Tonne Goodman is an American fashion editor - for 20 years the fashion director at Vogue in the US and now the sustainability editor. She has always dressed in a particular uniform, and it’s a rather menswear one - white or black jeans, dark jackets or knits, loafers and a silk scarf.
It’s the kind of uniform - the kind of ‘capsule wardrobe’ - that we love exploring here on Permanent Style because I know many readers want to find their own personal version: a small collection of quality clothes that require little thought to put on in the morning, but can equally be played with at the edges.
Tonne Goodman’s uniform is one such example. So how does it break down?
1. White jeans
Goodman wears mostly white jeans, sometimes black. They have always been a classic straight leg, in a world of womenswear that constantly pushes new cuts - cropped slim legs, wide flared ones. As in many things, this is something that she has in common with classic menswear - that virtue in staying subtle and eschewing fashions.
“You know, a white jean isn’t a blue jean,” she told Jeans Stories. “It has a whole different look to it. You can put it with anything and it adapts. You can put it with a black velvet shirt and it becomes one thing, you can put it with a t-shirt and it will be another thing. So it’s a very good basic piece.
“[White jeans] can go from a shoot, to being at a show, to being in your office – at least that’s true for me and the way that I wear them. Because it’s always a very classic approach, and very unadorned.”
Of course, clothes read differently on men and women, and white jeans can be a hard thing for a guy. But if everything else is neutral and simple, and it becomes a uniform in the same way as Goodman’s, that’s an effective way to do it.
2. A navy or black jacket, shirt or rollneck
Goodman’s top half is usually a jacket or knit in a dark, neutral colour like navy or black. This creates high contrast, but is also neutral and simple. A shot like the top one above makes me want to try my double-breasted Assisi jacket with a pair of white jeans.
Goodman often adapts to the weather by varying the thickness of these tops, as well as the number of layers. So in colder weather in might be a jacket and a rollneck, but in warmer weather often just a loose, untucked shirt (basically an overshirt), like the one above. (We'll get to the camel jacket in a moment.)
“Any time I travel, my outfit doesn’t change; it’s always a few pairs of white jeans and black turtlenecks. That’s about it. It’s always been the same,” she told Industrie magazine. “I’ve always packed a carry-on case. If you have a uniform, it’s very easy and you don’t have to think about it.”
3. A silk scarf
The one decorative element in Goodman’s uniform is a silk scarf, usually knotted tightly at the neck. This is also quite a menswear approach, similar to how an ascot or bandana is worn. The colours are often blue or black, but can also be white, red or brown (above).
This is something I do fairly often - using one of my Hermes scarves. See the third image in this post, or this layering, and indeed my Assisi jacket outfit referenced earlier. Ironically, while I usually prefer the Hermes women’s collection for its variety in silks, Goodman’s favourite maker is the menswear stalwart Charvet.
Her scarves can adapt to the weather a little, with Goodman sometimes opting for a cashmere scarf worn in a French loop, or a big shawl around the neck as the warmest option. Something I’ve also been fond of.
“I usually take four pairs [of jeans] so that I can wear a fresh pair every day. And then it’s really simple: A dark top and a light bottom, and so easy. And a Charvet scarf. That’s my favorite thing,” Goodman told Jeans Stories.
4. Flats in neutral colours
For flats, read loafers. Goodman usually wears black slip-ons in suede or leather, as the simplest thing that will go with every permutation of the uniform elsewhere. They create a chic, understated stop to the outfit.
She will occasionally wear other colours though - snuff suede or dark brown (very menswear) - and a slim boot in the winter. There’s an occasional trainer, but of the Common Projects variety in similar colours of black and white.
5. Camel coats
OK, a lot of her coats are navy or black, just like the jackets. But there’s an equal number of camel or beige - probably the next most common colour in the wardrobe.
You can see why camel or beige might be a good choice: it’s fairly neutral like white and black, but also creates contrast with the rest of the outfit, as the tops and shoes do with the jeans. Alternative colours like olive or brown wouldn’t create that same contrast, and could look out of place.
