I've been noticing a pattern with my wearing. The recent big blocks of WIW's have helped, plus what I'm wearing now. Basically: I go through phases where all I want to wear is a particular silhouette or type of outfit. But this silhouette changes up multiple phases in the same season. Usually a month or more at a time.

November WIWs: Lots of separates. Tops and skirts. A sprinkling of dresses.
December WIWs: Almost all dresses. Some short with leggings, some long.
January so far I don't have enough pictures, but it has been mostly dresses again. I'm wearing separates today mostly because some November WIW's jogged my memory.

This pattern thing is almost a compulsion. When I'm in dress mode, I don't WANT to mess with coordinating a top and skirt. A dress is simple and comfortable and awesome: Boom, outfit done. When I'm in top/skirt mode, I'm enjoying the feel of a very tidy waistline and a swishier skirt. I love the extra color and pattern of a good combination.

None of this is a conscious decision. I don't know why the compulsion changes switch. Is there a name for this? Surely not FFBO. That's usually particular items, whereas this mode is more a silhouette. Maybe uniform dressing, where my subconcious regularly changes the uniform preference?

It's mostly an academic question. (Although I wish I hadn't come up with it when Angie was on vacation! She brings such clarity!) But a good thing to be aware of, and it does raise some other issues.

First, it makes it harder to define style goals and style descriptors. Especially using, for example, the exercise from Unfancy that Style Fan and Janet have used. If I did it, my answers would be largely shaped by the current "pattern." It's hard for me to remember other items and how I feel about them. If I did that exercise in the middle of a Dresses phase, it might give results that aren't encompassing.

Second, what do I do when I'm tired of all the uniforms? Cold weather doesn't last long enough for this to happen. Nor spring and fall, since I'm kept hopping keeping up with the daily and hourly temperature swings. But my "Hot Weather" dressing season lasts for 4-6 months. I do go back and forth between dresses, and tops and skirts. But eventually I get sick of it all. Especially in September and October when fall fashion is in full swing and we're still regularly hitting highs of 90-95F or greater.

I know this is something Maneera has mentioned in the past, though I don't remember how she's dealing with it lately.

I doubt a new uniform would help much. (Especially not if it involves pants.) Maybe if it was a different sub-uniform? Maybe I can trick myself into believe it IS a different uniform.

Usually I try to solve this with new purchases. It does help, but shopping just isn't good (for hot weather clothes) at that time of year. And it's very bad for my budget.