Avoiding Repetitive Pieces

I was never so brainwashed that I feared wearing the same article of clothing twice, but in my worst phase, I definitely wouldn't have worn the same article of clothing (i.e. blouse, sweater, jeans) twice within a month or have worn an occasion piece twice ever. I would rather have been caught dead than worn the same dressy outfit to two function where there would be overlapping guests or the occasion would have been documented on social media. It's really an impractical fear though. It doesn't make sense to spend $100+ on a nice dress only to discard it after one use.

This past week, where I was living out of a suitcase and re-wearing the same 4 bottoms, 4 tops, 2 shoes, and 2 outerwear pieces, really challenged me to be okay with repeating pieces, especially in such a short time span and while documenting the outfits on Instagram. And sure, not all my outfits were breathtakingly unique. But that's reality. I only have a handful of warm clothes that are appropriate to wear in the subzero temperatures of Canada during early winter. And these are further limited by the space available when just packing a carry on.

I do NOT own 700+ articles of clothing, where everyday I can wear new tops and bottoms. My closet is large enough though, that I can wear unique pieces throughout a week-- but that shouldn't be necessary, regardless of whether it's a week at home or a week on vacation. I shouldn't be pressured to go out a buy all new outfits every trip I take. That's absurdly wasteful. Maybe acquiring a new piece or two prior to the trip and waiting to wear them until on vacation could make sense (I definitely went out and bought a couple new one piece swimsuits last year before going on a family beach week since I wanted more conservative pieces instead of my standard bikinis). Or, in the alternative, I love shopping secondhand when on vacation and taking an item of clothing or an accessory home with me as a keepsake (I spend some downtime when in Edmondton secondhand shopping, but was unsuccessful finding a worthy piece to purchase).

There should be no shame on wearing an article of clothing over and over again and making it a staple of your closet. There really shouldn't even be shame of wearing the exact same outfit again. If it's cute, why not? But if you do like the idea of a fresh outfit everyday, I highly recommend restyling your pieces in new ways. Monotone. A pop of color. Mixing athleisure and dressy items. Layering. Bold makeup. Different belt/purse/shoes. Articles of clothing are just portions of an overall outfit and you can convey wildly different vibes by just changing up how you pair things.

Lastly, with regard to occasion pieces. Challenge yourself to rewear them. I personally have been on a mission to repurpose previously worn dresses into wedding guest dresses this year. None of my wedding outfits are new and if you searched enough on my personal social media you could probably see them worn in other occasions. This doesn't make me poor or untrendy. It makes me realistic and resourceful. And is just proof that I love something in my closet enough that I'd want to wear it again.