This is something you can see in my outfit below where I wear my taupe/beige overcoat from Ciardi with white jeans.
So what can we learn?
That outfit above is actually a good example of how to adapt some of these lessons from Goodman into subtler, everyday versions.
Instead of a strong camel colour like my Anthology coat, for example, the Ciardi is a more muted taupe; instead of black boots like Goodman might favour, it’s dark-brown suede. The principles are similar, but the contrast has been dialled down.
You could do something similar with other parts of the uniform too. Instead of a black knit - which is high contrast and so more striking - pick a charcoal one. I’ve gone for charcoal with that Ciardi coat, and I also sometimes wear charcoal on top and bottom (below) where I’d never really wear black and black.
The general principles of the uniform can also apply to the most obvious of menswear combinations - such as blue jeans and navy knit/jacket/overshirt. Begin with that, layer a navy coat over the top in the same way Goodman would wear black and black, and play with dark shoes like black leather, dark brown suede or Color-8 cordovan.
One last lesson I think it’s worth spelling out is to experiment at the edges, rather than the core. Goodman might wear a technical jacket or snuff shoes, but the core of white jeans and black knit remains. This is much easier than varying the trousers or top.
There are lots of brands that work with these looks of course, particularly Rubato (below, a very Tonne Goodman combination). And The Anthology’s Goodman jacket was apparently named after her.
For more on capsule collections, have a search for ‘capsule’ on Permanent Style. I particularly recommend those for Scotland and Japan, particularly as they reflect winter and summer respectively. Emilie Hawtin’s article is also a great womenswear contribution.
Tremendous, thank you. What colour socks would you wear for white jeans and black loafers? White socks would looks a bit Michael Jackson. Black socks would look odd with the jeans. Grey?
Yes, I’d go for shades of grey, charcoal to be near the shoes or light grey to be closer to the jeans. Sometimes I wear a taupe or beige too, if greys feel a little dull
A real gem of an article that should answer the question “what should I wear ?”.
Although very few can pull off a ‘uniform’ dress code . Bill Nighy is one I can think of with his navy suits.
Having an interest in menswear I advise men to start with white/ blue shirts and grey/ navy trousers anything else (coat, jumpers) can be navy/ green.
Men can learn so much from how women dress . The other lady who dresses so well in ‘men’s’ clothes is Anda Rowland.
Thanks Simon, and more of this, please .
P.S.
It’s interesting how people who work for Vogue wear the same thing all the time . I’m thinking Anna Wintour’s hair-do and now Tonne Goodman’s ‘uniforms’.
No worries Robin, and good point on Anda, absolutely.
Yes a lot of people in fashion are like this – I’ve heard it said that they often do so because they don’t want their clothes to be the story, and because they just get overstimulated by everything they’re covering and don’t want to or can’t do it with their own wardrobe every day. It’s interesting, but I generally find the opposite – that being around menswear stimulates me to experiment more
Simon, i like most of your clothes and thoughts about them a lot but with so many stuff you have tried i cant really understand what would be your capsule wardrobe, something theoretical since you have so many clothes and that is your job too. What are the 5 pieces that you have worn most the last 5 years ? If we exclude the loafers.
Yes, it’s always a mix because I’m wearing things for different reasons, but I’d say there’s probably a capsule buried in there. It mostly reflects the capsule wardrobes I’ve recommended in that part of the site over the year.
Happy to do piece along the lines you suggest if that would be useful though
I think that would be great, and no doubt oodles of comments incoming!
I would wager a guess that this is because our society gives men and women different incentives for being interested in clothes:
Women are generally conditioned from an early age to care about how they dress. Not paying attention to your clothes carries a possible social cost for women – this ranges from being snubbed, being rejected (professionally, socially and romantically) to on the very far end being told they “Deserve it for dressing like that.” Dressing “appropriately” becomes central for many women whether they care about it or not.
