Sometimes being obsessed with fashion is really hard. If you’re anything like me, you have an irrational fear of repeating outfits. I feel like I have to document everything I wear. When did I last wear this? Where did I wear this? Was I photographed in it? Will people remember?
My fear of repeating an outfit was pretty intense a year or two ago. It’s actually comical how stressed out I would get about not having something to wear, when I clearly did have something to wear and was just being a stubborn brat. This fear most likely began with that Lizzie McGuire episode... you remember right? "Lizzie McGuire, you are an outfit repeater!" How terrifying, I never wanted something like that to happen to me. But recently, I’ve calmed down. Yes, I sometimes cringe at the thought of putting the same thing on twice, but I’ve been positively influenced by some major fashion icons who are known to repeat an article of clothing here or there.
Of course I’m going to talk about Kate Middleton. Every girl grows up hoping to someday meet a Prince (in a casual, unexpected, romantic first meeting of course), get married and become a Princess. The jewels, the gowns and the shoes are all breathtaking, so who wouldn’t want to be a Princess, right? Kate Middleton is the girl who actually accomplished this elementary school dream and she’s completely changed the rules of fashion.
Kate Middleton is notorious for repeating outfits. She has been photographed in repeat Zara, Stella McCartney and Roksanda Illincic dresses so many times that for the first time, no one cares. People love it, and perhaps it’s because she has the ability to re-wear these dresses in a different way.
Kate Middleton is not afraid to say “Hey, I liked this dress a lot, it looked good, I photographed well in it, it made me feel good, why shouldn’t I wear it again.” How can that not be inspiring? One of the most watched women in the world reuses items in her closet over and over again and I can’t? Who do I think I am? Why do I care about being seen in the same thing twice?
The fashion blogosphere has taken notice to this trend as well. A large portion of my morning routine consists of checking in on my favorite fashion blogs and lately I’ve noticed that bloggers are repeating pairs of shoes, bags, dresses but reinventing them in different ways. The repeated article is barely recognizable at times and that’s the key.
I shouldn’t have a problem with wearing a pair of shorts twice as long as I mix it up with a different top, a different pair of shoes, and different accessories. It creates an entirely different outfit and expands my closet. Why have I never thought of this before? Now it just seems foolish to waste an almost brand new item’s potential by keeping it locked away in a closet because it had been worn before.
So I encourage all of the other Elite women out there to do the same. Start mixing up your clothes. Mix and match, create a new look and have fun doing so. Because what girl doesn’t love fashion, and a challenge?
Ally | Elite.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
