The rebellious act of outfit repeating

(And coming home to yourself after an identity crisis)

One of my most worn outfits according to Indyx app

I think we can all agree at one time or another, we’ve felt the pressure to have a new look, a new top, a new something to impress people we don’t like at places we probably didn’t want to go to in the first place.

I didn’t expect my no buy challenge to make me feel such a pull towards wanting other women to normalize outfit repeating, and not seeing it as an issue to wear the same stuff. We’ve been fed a lie. Surely, when it comes to really wearing the pieces we own, that’s the goal?

A much loved work from home/errands outfit

What made us believe we should buy/wear newness all the time?

While most brands feel a growing pressure to release launch after launch, we’ve come to believe there are now 20+ seasons in a calendar year, not four. What with ‘pre fall’, ‘resort cruise’ and other made up collections, as shoppers we are constantly and consistently bombarded with newness for the sake of newness. When the priority is keeping shareholders happy and filling sku’s on a shelf, it makes sense that we’ve been conditioned to believe newness is normal. That buying stuff for our wardrobes week in and week out is rational behavior. In my late teens I worked at New Look, where a ‘going out top’ was usually less than $5, and without realizing it most weekends I was wearing a new top. I had so many clothes, but I didn’t really wear my stuff.

I’ve worn and re-worn so many variations of this outfit

I remember thinking in the past that I looked drab or boring wearing the same thing again and again, but i’m not Mariah Carey! I’m not hosting the MTV awards where 7 outfit changes in one day is necessary. I still want to bring some serious main character energy when the mood strikes, but being creative with what I already have has proved to be incredibly rewarding. A dress can look like a new skirt when you layer a tee or sweater over it. A pair of jeans you don’t wear becomes a pair of shorts if you cut the legs off. A scarf you haven’t worn in years becomes a very chic top when tied around the chest. I’ve talked at large about creative constraints, and thanks to my no buy I stand by it. Look, I love shopping as much as the next person, but even if I were to start shopping excessively once my no buy finishes, I can’t unknow what I now know thanks to my no buy challenge.

One of my most worn summer outfits, I just swap out the bag and the shoes

What’s the solution?

Quite simply… to wear our clothes, like… really wear them. This week was the first time I realized two of my trousers have holes in them from being worn so much during my no buy. Something about realizing they have been worn to that extent made me feel weirdly proud of myself. We have to celebrate outfit repeating as a sign that we know who we are and what we like, vs apologizing for it or feeling less than for wearing the same stuff.

If content creation is a part of your job I totally get the pressure to feel like if you don’t show something new all the time you’ll bore your audience, it can be tricky to navigate. And look I don’t want to sound like a martyr. I’m not anti shopping. I have no idea how i’ll feel once my no buy ends. For all I know I could end up on a huge shopping binge, and rack up the biggest credit card bill i’ve ever seen, who knows? Time will tell.

Happy to report my Vintage Hermes Kelly is my most worn bag (thank goodness!)

This year has been a weird year, for lots of reasons. I feel like in many ways I had an identity crisis of sorts, and yet what i’ve come to learn is that identity crisis’ are genuinely helpful if you can hang on tight while you navigate through it. I have been letting parts of myself go while simultaneously welcoming new parts in.

Outfit repeating has helped me navigate the choppy waters of change. It’s helped me come home to myself when I felt the most lost. There has been comfort in the rebellion of outfit repeating. By opting out of newness i’ve seen trends come and go, i’ve felt desire for certain pieces and astonishment at watching the same desire I had dissipate. Even if I wear the same outfit ten times I trust in my creativity to make it feel different each time (if I even want to). I no longer fear boredom when it comes to my wardrobe because it’s merely a case of problem solving through a lens of creativity and resourcefulness. Whether it’s a micro tweak here, or how I style my hair, maybe I change up my makeup, or I borrow something from Dave’s closet to add to it…I’m able to settle in to the repetition without it feeling mundane.

I want everyone to discover how to enjoy what they have and become a more intentional shopper in the process. I’m working on something behind the scenes (a passion project if you will) that i’m excited to share soon, and i’m just so grateful that writing about style and identity have given me so much. I am so unbelievably grateful for this community and that I have this creative outlet to share my findings, and talk about getting dressed with other like minded people. I truly learn so much from everyone here! I never take it for granted how much starting this during a very difficult time in my life has been a big part of helping me come home to myself. Thank you for being here, for reading, for sharing and just being the tonic I didn’t know I needed.

Harry x