The 3 Major Reasons to Repeat an Outfit

Le Chic after 50 in front of Sydney Opera House

I don't know where the idea that one shouldn't wear the same thing twice comes from, but it is utterly ridiculous. Even more so when it comes to luxury fashion.

Once upon a time, people had a set of clothes for week days and a set of fancier clothes for Sundays. Over the last 70 years, with the rise of consumerism and marketing, wearing the same outfit at two different events has become a social class signifier. Only millionaires, movie stars and fashion icons could flaunt a new outfit at each red carpet since a designer had lent it to them for exposure. And everyone understood that. Those who wore a gown from a previous season (that they likely spent a few months wages on) were considered very middle class or has beens.

But overall, this trend didn't affect much the 99%...until the 2000s. The apparition of American chick flicks introduced the shame of wearing the same outfit twice to the masses of young teenage girls eager to differentiate themselves via fashion. Fast forward ten more years or so, and social media revolutionised marketing and fashion with the rise of content creators/influencers. The correlation between social media and fast fashion is not fortuitous. Young, impressionable minds gobbled the ludicrous idea that wearing the same clothes twice - especially to go out, attend an event, or even to post on social media - was unfashionable. Well that's wrong, and here's why.

1. Common Sense

Le Chic after 50 in front of Pisa Tower

To repeat an outfit is common sense. Why on earth would you buy a dress or an outfit to wear only once? What a waste of time, effort and money! If I carefully shop for a dress, expensive or not, I intend to wear it util it's not wearable anymore. I don't care if you've seen me in the street or on social media dozens of times wearing it, I am wearing it!

Unless a designer lends me a dress or I am paid to wear a dress not of my choosing, I will wear the same dress over and over - if it fits the occasion - no matter what anyone thinks or says. With the price of life having risen exponentially, there is no way that even a higher middle class person can afford to wear good quality and expensive 'disposable' clothes.

1. Repeating an Outfit Saves Money

You can't afford not to repeat an outfit. Unless you are a crazy billionaire, you can't afford to wear good quality clothes only once. Money doesn't grow on trees, but most importantly, the planet can't afford it.

1. Sustainable for the Planet

Le Chic after 50 in Siena

The rise of fast fashion - and green washing industry - is an environmental nightmare in terms of resources and pollution, responsible for the unmanageable growth of landfills.

So What Can We Do?

We need to go back to 'slow' fashion! It is our responsibility, especially as content creators to show the way, think about the contracts we accept and the image we project on social media.

Repeating an outfit has become a fashion statement about our concerns about the future of this planet. We can still work with brands, but maybe by choosing better who we partner with we can support a more sustainable fashion. Everyone can buy less but better quality. Everyone should buy less and better quality. But designers also need to bring back beautiful craftsmanship, savoir-faire and high quality materials like natural fibres such as cotton, silk, linen, bamboo and wool. Yes it's more expensive, but it lasts longer, and imagine the storage space you'll save. Look at me on those three different social media post wearing the same outfit ☺️

You can follow my fashion journey on my Instagram ☺️