In defense of wearing the same t-shirt everyday

But wash it, okay?

If you’re reading this on a weekday, any weekday, or at least a weekday that I’m working from home, then there’s a good chance that I’m wearing one specific t-shirt design.

I don’t collect many things. Actually, I don’t even buy many things. I end up talking myself out of buying most things that I think about buying, especially if they’re for me. (That will be a post for another day.) But I do sort of have a t-shirt collection. (That’s also a post for another day. You’re getting a bit of insight into how writing ideas come to me.) And although I enjoy my t-shirt collection, my daily choice of attire is at the boring end of the t-shirt spectrum.

I wear a simple t-shirt with my employer’s logo on it, in my employer’s main color. I’m in charge of ordering these t-shirts, and I’ve compiled more than a dozen of them. Because I work from home two days a week throughout the year, and four or five days a week in the summer, I feel no pressure to dress professionally. I do have a fair number of Zoom meetings, and if it’s an important meeting, I’ll throw on some super fancy shirt (i.e. one with a collar) for the duration of the meeting. But the work t-shirt is perfect for most meetings because it gives off a vibe that says, “Yes, I’m working at home, but I am actually working. I’m taking this so seriously that I wear the company’s logo across my chest.”

Sometimes during a meeting I’ll lean back in my chair to give everyone a good look at the employer’s logo on the front of my shirt. It’s a not-so-subtle way of saying, “This isn’t just a shirt; this is our shirt.” The hope is that everyone will see my shirt, and think, “That guy’s not goofing off. He’s so dedicated that he’s even thinking of the workplace when he gets dressed in the morning.” Or something.

No one has ever looked at me and thought, “Now that’s a stylish guy.” It’s just not my thing. I have many good qualities, but a tendency toward dapperness is not one of them. So wearing the same t-shirt design day-in and day-out is very on brand for me. But more than that, it’s just easy, which is the best part.

I put zero thought into my wardrobe on work days. I grab a work t-shirt, whatever shorts are clean, and get to it. There’s no planning of outfits, or trying to remember if anyone will realize that I just wore this shirt last week, or pondering whether this shirt or that shirt goes better with these pants. I’m working from home, pants are optional. (I make sure no one can see my lack of pants when I lean back. For the love of god, I’m not Jeffrey Toobin.)

Most days I make time to go for a long walk during the day. I’m almost always wearing a work t-shirt. Because I walk at the same time every day, I often see the same people when I walk. I keep waiting for one of them to stop me and say, “Hey buddy, didn’t you just wear that t-shirt yesterday?” Maybe they can tell that I’m in no mood for discussions about high fashion. Or low fashion for that matter. Is low fashion a thing?

Wearing the same t-shirt everyday also helps with decision fatigue. Humans can effectively make a limited number of decisions in a day, so, for me, reserving that energy for things more important than what to wear only makes sense. It’s the same reason that Barack Obama didn’t choose his own clothes most days, and only wore blue or gray suits. (Except for the infamous tan suit, apparently.)

The great thing about a work shirt being my default shirt – and having so many of them – is that it can also be my grass cutting shirt, or dinner making shirt, or toilet cleaning shirt. If it gets too sweaty or grimy, I just take it off, and put on another one. There are always more in reserve.

Steve Jobs famously wore a black turtleneck every day. This must be what it was like to be him. Well, except for the absence of outrageous narcissism and billions of dollars.

I guess we can’t have it all. I’ll just be grateful for my t-shirt.

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