When did repeating outfits become so taboo? I can pinpoint my answer. Does “Lizzie McGuire, you are an OUTFIT REPEATER!” ring any bells? Why is it that we need to buy something new for every occasion? What happened to signature looks, what happened to clothes we can wear over and over again?
Were We Always Outfit Repeaters?
Decades ago, outfit repeating was the norm. You can probably deduce for yourself that before the industrialization of clothing production, when garments were made by hand and not by machine, people generally owned less clothing. And because women most often wore dresses, and men suits, rather than outfits with multiple elements, clothing was worn over and over. BUT, this is not as cut and dry as it may seem. Wealth, status, and the political and economic state of the world also greatly impacted not only how people dress, but how people chose to get dressed. Even in the 17th and 18th centuries, trends and styles of dressing came in and out of fashion, and, if you could afford it, you might have opted to fit the styles of the time. Meaning you probably wouldn’t have worn a dress throughout your life, like most of us now have not.
Fashion historian and YouTuber Nicole Rudolph references 18th century inventories, a list of items people owned after they had passed, as an indication and what people wore and how many items they potentially had. The problem, Rudolph notes, is that inventories were created to reflect valuable items that might be sold. Depending on their social status, a chunk of their clothes were most likely not accounted for. This makes it difficult, Rudolph notes, to get an accurate average number of how many clothes people actually owned. We also should take into consideration the amount of pieces it actually takes to make an outfit worn centuries ago. Rudolph provides examples of this, for women in particular, who would wear multiple layers of undergarments and several accessories to actually be able to go out into the world. Modesty was in, and therefore required multiple items of clothing.
The Pressure to Stay On Trend
All of this to say, outfit repeating then was way more of the norm than it is now, because of the actual accessibility of the clothing provided to them. They couldn’t exactly click “buy-now” on a mass-produced garment shipped instantly from a factory overseas.
It seems now that while I don’t believe anyone would morally oppose to the idea of repeating an outfit, there seems to be a lot of pressure online to not appear in the same ensemble twice. Content creators have confessed to this pressure, admitting they have bought a lot of pieces just to wear them for a photoshoot or event, and have not worn them again. Youtube is flooded with just as many “closet cleanout” videos as it is with clothing hauls.
The Top 3 Outfit Challenge
But some digital creators are changing the game by literally gamifying getting dressed as a means to wear and rewear everything in your closet.
The Top 3 Outfit Challenge was created by content creator Rachel Speed (RachSpeed on Instagram and TikTok), who inspired literally millions of people to find new ways to wear their clothes over and over. The challenge has even been written about in Vogue. It entails finding 9 pieces from your closet, 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 pairs of shoes, and creating as many outfits as possible. The first Top 3 Outfit Challenge went viral, and inspired other creators to do the same, creating a movement sustainable fashion advocates could get behind. The crux of this method of dressing revolves around the use of the pieces from your wardrobe in multiple ways. One might style a button-up cardigan buttoned, unbuttoned, tied over the shoulders, or even backwards. A maxi skirt can be made into a mini skirt by strategically folding and pinning the fabric, or a dress by pulling it up to your bust line. Accessories are fair game in the Top 3 Outfit Challenge, meaning a look can be elevated in multiple ways with hats, purses, jewelry, belts and scarves.
I encourage you to try the challenge for yourself. Pull items from your closet that go well together, but remember to afford yourself variety in your style choices. Consider your day to night looks, work events and life events, and your personal style. Come up with 10 outfits. And then try for more! This is a great way to challenge yourself to get the most out of your wardrobe.
Go Get Dressed
Being creative and taking good care of the clothes you own, whether they are vintage, brand new, fast-fashion or high-end, ethically made or not, is the best way to get the most out of your wardrobe, repeat the wear of your favorite outfits, and build a sustainable wardrobe.
Sources
Rudolph, Nicole. “How Much Clothing Did They Actually Have Back Then?” YouTube. 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRBAqA8YXcY
