Where Do You Get Dressed and Why?
My objective in this episode is not to give you the best places to shop but to encourage you to think twice before purchasing. A friend of mine has a purchasing rule that goes like this: “If i’m not thinking about a piece of clothing in 3 months time then I don’t need it”. I’ve adopted this rule… doesn’t help that I dream about clothes though. I won’t lie I’m coming from a place of growth and shopping mistakes, (its giving confessions of a shopaholic) and what I’ve learnt has brought me to a place where I can choose not to spend. This took many trial and error shopping trips, from shopping for the most cheap fashionable pieces of clothing or luxury items: ultimately i found not paying full price can still expensive… and not necessarily worth it
Upon asking the question where do get dressed and why? To the people I consider real shoppers, the natural answer were the spots they shop at. Rarely do I get a “my wardrobe” as answer “because “i’m a proud outfit repeater”, the occasional idc it’s just clothes to which I publicly boo’d! and threw imaginary tomatoes. Fortunately for me I was able to unpack a few responses with a few of my shoppers in crime, but for the most part a plethora of “I like the brand” answers.
Before we can into it, I thought i’d let you know what I’m wearing today: Where I get dressed is is mostly based on what the brand can offer me in terms of cut, style and comfortability. What I would consider a great outfit is anything that consists of me wearing double MRS for good measure, which simple means my outfit must consist of two Martine Rose pieces for good luck as if anything were to happen to me, I want to be easily identified immediately if I decide to wear MRS that day. For example as I was strolling on my way to lunch, this totally random dude caught up with me, made me remove my headphones to let to know my MRS jacket was “enerver”!!!! Not to say I shop for these moments but the compliment did fill me up where my wallet was emptied from buying that jacket hahah. With all that said I think it’s safe to say, I’m a huge Martine Rose fan simply put because I am a fan of her universe that she has created and as a fellow black brit, I devout my effort to wearing black owned brands that represent me.
Fashion is a visual art that speaks most powerfully through imagery and at times through the tactile experience of engaging with the fabrics and materials, so it’s difficult to discuss clothes, talk about style and what is happening to young creative expression through a podcast.
In the fashion industry new fashion designers are being dropped like flies from prestigious fashion houses. Some designers, are pulled away from their emerging and growing brands, to work for established houses but are met with the challenge of revitalising the declining fashion houses. Without clear direction, they are expected to resonate with younger audiences by incorporating the brand's DNA while also infusing their own perspective. While some niche brands gain global recognition through collaboration and so on, for funding etc other young brands rarely survive longevity. To stand out as strong founders they need good products and clear paths to profitability. It raises the question: how can they succeed when they’re giving away their best ideas? They aren’t able to influence buyers and in-turn customers.. where do we get dressed from here?
Magazine shoots don’t make me dream anymore—they’ve lost their essence of fantasy. Once upon a time, fashion editorials transported me to another world: surreal sets post AI, untouchable styling - that is only referenced today, and imagery that sparked imagination (now we have to deal with back to back white backdrops every issue of the “fashion bible”. Now, so many spreads feel overly commercial 40 pages of ads before getting to the core interveiws, overly curated for brand alignment rather than storytelling that highlights the clothes. The magic has been replaced with marketing. The risk, the romance, the visual poetry—it’s all been traded in for safe full runway looks masked as styling and celebrity-driven covers. Where once editorials inspired us to see fashion as wearable art.
Luxury stores don’t make me dream anymore. Kids my age would enter Hamelts toy store and lose all composure, but from a young age luxury boutiques and department stores were my real trip. But that magic has faded, especially now that fewer people enjoy shopping in-store. I am one of those people, less motivated to update my wardobe due to my ever-evolving style. Walking through stores filled with clothes I’ve already seen, pieces that don’t inspire, excite me or scream purchase me.
I also think social media has blurred the lines between the fashion girl vs an influencing one. I rewatched Ugly Betty last summer, particularly the episode where Amanda teaches us how to have an amazing free night in New York - it involved not spending an arm and leg; which really made me think about how the fashion girls on social media give us so many hacks for our current wardrobes. Good fashion comes with steep prices and limited sizing, yet the fashion girls have the tools and trickery up their sleeves to make pieces work for them, all whilst not paying full price!!! A skill the rest of us lack.
This is versus the influencer/ content creator that focus on pushing promo codes and encourages constant consumption. That said, the fashion industry itself hasn’t always catered to every kind of girl and guy. This is where the influencers stepped in, bridging the gap of connecting everyday women with more accessible, affordable fashion. So regular girls get to feel fashionable too! but this episode is also about why you get dressed?
What kind of customer are you?
