Gray is the Way: How I Stopped Wearing Any Other Color But Black, White, and Gray

You don’t have to wear the same outfit every day. But you can wear the same color set.

I love the idea of wearing the same outfit every day. You get to wear something you really like and you don’t have to ever think about what clothes you are going to put on in the morning. And you never know, one day your outfit might become iconic, a personal brand and a symbol of who you are.

Despite its allure, though, reusing the same outfit also has a downside: not a single uniform will ever work in all weather types or will be suitable for different activities, occasions or even moods you are in. No matter how much you like any one particular outfit, sooner or later you will want to put on something else.

But there is another way to pick the clothes to wear that’s not as restrictive as having a single outfit, but which also simplifies making your fashion choices: wearing clothes of the same color set.

Going with one color set means that everything, always, matches. No matter what you pack in your bag, or what you have in your closet, all your clothes always go well together. You are never left with that one t-shirt that doesn’t match your shorts, or shoes that don’t go well with your pants.

But which colors do you choose? To me the answer was easy: black, white, and gray.

I picked these colors because of their versatility: they work well in various settings, from sport activities and weekend trips to work and social events. It’s easy to mix and match different pieces and effortlessly transition from one occasion to another.

Gray fabrics are especially convenient. You can wash a gray t-shirt or sweater a thousand times and it will still look good. Gray garments also do a great job of concealing dust and other debris that gets stuck to your clothes. You end up looking less scruffy after a long day of work or travel.

That’s not to say it’s a perfect blend of colors. For one thing, black, white, and gray are not the most exciting colors to wear. I often wish I could put on something more fun. And I can’t tell you how many times I missed out on clothes that I wanted to buy but which weren’t available in one of these colors.

I am happy to make that trade-off, though. I find the limitations of wearing a single color set far more empowering than restrictive. It lets me think less about what I’m going to wear, regardless of the occasion, the weather conditions, or what I feel like at the time. It might not be as iconic as wearing a single outfit, but as they say, clothes don’t make the man anyway.