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Let’s de-normalize occasion shopping.
I love a good recurring joke in a TV series. One of my favourites is Abbi’s little blue dress on Broad City. For those that haven’t seen the show, early in the series our heroine visits a trendy boutique and splurges on an expensive blue bandage dress. Like any awkward soul, she’s too embarrassed to admit the dress is over her budget. Her initial plan was to wear the dress to a party and return it, but she ends up loving it so much that it becomes her go-to occasion dress. She wears it to parties, dinners, dates, and even lends it to her mom when she wants to relive her youth.
It isn’t the funniest joke of the series, but it’s possibly the most wholesome. The dress always makes Abbi feel confident and sexy, and it inadvertently promotes a sustainable attitude towards fashion. In a world that encourages us to buy a new outfit for every occasion, Abbi and Ilana tell us there’s nothing wrong with repeating outfits. Sadly, not a lot of women seem to agree.
Occasion shopping is something that’s always been foreign to me. I’ve never felt the need to buy a new dress for an event or a new bikini for a vacation if I already had one in my closet. At 28 years old, I have accumulated a solid collection of dresses, skirts, going out tops, and even a slinky little jumpsuit that I can rotate for special occasions. I’ve had some of these pieces for almost a decade and I still love them all.
This doesn’t seem to be the norm amongst my peers. I’m always hearing about friends and co-workers having to buy new clothes for nights out, weddings, weekend trips, and vacations. I can’t help but wonder — how many of these outfits are only worn once? How many of them end up getting tossed in annual wardrobe purges? And how many clothes could be saved from the landfill if women didn’t mind repeating outfits?
Don’t get me wrong; I understand that occasion shopping is sometimes necessary. Bodies change, clothes wear out, and sometimes we genuinely might not own anything suitable for the upcoming occasion. But often none of these situations are applicable. We’ve simply been conditioned into believing you always need something new. Women have told me they don’t want to post the same outfit on social media twice, or they just don’t feel like wearing something old. A recent survey by Barnardo’s found that 25% of people would be embarrassed to wear the same outfit to a special occasion twice.
It’s easy to trace this ‘new outfit’ conditioning. Fashion brands, magazines, and media are all guilty of promoting constant consumption. We’re reminded of new trends and must-have pieces on a daily basis. Magazines love to show off celebrities that are never spotted in the same outfit twice. In fact, celebrities that do dare to break the status quo are shamed. Movies and TV shows often feature wardrobes so massive that characters wouldn’t even have a chance to repeat outfits, Broad City and The Simpsons aside.
Repeat outfit shaming also has plenty of cultural ties. Wearing a new outfit every day is a symbol of wealth. We can also blame the patriarchy for making women more susceptible to the pressure of constantly having a new outfit. When a woman’s worth is tied to her appearance, it’s only natural she’ll want new clothes on a regular basis.
The strange thing is that outfit repeating’s bad reputation isn’t consistent. It’s ok to re-wear the same pair of jeans because you can style them with different tops. But the thought of wearing the same dress from last year’s Christmas party to an upcoming winter wedding brings up a slew of insecurities. The dress you were so in love with last year suddenly becomes old and boring. Why do our attitudes change so drastically when it comes to occasion pieces? Men have no qualms about wearing the same suit multiple times, so why can’t women feel the same way about dresses?
As a serial outfit repeater, I want to tell other women that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, you should be proud to wear the same outfit on multiple occasions! It’s easy to make a new outfit look exciting, but true style is being able to make an older piece look fresh every time. We treat vintage furniture and jewellery with the utmost respect, yet clothing that’s been worn a few times loses its value. I say we extend the same appreciation to our clothes.
I’ve had nothing but good experiences when repeating outfits. Yes, people have remembered certain outfits or pieces, but they’ve only been greeted with a warm reception (“I remember that dress, it’s so pretty!”). Yes, I have posted the same pieces on social media. I’ve never gotten rude or condescending comments or messages. Maybe some people have silently judged me in their heads, but I’m sure they would have forgotten by the end of the night. Ultimately if the outfit makes me feel good, it doesn’t matter what other people think.
Plus, there are lots of environmental and financial benefits to outfit repeating. We’ve already spoken about the thousands of tonnes of clothes that get thrown out annually. The easiest way to be sustainable is simply wearing the clothes you already own. Extending your clothes’ life spans by just nine months can reduce your carbon footprint by as much as 30%. Aside from being kinder to the planet, you’ll also be kinder to your bank balance. Why wouldn’t you want to make the most of your purchase by wearing it multiple times? You wouldn’t buy a chair to only sit in it once, so why would you buy a dress to only wear it once?
Not convinced yet? Grab your favourite snack and find a streaming service that plays Broad City. Watching Ilana hype up Abbi every time she wears her blue dress should do the trick.
