Thoughts on Wearing the Same Outfits on Repeat
A while back, I decided to stop buying (or even renting) new outfits for big events, video shoots, interviews and speaking engagements, opting instead to wear my usual collection on repeat.
As my friend Ashlee Piper wrote in her book, Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet:
“The ills of fast fashion exist solely because consumers create demand, which means we can easily right this wrong by pairing down, refreshing our habits, and pumping the breaks on our purchasing.”
Remember: we are by no means powerless.
Shopping vintage and second-hand, exploring swaps and exchange groups in communities, and repairing and repurposing garments and accessories are all of course great options. But thus far I’ve really just enjoyed keeping things pared down by sticking to my current collection and finding new permutations within it. It simplifies a remarkable part of my daily routine— laundry, organizing, dressing and packing are all much more streamlined.
All it takes is a mindset shift to keep us from caving into pressure to wear something new and on-trend for every notable occasion. We don’t necessarily have to approach this from the angle of “living with less.” It can also be perceived as living with more. More time, more space and more savings. (And besides— most Americans only wear 13-20% of the items from our closets anyway!*)
This week I’m headed to speak at a Create & Cultivate pop-up, and plan to wear one of the same outfits I’ve appeared in time and time again, as it’s comfortable, easy to pack and I know where and how the pieces were made.
At this point, we’re all aware that the garment industry is one of the top polluters of our planet. At this pivotal period in time — an era ominously dubbed the Anthropocene — we have the necessary strength (provided by our voices and our wallets) to pull focus back towards the environment, labor and health, and social justice, and to force the industry to catch up with us quickly, before it’s too late.
*Ashlee Piper: Give a Sh*t
