Uniform – Extended Reflection

It’s striking, how quickly we become aware of ourselves when wearing something unfamiliar. A ruffled collar—a historical relic associated with formality, status, and conformity—creates exactly that feeling. Placed around modern necks, it instantly brings questions to the surface. Who am I expected to be in this? Do I accept it, play with it, push against it?

Uniform begins from this simple yet layered premise: the same collar offered to each person, worn however they choose. With no other instructions given, each individual's response becomes deeply revealing. Some seem amused or playful, others reflective, some visibly uncomfortable. Their bodies shift and adjust. The collar, though identical, feels completely different with each wearer—both reshaping and being reshaped by their presence.

Historically, this type of collar was both a marker of uniformity and a quiet assertion of social boundaries, telling us who belonged, who had power, and who didn’t. Now, placed out of time and context, it gently challenges us to consider how our identities are still shaped by external expectations. How much of our “uniform” today—be it clothing, language, posture, or performance—is truly chosen? And how much simply accepted, inherited, or quietly endured?

In these images, uniformity is not portrayed as inherently negative or restrictive—it’s simply questioned. The subtlety of each response reveals something profoundly human: even when given something identical to everyone else, our responses are never exactly the same. There is always individuality waiting just beneath the surface, quietly asserting itself.

Uniform is an invitation to reflect on the quiet tension between self-expression and conformity, and to wonder how much we willingly give away—and how much we carefully guard—as we try to fit in.