In Myers-Briggs “code”, the T stands for thinking and the P for perceiving. I will leave it up to you to investigate, if those terms are not familiar. As I have been ruminating on the connections to style for a good long time now, I figured it was time to start throwing my thoughts out there.
TP = Tidy + Practical
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Characterized by simple pieces and established silhouettes, the TP style is, in my mind, best illustrated by what the hero wears.
Leisure: t-shirts and lots o’ pockets
Business casual: long-sleeved button-downs and twill pants
That’s about it. (Allow me to, parenthetically, express a pet peeve here: button-down is a specific COLLAR style, not “buttons down the front”.) While women’s clothing is always more complicated, I don’t think there is anything wrong with simplifying.
A TP woman could:
- Stick closely to favorite classics and let someone else shop for her
- Buy multiples
- Spend more for perfect; it will get worn out!
A TP could also neglect to throw things with holes or stains away and wind up with a bulging drawer full of painting clothes and nothing respectable to wear. 😉
Do you have any favorite feminine translations of this style? IMO, the female detective on TV’s Psych wears it well.
Well, today I’m wearing:
A pair of jeans that I ripped the knee out of two years ago, but they fit so well I couldn’t bear to part with them (nor have I gotten around to mending the knee.)
A plain red t-shirt
A brown woolen cardigan I inherited from my grandfather.
So I think, in general, this describes me pretty well. (I’m ENTP.) 90% of my everyday outfits boil down to jeans (or cords in winter, or plain long shorts in summer), tank top, and an optional overlayer (light woven shirt in summer, cardigan in winter). And I don’t usually think in outfits–I just grab some random combination and get dressed. I try not to grab the holey jeans if I’m going grocery shopping. O:-)
This past summer I got to participate in a trial and needed some business formal clothes. DOB helped me select two dresses (simple, knee-length sheaths) and a jacket. I think that will work very well for me as a business formal template, if that ever becomes a major part of my life again. My business/social casual is basically in-between the two. That’s an area where I have a lot more variation, but then, there is a much wider variation of situations.
I do like things with more pizzazz sometimes though (maybe the N coming out?) when I have time. But I definitely wear things until they are completely worn out, and it’s not just thrift–I am really sad to part with them in the end. So I think you are right about the worthiness of buying quality–when I have the money, this is what I need to do. I’m pretty sure this sweater of my grandpa’s is going to get worn forever. 😀
I thought of you when I wrote this post 🙂