Men, on other hand, are generally conditioned to not show much interest in clothes. A man who shows too much interest in clothing risks being branded vain, silly, pretentious and effeminate – something which can limit him socially, and sometimes make him a target for physical violence. Historically, even men who we consider well dressed often wore a “uniform” for a professional role, or justified their interest in clothing as adhering to tradition or decency. Even today, in the #menswear community (where we spend – by most standards- outrageous amounts of money on clothes that we don’t really have to wear), there are rather few people who talk about wanting to look “good”, let alone “sexy” – being “appropriate” is a far more common topic of discussion.
Now, being successful in the fashion and clothing industry (as well as certain other high-prestige industries) gives you a degree of immunity from this criticism. If you’re an editor for Vogue, and Vogue is a cool fashion magazine, your outfits automatically have a certain degree of coolness, which for women mean that they can afford to go for the simplicity and consistency of a uniform, rather than chasing approval for individual outfits. On the flip side, men working in the clothing industry have a professional excuse for exploring styles. Having 10 different overcoats or multiple jackets in unusual colours or materials is acceptable if you’re a style writer or fashion designer (or a rockstar) – if you’re a senior insurance underwriter with that kind of wardrobe, you’d be seen as eccentric, possibly even degenerate.
Disclaimer: this is based on experiences from mainstream western society, I acknowledge other cultures and even major sub-cultures may have different views
The problem for men is that to overly fuss over clothing can be perceived by many as vain and a more feminine trait and therefore unattractive. If i tell people i have 60 pairs Goodyears welted dress shoes it raises eyebrows in a way that it simply wouldn’t for a woman with a comparable collection.
I agree 101% with your post.
If a man has 15 pair of smarter shoes – and he mentions that to a co-worker for some reason – he’s immediately known officewide as a dandy and vain. If he has those 15 shoes (doesn’t tell anyone) and quietly wears them – cycling through them with appropriate outfits – it’s still noticed and he’s known officewide as a dandy/vain. If he has one pair of shoes and polishes them nicely and wears them once per week – he’s also a vain dandy.
A nice article about colors, that very few people can master and the rest of us copy them and follow. To me the man analogy of Goodman is Alessandro Squarzi. The only gap i find in Goodmans wardrobe is how she combines black jeans with blue tops. I personaly wear almost always suede penny loafers or black tassel ones, cream jeans, mid blue ones or grey trousers and white, navy charcoal rarely black on top and play with the jacket-coat colors in the cream chaki green navy and rarely brown. Although i like black tops a lot, it is the one color that doesnt fit with all my other clothes always.
Good point Georgios. It helps a lot when those jeans start to become more faded.
Article on how to dress like Alessandro here
So glad you did an article on Goodman. She has been one of my main style inspirations for some time. When developing my own style, I’ve found it helpful to not just look at “traditional” menswear but also find inspiration from well dressed women who have a similar philosophy when it comes to clothing and style. Although the cuts etc. often are different, great inspiration can often be found in how an outfit is put together (although a somewhat controversial topic on Permanent Style, cf. the article on “Sex appeal”, also incorporating elements of sensuality and “sexyness” in an outfit). Other similar articles on Permanent Style I have enjoyed are the article from Emilie Hawtin on her uniform dressing and the article “Dress like a parisian woman“.
Thanks Erling – yes good pieces both. If you don’t mind I’ve hyperlinked your recommendations so readers can follow them if they’re interested
Interesting, this is pretty much what I wear most weekends but I have never thought too hard about why it works as you have described in the article.
I prefer ecru jeans to white because I find them a bit easier to wear when it isn’t super sunny, with a blue or black polo, boat shoes (my preferred alternative to trainers) or brown suede slip ons on the bottom, and a barbour, M-65 or Valstarino on top.
The only thing I would add is that this combination doesn’t work in the winter when it is really cold and grey because I think light colored trousers need a bit of sunlight or they look out of place, but it does for most of the rest of the year.
Good point on the jeans Andrew – ecru rather than white is the same point I was making about charcoal rather than black I think.
