl.  Thought it was too “alterna-chick” for me), I just didn’t experiment much because I didn’t have much of an opportunity.  Strict uniform codes did not allow for that (I have to admit, however, I wore blue nail polish on my toes – it was the extent of “crazy” I went – since faculty would NEVER catch that) and I’m fine with such rules (unlike CERTAIN PEOPLE today.  #whatever).  So make-up for me is basically sun screen, primer and/or CC Cream, a little neutral shadow, mascara and lip gloss.  It’s the same with accessories (okay, I wore dangly/”shower curtain” style earrings on grub days (when we didn’t have to wear our uniforms) and weekends, but again, nothing too outrageous.  And I stopped wearing such earrings by the time I was an adult and only stuck with studs).  But THAT might have to do with my size.  Big pieces just overwhelm smaller people, in my opinion.

I know this seems very boring to many (and you can see it from all my outfit pics on Instagram), but I’m just NOT comfortable with going too overboard.  It’s just not…me.

NOTE:  When I’m NOT out, I stick with an old t-shirt and yoga pants that are so old that they can’t even be worn to the gym.  One of my favourites is a pair of cropped Lululemon pants that was discontinued YEARS ago.