Clothes are meant to be worn more than once!
By Atheena Alonzo
There has always been some sort of stigma around repeating outfits – do people think we don’t wash our clothes? Well, nowadays it is becoming more accepted to reuse an outfit from a day out or even revamp your old clothes from an old pair of worn-out jeans to a brand new, one of a kind ruffle denim skirt. The rise of the TikTok sound from the Lizzie McGuire movie “Okay, I might be an outfit repeater, but you’re an outfit rememberer, which is just as pathetic!” implemented a social media trend of people showing their best outfits that may or may not have been repeat outfits and I think it is wonderful we are encouraging this!
It is very easy to buy whatever looks cute on a rack but it isn’t very sustainable, is it? We shouldn’t be feeding into consumerism and buy, buy buy, but instead, be more thoughtful about what we choose to spend our money on. Before you make a purchase, think to yourself: can I already style this in 3 outfits with my current wardrobe? Don’t get me wrong I have been a victim to irrationality and buying something that I most definitely could not style with anything at all and now it collects dust in the back of a drawer. As the fashion industry contributes to 10% of global carbon emissions and creates 92 million tonnes of annual textile waste, it would be wise to start turning to some alternatives.
There are other great ways to be more sustainable such as buying second hand. Thrifting has become such a phenomenon especially with teens over the past few years and vintage pieces are all the rage now and online platforms like Depop and Vinted have increased in popularity. Check your local charity shops – you might just find some treasure!
You could even revamp one of your old clothes; you don’t need to be a whizz at sewing or the next Cristobal Balenciaga. For instance, I took this Levi denim jacket and cut off the sleeves to make it into this denim vest so now I have prolonged its lifespan and it cost me nothing – look at me saving the planet one sleeve at a time!
A reworked Levi denim jacket
Photo credit: Atheena Alonzo
Do not fret: repeating an outfit is one step to becoming a fashion icon. When you have such a solid look that you like, you often think oh no how am I ever going to come up with another outfit to top this one, but really all you need is a formula. There is no need to go out and buy every piece from your dream Pinterest board, use what you already own and learn how to mix and match. Once you find an outfit you like, use it as a format for your next looks and change it by using a different coloured shirt, and then go the step further by replacing the jeans with a maxi skirt or using a tank top instead of a baby tee et voila: you have crafted the perfect recipe to go from fashion bore to fashion galore!
Who cares what you choose to wear and put on your body everyday? Whether it is a lazy couch day and you’re in sweatpants or you’re wearing that same summer dress you wore to that picnic last week – clothes are meant to be worn more than once! We all need to strive to be more fashion conscious and think twice before making a new purchase and if you can’t use what you already have, go get yourself a preloved item for half the price.
