Be An Outfit Repeater
Author’s Note: This is part one of Living Abundantly With What You Have, a five-part series on the very human notion to collect things, but also the desire to keep things minimal. Start here to learn more!
Growing up, I was self-conscious about being an outfit repeater after a classmate made a point of calling it out during a school dress-down day. It was a shirt I quite liked, so naturally, I wore it whenever I had the chance. But nine-year-old Christina seemed to be no match against the blunt observations of her fourth-grade era.
After that point, I never wore that particular blue tee with the “ROCKSTAR” print and built in vest again, and that’s a shame. Sure, it was very much a product of its time, but man, was it comfy. The comfort-to-effort ratio for that top was unparalleled.
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The point of this piece, though, is to not be like fourth-grade me. If I could go back to her, I’d tell her to wear that shirt ’til she didn’t want to anymore (I’d probably freak her out a little bit with my intensity, but oh well).
Why don’t we do this, though?
When people discuss minimalism and living simply, the lowest-hanging fruit is typically found on a clothes hanger. We all need clothes; we all use clothes, but do we really need all that many? Like my elementary incident, we often let other people’s actions dictate how we dress, but that’s so limiting.
…and then, many of us often find ourselves suffocated by countless shirts and shoes that lead to a daily analysis paralysis. At the very start of our day, we’re stuck battling against our wardrobes, combing through too many options. Then, we wonder why we’re catatonic by 3pm and totally unsure of what to do for dinner after work (or is that just me?)
Decision fatigue is a real thing, but don’t fret! This first approach to living abundantly helps us turn this overwhelm on its (polyester) head.
There’s only room for what you love
Back in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic, I came across the book Project 333 by Courtney Carver. This author proposed the idea of wearing 33 items for three months as a means to simplify one’s life.
While I never braved the challenge of paring down my wardrobe to a mere 33 items (although I didn’t have much variety when cooped up at home in 2020), her concept has stuck with me all this time. At the end of the day, Carver’s challenge gave me a great appreciation for the clothing I did have. The pieces I returned to time and time again — those were my clothing staples. The dresses I had in the back of my closet? I made a point of intentionally wearing them more, to Sunday Mass and to birthday dinners and karaoke nights with friends.
No longer do I save outfit combinations for elusive “special occasions.” When you’re living intentionally, every day is a special occasion. It’s worth dressing up for.
As I’ve navigated a simplified approach to getting dressed each day, I have discovered that having these key choices laid out also helps me take pride in how I present myself to others. I’ve personally likened it to the way characters in our favorite childhood movies and TV shows wear the same outfits. I know this is truly because of wardrobe costs and ease of animation, but you get the idea. Your clothes don’t define you—not by any means—but you can use them as an opportunity to express yourself in a little way.
An invitation
A minor — okay, maybe it’s mid-sized — Roman Empire of mine is trying to combat fast fashion in the small ways I can. The prevalence of stuff you can buy, for such low margins, without thinking of the human and environmental cost of it all, is pretty overwhelming. While I could monologue about Shein and Temu and sweatshop sweatshirts, that’s not the point of this piece. However, it’s a small act of rebellion to embrace what you currently have in your closet. Fight overconsumption by appreciating what’s in front of you.
Gratitude is rebellious. It forces you to pause and to truly see the simple things for what they are: blessings in your life. Isn’t that amazing?
I leave you with an invitation: Before you dive too deep into that website pushed onto you by a targeted ad on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, take a look at the clothes you have. Maybe you’ve got one too many tees crammed into your dresser drawer (I know I do). Take stock of what you have, and make a plan to wear it. If you don’t see yourself wearing it in the next month or so (barring seasonal pieces), give it away. It’ll have a second life that way and can truly bless someone else.
So, whatever, be an outfit repeater. Enjoy the outfits you wear! Be known for wearing the yellow sweater and the white polo.