YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Do you repeat outfits?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: Do you repeat outfits? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:31:41 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php lyn67 on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303872 Tue, 24 Jan 2023 14:20:53 +0000 lyn67 2303872@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I now have my 6 weeks worth capsules for all the year and so only repeat the exact same outfit 2-3x/capsule. But, I will repeat outfits next few (or even more) seasons(years), too- with only some minor tweakings, like new 1 new refreshed main piece of clothing or new accessories (shoes, bags, scarves).  How does that sound? Debbie on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303678 Mon, 23 Jan 2023 02:16:37 +0000 Debbie 2303678@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I repeat. Especially in the summer with dresses. I try to change up jewelry and footwear. A dress is basically one and done so that’s how I treat it. In this summer heat I try to have a great variety of dresses. Fall and winter I try a little harder not to repeat. Janet on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303654 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 23:57:48 +0000 Janet 2303654@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gaylene, yes. I’m sure than various occupational and environmental norms help drive these habits. I’ve been in “creative” work for 30 years now in one capacity or another, and whether it was book publishing, interior design, etc, i felt quite conscious of my outfit choices every day. However, even before then, I liked variety, shopping, and exploring my style, as far back as grade school. I never ever liked the idea of a uniform (the one job I had that required a uniform, as a front desk agent in a luxury hotel, I was lucky enough to receive a quick promotion that meant I could wear blazers and trousers/skirt instead!), so yeah, I have no desire to wear one now! Style Fan on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303653 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 23:51:50 +0000 Style Fan 2303653@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I repeat my outfits.  I have my favourites, and I wear them a lot.  I might change the jewellery, but everything else stays the same.  When I was working, I probably switched things around.   nemosmom on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303626 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 17:53:37 +0000 nemosmom 2303626@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh sure Gaylene, you make a great point! I have a very sedentary job, that is remote/WFH. Maybe that is why I feel OK with repeating as often as I do? The only time I “see” coworkers is via video calls. I have to be ready for impromptu calls as well as scheduled calls, so I can’t just roll out of bed and begin work. That said, my base is almost always the same formula, often the same piece in a week. Since I am at my desk all day, I don’t think it matters, really. I do change shoes and jacket daily, since I still do the kids’ school run after my work day has started and their activity things in the evenings. Maybe it seems like my clothes are different enough to others when out in the wild? Gaylene on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303619 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 16:26:36 +0000 Gaylene 2303619@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’m wondering if occupations influence our decisions on when, and how, we repeat? Certainly working in an office setting in a fashion-related industry (The Devil Wears Prada!) is a far cry from working in IT or healthcare. Even within an occupation, there can be a wide variation—elementary school teachers dress differently than teachers in the upper grades. Maybe it’s easier to get away with repeating outfits when your job prioritizes other features in your clothing—durability, protection, invisibility, modesty, sanitation, functionality, etc.   Everything Suz and OliveGreen wrote resonates with my experience of being constantly in front of different age groups who noticed what I wore but who were supposedly not there to look at my clothes. Never repeating an outfit would have required more expense and effort than I was willing to devote to my clothes. My wardrobe goals were to look appropriate, clean (thus avoiding the dreaded dubious hygiene teacher look), and possibly a bit current. Repeating was expected because showing too much interest in fashion was a tricky issue given the multitude of audiences—parents, colleagues, school officials, adolescents, business people—I could encounter in a single day. As a young female teacher, my fashion choices had to be carefully considered.  Olive Green on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303592 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 11:28:41 +0000 Olive Green 2303592@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Wow, late to the party, as usual. I used to change it up a lot, as was in front of classes or groups. Very conscious of looking put-together  classic but colorful. Part of the work persona. Lot like Suz, actually.  Within that, though, I always have a uniform. As someone said, column A and column B. Part of that was packing for a lot of work travel across borders, it needed to coordinate and not carry any particular regional connotations.  Retired, different version, increasingly informal, but same types of items over a few temperature and formality graduations. What does the day look like? And grab the appropriate calibrated pieces.  After I heard the words, laundry bottleneck, HERE, laughed and became a bit more of a duplicator. Am extremely fussy about dirty clothes or stains, so a lot of stuff gets washed to death. Especially in summer.  I like wovens on top, and will not wear knits on top or bottom for any outing where I am not being physically active. Looks so sloppy on me.  