Why do we, as women, put so much pressure on ourselves to wear something different all the time? We’ve all been there, stood staring at a wardrobe full of clothes yet “nothing to wear” with fear of being seen in the same outfit twice. “I already posted this outfit on Instagram” – so what? You bought it, you own it, best believe you wear it again. From Nour Arida to Kate Middleton to Adele to THE Harry Styles, everyone repeats their outfits, it’s perfectly normal and you should be a proud #OutfitRepeater.
Earlier this week, model Nour Arida spoke out after being criticised online for wearing the same pair of shorts. “Let’s be real here”, her caption says, “never ever associate style with how many items you own. Never get fooled with what social media might bring on the table. This is real life and I’m a real person. Sustainable fashion is the way forward and sooner or late the whole industry will follow.”
Unfortunately it’s all too easy. Fast-fashion is the equivalent to fast-food: cheap, everywhere and not good for anyone. What we need is a change of mindset, to wake up to the numerous repercussions of fast-fashion including environmental damage and human suffering. Not only that, the cheap prices and experience of buying has also caused consumers to settle for less and less value. It becomes a vicious cycle, ‘buy cheap, buy twice’.
Extending the life of a piece of clothing by only nine months could reduce its carbon, waste and water footprint by 20-30%. So you know what to do…wear your clothes, you know the ones hanging in your wardrobe?
It seems the secret is realising that new doesn’t necessarily equal better. Less is always more; you don’t need a lot of clothes, just the right ones. Seriously, what is more stylish than a person showing genuine love for a piece of clothing? Let’s choose quality, shop ‘clean’ and wear our clothes again and again and again.