When brands lose their identity it’s often due to poor storytelling, lack there of (marketing wise) and a disconnect between their products and target audience. they risk becoming irrelevant. This leads to a situation where customers have money to spend but nowhere they feel compelled to shop, while brands face declining sales.
Inclusion and diversity are powerful when they’re genuinely rooted in a brand’s foundation and purpose. But when it comes to legacy fashion houses—brands built with a specific history and customer in mind—it’s worth asking: is it fair to impose change that contradicts their original identity?
In a BOF Debrief episode titled When Fashion Lost Its Voice, reports noted that brands which remained apolitical actually performed better financially than those that took strong political stances after COVID-19. This suggests that authenticity matters. When a creative director truly believes in a cause, it naturally shapes the brand from the inside out like Telfar, Willy Chavarria or Marc Jacobs. it’s an expression of identity, not a marketing tactic aimed at gaining new customers through “woke” signalling.
Brands that have never featured Black models, trans women, or plus-size models shouldn’t suddenly do so just to ride a trend. That’s when consumers can begin to discern which brands are truly inclusive and which are simply performing. And that clarity can—and should—influence where we choose to shop.
If you’re gonna take one thing away from this episode, let it be the gospel: never pay full price. I’m not sure who said it first, but I heard it from Bibby Gregory founder Black Fashion Fair via Twitter—and it truly changed how I shop. I thought I wasn’t entitle to luxury clothing before this gem of a golden rule
One of the biggest fashion hacks? Follow stylists. Not to copy their looks, but to observe how they mix, match, and play pieces within a single outfit. I’m not the type of person who’s going to turn a pair of jeans into a top—I just don’t have that kind of creative vision. I tend to see clothes for what they are.
But that’s exactly why following stylists is so helpful. They teach you to look at your wardrobe differently—to stretch the potential of what you already own. Instead of buying something new for every event, dinner, or moment to show up and show out, you learn how to rework your pieces and still feel fresh.
Who are you shopping for?
Shop for your body type. As someone who’s struggled with fluctuating weight and finding a consistent personal style, I’d describe mine as androgynous, Y2K-adjacent, and heavily inspired by Rihanna. There was a phase where I was deeply into gym wear as everyday fashion, I thank the 2015 athleisure wave for that. But over time, as I started to care more about my appearance and stepped into womanhood, I found myself getting a kind of attention I wasn’t entirely comfortable with. That’s when I shifted toward baggy, oversized fits, streetwear was my sweet spot. Comfort became the priority, and streetwear became my language. To this day, you won’t catch me without a hoodie or a pair of trainers. Post-COVID, I had a little epiphany: these assets and this stomach won’t be around forever—so why not take advantage while I can? I’m leaning into slightly skimpier, sexier pieces… at least until I hit my dirty thirties (or whenever Melissa’s Wardrobe says it’s time to switch it up).
L’uniform
The idea of watching a TikTok tutorial of building a wardrobe around basic essentials is starting to feel outdated. By now, you probably already own a range of staple black tees and have cycled through every version of the white tank that’s the weekday - y/project and tankair tops included if you know you know. What’s next isn’t about collecting more basics—it’s about defining what L’uniform means to you.
Ask yourself: What first impression do I want to make at an event? How do I want to be recognised? What’s that one outfit—or type of fit—you can confidently rewear over and over because, in this house, we buy clothes to wear them.
So many style icons are instantly recognisable because of their signature looks. That’s not accidental—it’s intention, not repetition. And while their uniforms help solidify their identity, yours will reflect your individuality. What makes L’uniform special is that it looks different on everyone—because it’s about dressing in a way that’s unmistakably you. Traditionally, a uniform signifies belonging to a group. But with L’uniform, the goal is different: to craft go-to outfits that preserve your aura while simplifying your life.
When I ask, “Where do you get dressed?” I’m asking—who shapes your style? Where do you source your taste? Is it the influencers you follow, the magazines you read, the fashion girls on TikTok telling you what’s trending? Or is it the luxury stores with immaculate service and curated pieces that guide your choices? Getting dressed is never just about clothes—it’s a ritual, a mindset, and the construction of a tangible expression of your identity. —it’s about preparing yourself to be seen, to be felt, to be remembered. We’re all getting dressed somewhere—sometimes in the pages of a glossy editorial, other times through a stylist’s IG carousel or a well-lit Miu Miu boutique. Our wardrobes are often shaped long before we ever try anything on. Whether it's directly from your wardrobe, in a vintage pop up store, the real question is: Are you dressing for yourself—or dressing from someone else’s direction? Wherever you “get dressed,” make sure it aligns with your vision, not just someone else's aesthetic. As great style doesn’t start in your closet. It starts with influence—and then intention that space becomes a private stage where confidence is built and stories begin