On Outfit Repeating (in Winter)
Is personal style...outfit repeating?
For most of my life, I have avoided outfit-repeating as a personal practice. This might surprise you? I shout a lot in this newsletter about styling from your own closet, resisting the algorithm, and shopping intentionally (i.e. the Three Outfit Rule, The List, etc). But I am a highly visual person, who makes highly visual memories, and so I have very strong associations tied to the clothes I have worn during Big Life Moments. This doesn’t mean I wear my clothes only once! But historically, every time I’ve reached again for a certain t-shirt, or pair of pants, or DRESS (the hardest category), I have tried to style it in a new way. Does that make you feel exhausted?! Lol?! But it’s been fun for me!
These days, I still try to find fresh ways to style my clothes for formal events, trips, or other fun dates on the calendar—things I have time to think about in advance. But, in the last few years, I’ve started to relax into wearing many of the same things day to day—not in a resigned way, but in a I-love-this-thing-so-much-I-want-to-wear-it-again way. And it’s cracked open a completely different kind of outfit joy for me! Now, there is as much delight in putting on my black oversized knit sweater and Levis for the millionth time as there was when I tried the same sweater over a long black knit midi dress for the first time.
What brought on the sartorial shift? The pandemic, obviously, which was hard and horrible, but did remove the pressure to get dressed for anyone other than myself. My getting older—saying goodbye to my 20s—and transitioning into more accountability and intentional shopping practices. A tighter edit of the clothes I keep in our shared closet in this cute little Brooklyn apartment. An exhaustion with the sheer number of people trying to sell me stuff on the internet! A general desire for more ease. My going out of town for work quite a bit post-pandemic, and so streamlining how I pack.
Along with the shift in dressing came a shift in thinking. Specifically, the way I considered the concept of personal style started to change. My mood boards at the time were full of photos of people with stylists (or who were stylists themselves), with access to borrowed clothing, as they were adapting to an era where the famous have never been more photographed. For those ultra-famous (and often women-identifying) people, being highly photographed translated to never, ever repeating an outfit. I needed to look back—to a slightly less documented era.
When I did, I started remembering how many style icons from the last 50 years I associate with specific looks or pieces. Jane Birkin’s ever-present basket bag. Patti Smith and her leather jacket and ratty t’s and worn men’s button ups. Bianca Jagger’s great blazers (and that iconic black dress. This too.). Meg Ryan’s 90s menswear 'fits. Audrey Hepburn in a boat neck, or a strapless gown, or flats (the original balletcore icon!). Even Grace Jones, who’s worn a million looks, has a through line—her hats and headpieces, bodysuits and structured black bras, all those strong shoulders.
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Was it possible that the people I associated with having distinctive, individual, and inspiring personal style were JUST A BUNCH OF SUZY-OUTFIT-REPEATERS?
I am kind of joking, but also, YES, it was and is possible that a strong sense of personal style could be boiled down to accumulating clothes you like and then wearing them a lot. It’s so simple, but these days, when buying an outfit “for the photo” is totally normal, it’s also a kind of revolutionary practice. Makes me sigh with relief, actually! That’s not to say that the style icons of history didn’t have stylists themselves, or that they wore the exact same shirt every day (except for maybe Patti Smith, lol). I’m also not trying to imply that women in the spotlight today never wear their clothes twice. What I am lifting up is that there is power in repeating a look—like a personal trademark.
I think there is no better time to put the outfit-repeat into practice than in the dead of winter when, let’s face it, anything I put on is covered up by a coat anyway. And a person can only own so many coats! The repeat is inevitable! The fun part, at least IMO, is that both my first approach—styling something to make it feel new every time—and my second, current gravitation towards rewearing my greatest hits (my Meg Ryan era, lol)—come into play here. I can wear the same coats over and over again, AND accessories and styling can still make those outer layers feel fresh. In fact, ONE COULD ARGUE that’s how the above style queens (and many more) became so iconic in the first place.
So okay. We’re (winter) outfit repeating. Let’s be icons.
In keeping with the theme, I decided to make all my looks for this week’s issue using the following three pieces:
SPOILER ALERT: Maybe this is an I am who I am moment, but despite the fact that I am wearing the same navy sweater as the base in all five looks, and I am swapping between the same two coats, not a single one of these looks appears at its surface as an “outfit repeat.” WHOOPS. But here we are! Let the games commence:
Look 1: Jackets and Coats
So this corduroy shirt jacket (shacket?!) is the hero piece here. When it comes to winter layering, I like the idea of something that buttons all the way up under a coat (adding a warm layer), and then unbuttons later for a more casual texture addition/swingy-sweater-moment whenever you get to where you are going. I am a big fan of wearing super warm layers underneath a coat, increasing the odds I can leave said coat open as I wander the streets. I MEAN I GOT DRESSED THE PEOPLE SHOULD SEE IT you know?
Look 2: Denim Is Still Denim-ing (In Case You Were Wondering)
A LOT of layers came together to make this happen, and for that we are so grateful! A great little moment for when it’s cold outside, but the heaters are BUMPING inside. Just peel off layers to your heart’s content! Also this scarf is essentially a blanket—not giving Lenny Kravitz, but also not not giving?
Look 3: Texture Witch
Remember when we called vegan leather ‘pleather’? Lol. Here, some faux leather (IDK y’all, who makes these rules?) pants make this whole thing more interesting:
More layers! Layer your way to freedom! In this case, this amazing wool/knit wrap THING makes the plaid coat a whole new piece. I’m telling you, layer on top of your coats my friends—the possibilities continue with the outerwear. And, again, this maneuver allows me to frolic in the outdoors without fully hiding the under-layers of the outfit. I am an onion! A winter onion!
Look 4: Blue Silk Bebe
Monochrome shan’t let you down!
I’ve stolen this move from 1,000,000 grandmas, but all of a sudden the idea of pinning your scarf with a brooch seems INGENIOUS to me. Pin it where you want it?! It doesn’t budge?! This pin was $2.75 at JUNK in Williamsburg, and is she cute or what? So far no noticeable holes when I remove the pin from my scarves. Did everyone know about this?!
Look 5: Work Work Werk
Final lewk! That navy sweater and my black duster coat IN ACTION at the workplace. Thank you to our insanely talented hair team for allowing me to use your full length mirror. Lol.
Okay my darlings! If you take nothing away from this, take the rewear of this navy sweater FIVE times in five totally different looks. I’m cackling, because I really thought this was outfit repeat week. Turns out, keeping just a few things the same and letting the rest grow from there set me f*cking freeeeee. But I think maybe that’s the point: deciding what you like and wearing it a lot actually makes for MORE personal expression, not less. SO. I gift you the wardrobe challenge of wearing the same beloved thing five different ways this week—it might be the creative prompt you need!
I love you. You’re cute. Go wear your clothes. Ta for now.
Costume Change is a styling newsletter (vs. a shopping newsletter). There’s no spon-con above. As always, I hope that Costume Change first and foremost provides you with inspiration to shop and re-style inside of your own closet. Thanks for reading, and reminder to keep those comments kind!