Agree on white denim, except on cold, sunny days, I love wearing it then!
Something like this palette is one of my standards. In summer, a pair of pale cream or ecru jeans or chinos – less stark and more wearable than white – with brown suede loafers, navy DB blazer (horn buttons!); my pop of colour tends to come from the shirt – a strong blue or pale pink, for example. In winter, often the same trousers with a charcoal or navy cashmere rollneck, maybe with my Bridge Coat over the top. It just looks and feels “put together” without having to think about it too much – the only slight downside is that my partner occasionally asks if I’m going bowling, and one female friend has a tendency to accuse me of looking “very Henley Regatta today”…
Another great article, this must pretty much be the definition of “permanent style”.
I’m always fascinated by how much harder it must be for women to find permanence when style and fits change so quickly season to season and is less coded compared to menswear. You’ve also got a fashion industry machine of media and brands constantly telling you what the next must have thing is, it’s almost rebellious to have a uniform.
Hi,
Sorry to be that guy, but my Permanent Style order is being held by UPS in Italy. UPS are somewhat chasing me for a resolution so I’d be grateful if someone could answer the email I sent to [email protected]
Thanks.
Hi Ben,
Lucas has just replied to you I believe. We aim to always reply to people within 24 hours on the support email, and your emails were both this morning.
Happy to talk more on that email chain about ways to resolve this.
Cheers
A very timely and interesting article.
Along the same idea, different execution, my version of this capsule seems to be trending towards trousers in a light to mid brown (anywhere from roughly ‘taupe’ to ‘chocolate’) paired with a cream or green top. Depending on the season and occasion the trousers could be jeans, chinos, linen, high-twist wool, or flannel. The top could be a knit polo, rugby, roll neck or crew neck sweater, or even a jacket if I need to dress it up (cream linen in the summer or green herringbone in winter). The color palette is more country than city but since I no longer work in an office that isn’t a consideration.
Thanks Steven. Having the dark/light combination the other way round for tops/bottoms has some strong things in its favour, as Manish wrote about here
Her look is very severe. Translating it to menswear, I would substitute stone/cream for the white and navy and charcoal for the black. Blue denim is a must as are brown jackets. I do not see any texture in her clothes or any country or fall looks. In menswear her choices would be too formal in my view
Thanks George – yes some of that reflected in my comments towards the end. You’re right, it is nice to have more country/fall options. I guess that doesn’t quite fit with having a very narrow wardrobe like this though – has to be rather restrictive
Those great long legs would look better with wider trousers, no? Tight jeans make Mrs Goodman’s legs almost appear skinny. And sustainable woolen trousers (= fluid) rather than crumpled cotton which in a way looks cheap compared to the stylish upper half of the outfits. Apart from that, an interesting read and exercise, thanks 🙂
I think that’s more a question of the look Burt – straight to skinny would be considered perhaps the most flattering constant silhouette, and jeans rather than wool trousers are what give the versatility with types of work and places
This is some solid advice. Aside from making choosing your daily attire easier you also build an image or brand for yourself. People know what to expect of you and that provides a sense of security. You appear more as someone who has things figured out and is stable. Another benefit is that experimenting within tight variables makes mastering your look much easier, you get a better sense how similar things work together.
Personally though at current stage in life I feel like I need more freedom, I’d feel restricted with such a tight uniform, unable to fully express myself and match clothing with my mood.
“People know what to expect of you and that provides a sense of security. You appear more as someone who has things figured out and is stable.” – right on the money. This feels more and more important to me as formality and propriety more generally seem to be declining in the workplace.
I do feel like less contrast would be more flattering, even for Tonne. Is she deliberately making her look starker to communicate something beyond simply looking the best she can?
Yes, absolutely Luke. This is also about projecting a certain style, one with something to say, even if it’s not as much as some others in fashion.
For most people indeed (and probably more for women) making yourself look the best you can, that flatters you the most, is only part of the aim.
What is it that her style has to say then? What do you think the starkness is aiming to communicate?
