Picture this: it’s a beautiful morning, the sun is shining and you are getting ready for your day. The outfit you picked for this morning is perfect; you stand back in the mirror and admire your sense of style. Then the thought hits you: “Have I worn this before?”
This very moment used to ruin my day, but now, I have had enough. When I have an outfit I enjoy wearing, I will wear it more than once with pride. The negativity behind outfit repeating is toxic, impractical and childish, especially in a college environment.
According to Fox Business, almost 50% of women have worry or stress related to outfit repeating. This statistic is too big for how silly of an issue this truly is. I’ve covered a lot of silly social issues in previous columns, but the statistics for this one are honestly shocking.
Before coming to Ohio University, I attended schools requiring a uniform. For about 12 years, outfit repeating was almost a way of life for me. It was something I did every day, and the only things I would change were my hair, my sweatshirt and maybe my shoes. This was something I became very used to, and when I came to college, I became hyper-aware of when I wore certain outfits over and over.
That feeling became exhausting very quickly, but this current feeling that I can wear an outfit week after week without people potentially noticing didn’t happen overnight. After some time, I am finally at a point where I do not care about what I show up in.
Now, I am not condoning pulling a fire outfit out of the dirty clothes pile. Please wash your clothes. What I am condoning is wearing that clean outfit the next week without any guilt or shame. Outfit repeating is self-expressive. If you have an outfit you are proud of creating or putting together, you shouldn’t just whip it out bi-annually. These are articles of clothing you enjoy, so wear them.
It should be normal to repeat outfits, especially with how much closet room we students have at school. It’s also cost-effective, so there’s no need to buy a new pair of pants after everyone in your lecture hall saw them last Tuesday.
Even if you are someone who is against repeating an outfit, there is always a way to take an outfit you’ve previously worn and make it new again. Accessorize and layer stuff. You’ll be surprised at your own creativity, and suddenly it feels as though you have an entirely new wardrobe.
Now that we have established why outfit repeating is normal, don’t be that one person who points it out. If you do happen to notice, keep that to yourself. Don’t further the negativity of the subject, and don’t continue to put down people who partake in what should be a very normal part of life.
Clothes are a way to express yourself, especially during your college years when there are no dress codes to restrict the things you wear and the way you wear them. In a place where everyone has a closet the size of a shoebox, I will proudly wear my outfits week after week with no shame. I encourage everyone to look past the silly nature of avoiding the same outfit twice. Just please wash them.
Abby Jenkins is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. What are your thoughts? Let Abby know by tweeting her @abbyjenks18 or emailing her at aj205621@ohio.edu.
