I have a confession to make. As a fashion-conscious middle-school pre-teen, I swore I would never purposely repeat an outfit. I did mental gymnastics for an entire year to assemble original fits from within my wardrobe daily. I don't know who I thought I was.
Cher Horowitz's technologically advanced closet would have been a godsend.
My initial aversion to wearing a notable clothing item twice could be traced back to my "Zillennial" childhood, during which I watched Kate Sanders humiliate Lizzie McGuire by calling her an "outfit repeater" at their graduation.
Though the words were directed at Lizzie, the "insult" was a personal warning. Could I truly claim a Bratz-level "Passion 4 Fashion" while wearing last week's Hollister V-Neck and shorts-over-leggings combo?
Thankfully, I have matured and am now a proud outfit repeater, following in the footsteps of my royal Californian outfit-repeating foremother and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle.
Markle is well-known for recycling attire and is not the only celebrity to do so. Many celebrities have even re-worn notable red-carpet looks.
Tiffany Haddish proudly wore a white, halter-neck Alexander McQueen gown eight times from 2017 to 2021. Stars like Cate Blanchett, Michelle Obama and Jane Fonda also famously love a good re-wear, rework moment.
My outfit reiterations tend to be more double denim and less Dior, but I digress.
Whether it's liked or not, celebrities set trends and ultimately help redefine what is acceptable. Outfit repeating is not only layman and budget-friendly but also encourages the care and keeping of existing wardrobes.
Ultra-fast fashion thrives because consumers latch onto microtrends and toss purchased garments when the next microtrend rolls around. As noted by Good on You, ultra-fast fashion accelerates fast fashion's timeline, giving average consumers access to runway trends in days versus weeks and producing hundreds and thousands of styles versus fast fashion's dozens.
This is incredibly wasteful and harmful to the environment. According to McKinsey & Company, "for every five garments produced, the equivalent of three end up in a landfill or incinerated each year."
A Peppermint article says, "embracing outfit repeating will not only help reduce the stigma caused by sexism, consumerism and classism, it will also reduce our carbon footprint."
Other than a more free state of mind, there are additional personal benefits to outfit repeating. Outfit repeating may entail less frequent laundry days depending on wardrobe size and personal time. Coincidentally, some clothing items thrive under such conditions.
According to Lee, after washing a new pair of jeans before wearing, one should wash their denim "no more than once or twice a month, or after five to 10 wears." Unless, of course, they're stinky or stained. This helps preserve the jeans and is also kinder to the environment.
Re-wearing an outfit is not taboo, especially in this economy. Clothes should be celebrated and styled, not abandoned like single-use plastic. Be intentional when purchasing a new clothing item and consider shopping in your closet first.
If anyone ever tries to give you flack for re-wearing something, first, they need to find a hobby. Second, Lizzie McGuire's cartoon rendition already gave you the perfect comeback:
"Maybe I'm an outfit repeater, but you're an outfit rememberer."
What a burn.
Dori Gray is a senior journalism major at Ohio University. Please note that the ideas expressed in this column do not reflect those of The Post. Want to chat with Dori? Tweet her @dorigraywrites.