I think it’s trying to say that she has a particular style, is conscious of her style and its particular strong look, but is also more refined in it than some in fashion still, and with a clearer personality.
Honestly, so much of what we say with our clothes is instinctual and impressionistic that it can be hard to put into words sometimes
The ‘Uniform’ discussion is always very interesting and clearly Tonne is a mistress of that game. It is a way of being that is probably more prevalent in fashion circles and in France – where both men and for women often sport it albeit it is less prevalent amongst the fairer sex. It also has huge advantages when travelling.
For my part I do veer towards the ‘Uniform’ side of things but I don’t let it constrain me – it would be very boring if one dressed the same every day.
At the risk of being provocative, what you are seeing and describing here is standard wardrobe for ladies of a certain type in NYC, in autumn/winter. Walk around midtown or Soho and you will see versions of this everywhere you look.
The idea is to blend in rather than stand out.
Long time woman reader here, thank you! No guilt being thrown for not covering more women, I appreciate this space for what it is. Simply a comment to say, it’s hard to find style icons who value quality materials, an edited wardrobe, and have style that is still feminine (as opposed to women wearing men’s tailoring, which is great! just not what I’m looking for.) Does anyone know the name of someone like this who wears skirts? That’s my white whale. Thanks again, Kendall.
As a complete outsider to women’s style, I think there is far greater pressure on women to follow seasonal or yearly trends; as a result, less emphasis on high quality materials, “timeless” tailoring, etc. It is clearly wrong for many reasons including cost, trend chasing, environmental. The fashion industry seems to have a blind spot for classic women’s style (however it is defined).
I’m there there are many examples of which you seek but unfortunately, those women are likely overlooked….just as most non-peacock men used to be before sites like Permanent Style. Sadly, the firework fashion gets the attention.
Agreed! The cost involved for high quality when one is expected to have a completely new dress for every occasion — it’s just completely prohibitive for almost everyone.
Who makes the jeans you are wearing with the Ciardi coat. You say you are wearing them with white jeans, but they look tan in the photo. Maybe it’s the lighting in the photo.
Yes it’s the lighting. They’re ecru, from Drake’s
Interesting article in terms of the lessons learned, but a slightly dull wardrobe.
Hi Simon
Do you personallhy find lace up shoes to be more comfortable than loafers, monk straps etc
It depends very much on the fit, and I’m sure it depends on the shape of your foot too.
My Alden LHS loafers are probably more comfortable than any oxford, but then those oxfords are generally a little stiffer because they’re smarter, in fine calf etc
Friends,
Need help. I will be purchasing a single breasted mac jacket for the fall/early winter here in NYC. But I can’t decide between a classic beige or navy.
Beige seems like the natural choice–and I tend to wear grey, charcoal, blacks and browns. But when I try it on it feels like a statement. Navy on the other hand disappears elegantly–however, my other fall/winter outerwear is heavy on navy formal overcoats.
Any thoughts would be great. Simon?
If in doubt, and you only have one, I’d say go navy Mark. You need that coat to be something you can wear easily.
A beige mac is great, you often just need to inject a little more style into it, in terms of how it’s worn. Often helps if it has some character of its own as well, and isn’t too straight and simple
Great post. More of these, please.
Really love it when we can learn from women. They just have so much fun – we should too.
That’s a really smart uniform! Both in terms of dressing smart, and ease of use. Good pointers!
Great to see another discussion of female style and what we can learn form it. Please continue these!
I think the first image does not work well with the tan loafers, white pants and dark top. The other ones are all well executed but a bit boring for my taste. just a dark shoes, bright pants and dark top or all dark nothing in between.
I am looking forward reading your upcoming articles leaning more to the casual spectrum again 🙂
hi Simon
I do like this approach.
You have shown far more white jean photos than black, yet I think black jeans would be harder to pair. Could you stick photos of her black jeans with tops and jackets rather than the long coats you have shown?
Just one thing; does Ms Goodman not miss the whole world of tweeds? I am not sure I could readily go for navy or black in a tweed.
