Why is being an outfit repeater cool?

January 23, 2023
Posted by Sandra Pereira Neto

Outfit repeater: an individual who wears the same outfit (a set of clothing) more than once!

Lizzie McGuire may have been embarrassed to be an outfit repeater, but there's no shame in the game here.

What’s so wrong with outfit repeating?

When I started this transition journey, I reflected back on the number of times where I bought a new outfit for a party that I never wore again. Whatever happened to this collection of polyester dresses, they were destined to die in my closet after one use.

I had that infamous problem of having a wardrobe full of clothes and absolutely nothing to wear. I sometimes wonder, why did I feel that urge to be seen in something new? Perhaps it was my desire to be part of an industry I loved, but also, fashion has always been one of my form of self-expression.

Throwaway culture hasn’t always existed. For all the people that didn’t grow up with social media, non Gen Z, re-wearing the clothes they already own isn’t questioned – and why would it be? But behavioural and societal change takes time and I’m still in the process of unlearning a lot of the fashion ideals that shaped me during my Parisian years.

The ‘haul’ videos I was once fascinated by as a fashion student, now have an intense cringe factor, and I would much rather devour the endless Tik Tok rental hauls! (change is possible haha). In a bid to disrupt my own cycle, I bought the book How To Break Up With Fast Fashion, will update soon!

Although, I still think it’s okay to buy from fast-fashion stores when you have a crush on an item and you know you’re going to wear it over and over again. It’s all about taking baby steps towards fashion consumption. Baby steps always!

4 reasons you should join the movement:

It's better for the planet
Rewearing the clothes in your closet reduces their carbon footprint. If the number of times a garment is worn were doubled, the greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime would be 44% lower (Ellen MacArthur Foundation).
It's better for your wallet
Keeping up with fast-fashion newness is expensive. By building your closet with staple pieces and renting new trends and styles, you’ll save money in the long run.
It feels good renting
"Buy less and buy good basics and have fun with the rental"
It's in fashion
Just ask Kate Middleton, Kris Jenner, Queen Elizabeth who wear their fav items on repeat.

Anna Wintour

“I usually wear the same dress twenty times. I think it’s always fun to have something new, but it doesn’t mean that everything you already have in your closet has to be thrown out you know. Recycle”