Kate Moss has access to the latest off-the-runway styles and most extravagant couture. But when she goes out, the supermodel relies on the same ensemble she’s sported for 15 years: a little black dress topped with a leopard-print coat.
Moss isn’t alone. Over the years, plenty of the world’s most stylish women have adopted a uniform, from Coco Chanel — with her trim skirt suits and piles of costume jewelry — to Carolina Herrera, who is rarely seen without a crisp, white button-down. And then, of course, there’s Steve Jobs, whose black mock turtleneck, dad jeans and New Balance combo became as iconic as his streamlined Apple products.
The Post talked to three local women who have freely adopted their own uniforms, to see how they manage wearing the same thing every day.
Jennifer Ruff’s closet is stuffed to the gills like Carrie Bradshaw’s. But unlike TV’s most famous fashionista, Ruff — a publicist who lives on the Upper East Side — keeps filling her wardrobe with the same garments over and over again.
“I must have 20 of the same silk shirt in different colors, more than 40 [pairs of] skinny jeans, three identical fur vests, eight raincoats that are all slightly different and so many Belstaff motorcycle jackets, it’s silly,” says the 46-year-old. She also has a Belstaff puffer vest “in six different colors,” three Rick Owens leather jackets and “quite a bit of” Yves Saint Laurent “Tribute” heels and boots in black or brown.
And then there’s her collection of Hermès arm candy: 20 leather bracelets and 28 enamel cuffs in a rainbow of hues.
“I’m really kind of crazy when it comes to my uniform,” she says.
Ruff used to be more experimental with her style, but that changed about 10 years ago, when her friend introduced her to Tucker designer Gaby Basora. At a sample sale, Ruff fell in love with a simple silk blouse, and asked Basora if she would custom-make her a bunch in different shades.
“That’s when I really found my style,” she says.
Ruff does still shop, buying a couple of new pieces a season — a boot here, a Belstaff jacket with custom embroidery there — but she never gets bored of her sartorial template.
“It’s so easy getting dressed every morning!” she says. “I get up and feel a color, and then I’ll use that color in either the jewelry or shirt and build from there.”
Celebrities such as Lena Dunham and Lorde go crazy for Samantha Pleet’s unicorn-printed minidresses and ruffled, striped crop tops. But the designer prefers to outfit herself in a utilitarian black jumpsuit.
“I have five I rotate [among],” the 34-year-old tells The Post, adding that she accessorizes her one-piece garments with a beret, her signature blunt bangs, and black ankle boots.
“Even when I go out I wear a black jumpsuit — I’ll just put some makeup on beforehand.”
Pleet started wearing these items almost exclusively about 10 years ago, shortly after starting her own line.
“Being in fashion, I used to dress pretty crazy — really short shorts, thigh-high boots, crazy hats,” she says. “But once I started designing for myself, I needed to think about my work, not about what I would wear in the morning.”
The Chelsea resident always loved rompers and jumpsuits, and she realized these garments were perfect for running around, sewing and doing fittings.
“It’s a great uniform for a creative working person,” she says. And she finds a lot of variation in her limited palette. She owns two long-sleeved, V-neck wool-cashmere jumpsuits from Brooklyn label In God We Trust; an off-the-shoulder number from her own upcoming spring collection; a silk option with a twist detail and subtle side cutouts; and a high-waisted version with a zipper and wrap top — which, the new mom says, “Makes me feel sexy after having a baby.”
Pleet does have a few more colorful alternatives — including one in, yes, a unicorn print — as well as fancier dresses she’ll trot out once in a while.
“Of course, I get bored and need to wear something totally magical and very princess, just to change it up,” she says. “But I like the youthfulness that jumpsuits have. They make me feel [like] I can take on the world and do whatever I want.”
When it comes to uniforms, nothing comes between Carissa Tozzi and her three pairs of Levi’s.
“I first discovered Levi’s as a fashion thing in junior high,” says the 45-year-old founder of children’s retail site Wolf + Friends. “There was a friend I went to camp with, and she was always in a white T-shirt and Levi’s, and I was like, ‘That’s the best style.’ ”
But Tozzi adopted her own spin on her friend’s uniform: Instead of a basic white T-shirt, she’d seek a basic with a frilly twist. “For example, six months ago I was shopping at & Other Stories and found this gray sweatshirt with puffy sleeves,” says the Easton, Conn., resident. “It was a dream! It was minimalist, but had this one element that made it girlie.”
Tozzi has 10 shirts with puffy sleeves, ruffles or other feminine details from hip designers such as Isabel Marant and Rachel Comey, as well as trendy mass retailers including & Other Stories and Zara. She does change up her shoes — flipping among ankle boots, white Nikes with a gold swoosh and No. 6 clogs, which she likes to wear with sparkly socks.
“A new thing I’ve been into lately is sparkle, whether it’s sparkle socks or a sweater that has a bit of sparkle,” she says.
And she never gets bored.
“I feel like when you’re young you’re chasing trends or chasing a persona you think you want to be, because you aren’t secure in your identity,” she says. “Once you know your style, it’s so easy to shop. I’m always updating it just enough that it never seems exactly the same.”
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