There are fewer black jeans here because she wears them less, but it’s just the same with a black knit or black/navy jacket.
No idea about what she misses I’m afraid!
This is my favorite type of PS article. So enjoyable to think through these kinds of flexible, intentional capsules.
It’s interesting that a publication that has pushed young women for decades to constantly buy more and more clothing to comply with trends that they help to make up, has a “sustainability” editor.
White pants are lazy to me and only good if you know you are going to be shoot by your magazine photographer. In real life you have so many other options
I have a pair of “cream” colored cotton trousers that veer more towards the white end of the color spectrum and I find I rarely wear them-the color feels so stark and showy every time I put them on. As a result, I often default to my ecru denim. In my opinion, the later color whispers instead of shouts.
Hello Simon. I was trying to pair the https://www.atemporubato.com/products/lot-nr-1-denim-ecru with The Finest Polo (navy), The New Friday Polo (navy), The Tapered T-shirt (grey) and Chambray shirts (pale blue)? Please let me know if I’m pairing/styling them well.
Yes, they could all go nicely Amit
I really enjoyed this article.
I worked for a Swedish manager once, whose ENTIRE wardrobe was a one blue suit, 2 shirts, a sweater, and a pair of jeans. I don’t think I ever saw him in anything otherwise.
I just bought a few bespoke trousers and they are gorgeous. But white or black jeans. What could be easier?!?!
At my age (65), I find myself pursuing ever smaller, ever higher quality pieces. I love the simplicity of Tonne’s look and hope to emulate it. A never ending process.
What an enjoyable article! I have a female friend who’s been wanting to develop her relationship with clothes and style on a way that’s very aligned with PS’s philosophy. While I’ve recommended this site to her and she’s appreciated it, I would also love to point her to resources that are more centered on women’s wear in the way PS focuses on men’s wear. Can anyone suggest any blogs, websites, or magazines that they think provider a thoughtful, classic, style over fashion oriented look at women’s wear? I appreciate that the menswear and womenswear worlds are quite different but there must be some people out there who aren’t just pushing the cash fashion churn!
There aren’t many unfortunately. Trinny Woodall was always good and I think she’s doing more now. But it’s usually just about styling with female writers, less quality, craft etc
Great article and deserving premise.
I am a daily reader since around 2017. I tell you this because the whole idea of a simple yet elegant way to dress is perhaps the only reason I stay interested in my attire. I want a broad understanding of the many things associated with good clothing but seldom need to wear anything formal or dressy. I wear a suit maybe once a month and a tux twice a year if lucky. So the idea that I can encapsulate my day to day clothing like this is such a relief to read about here.
I was surprised to not see mentioned the high – low aspects she brings to her clothing. This is perhaps the most pointed thing she has going on. Tonne has said over the years in several articles how she likes her white Levis 501’s. They are her forever jeans. This seems VERY ‘permanent style’ to me.
My optic white, cream, and black colored 501’s are my go to’s for most days. I will go even further to say that I have the 501 cords in cream and black in warmer months or more formal times. I wear this often and my shopping for bottoms most of the time is over.
I kept waiting and revisiting the comments section for someone else to mention this and now a month on I thought I would throw this out. Personally I have more people ask me about my 501’s than any other item of clothing. It makes buying higher priced items more palatable knowing my dozens of hemmed and pressed 501’s are bought and paid for, always ready to go for years to come. Also, white jeans don’t stain like people think. They last me for years and years.
Very permeant indeed.
Cheers John, great addition.
What aspects of high/low were you referring to?
I was referencing how clearly Tonne’s looks are a mix of 501’s mixed with higher end outerwear, jackets, and edited accessories. When I see her, I see an ease achieved by this mix. I envy and try to emulate this when I can. I have also found that a good vintage pair of well worn 501’s work for this high low as well for me. I call it my ‘blind casting’ of an outfit. Although that I guess would be more Jane Birkin than Tonne, yet it’s an adjacent aesthetic.