Canadian Tuxedo in rigid denims is now often my friend, and I only change that up with colorful shoes or accessories. Why mess with a good thing? anchie on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303589 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 10:36:11 +0000 anchie 2303589@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I would say I repeat but Stylebook tracking says otherwise. It is probably because there is always some little detail that is different, like different shoes, or bag or scarf or layering top. I don’t do it on purpose but my wardrobe is very mix and match that is easy to switch one or more items in an outfit. Less so in summer or in my lounge wear, because if there are only 2-3 items in an outfit there are more chances to repeat it, but in winter with all the layers, coats and accessories, combinations seem endless. I don’t think people notice if somebody is repeating, and I was shocked when I overheard conversation between male colleagues where they were discussing female colleague and how she repeats her outfits all the time. Suz on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303578 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 04:41:02 +0000 Suz 2303578@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Karie, I remember the endless variety you conjured from your closet! You also sewed some things, which I think does help a lot... And Roberta, Jenni -- I'm as hungry for compliments as the next person and enjoy them! But I don't think repeat outfits reduce them, at least not in my world. Keep in mind, though, that it's been a long long time since I worked in an office with the same people every day. When teaching in person I do see some of the same people each day, but not only the same people.  I think people in my life might notice a repeat outfit...but they probably notice more that I am dressed in a way that strikes them as fashionable or very "me." And I become known as "that" person -- the one who always looks like she made some kind of effort. And although neither of you said this outright, I think you, and several others have implied it -- when we take care with our dress, a certain subset of people in our lives will come to expect it of us and appreciate it in us and we'll become known as the "fashionable" ones.  I'm not sure that uniform dressing makes that impossible, though. It just has to be signature uniform dressing, as with my long ago colleague. (I also happen to think this will not work unless the look is intentional and current, but I might be wrong.)   Though I take Isabel's point. To some degree, this is gendered. Harder for women to wear a "uniform" and be considered fashionable. Maybe less so now than back then -- I'm not sure.   People definitely don't notice if you repeat an item, unless they are real fashionistas themselves (in which case, isn't it grand when they notice?) or unless the item is exceptionally distinctive. The same red sweater can be remixed a dozen times without anyone thinking, oh, she's wearing that darn red sweater again. All the more so if we are talking about black pants.  But -- to take a different example -- what about a wild conversational print? Or even a subtle one?  Karie on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/3#post-2303575 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 04:16:39 +0000 Karie 2303575@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I once went the entire school year without repeating an outfit. Since retiring, I do repeats of my casual outfits quite often, but not so often that I’m bored with my wardrobe. Echo on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303573 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 03:50:21 +0000 Echo 2303573@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I rarely repeat, but it does happen. And honestly, I have too many pairs of black pants and black dresses that I'm not sure most people would even recognize it as something different from the last. But I like variety, and as I've been rebuilding my wardrobe, I find myself more drawn to skirts because I can combine them in more ways than dresses. But as far as rewearing a dress, I absolutely do that. I just try to vary the tights, shoes, topper, accessories, coat, etc.  Jenni NZ on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303572 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 03:17:08 +0000 Jenni NZ 2303572@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am loving this thread too. I also get complimented at work about outfits and especially shoes ( at least one patient has said they wonder before they come in which shoes I would wear today!) but the staff don’t compliment as much, perhaps because I repeat quite a lot? Especially since I am trying to wear everything a lot. I do think my vanity will possibly suffer when I eventually retire… cjh on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303571 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 03:11:38 +0000 cjh 2303571@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Back to make a small comment on the decision fatigue motivation for choosing a uniform or repeating successful outfits. When I thought about that, I felt that perhaps my never repeating is based on memory fatigue, either not remembering or not caring if I remember the combinations in various outfits.I see most of my clothes as mix and match, or at least the casual everyday wear of jeans, shirts, tees, cardigan and pullover sweaters. Somehow the colors are almost all compatible, so I pick one from column A, column B, etc. until I have clothes on that appealed to me at the moment. I never chose outfits this way when I worked. Retired people who have become artists like me might, but it would be fun to find out. Roberta on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303567 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 02:59:54 +0000 Roberta 2303567@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, you have really made me stop and THINK. I got a lot of pleasure out of feeling that people at work liked to see what I was wearing. That I was occasionally called a fashionista, or complimented on my personal style. It made me feel creative. And I liked to show that I had gotten new things, too. That I wasn't just wearing the same old stuff forever. But as to what other people might be thinking if I repeated an outfit? I never looked at that too closely. Perhaps I just wanted them to think, she looks fresh and colorful and a little different from the everyday. As if anyone would notice that I was wearing the same red sweater they saw me in a month earlier, it's ridiculous when I think about it! We're all wired so differently. Jaime on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303559 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 02:49:21 +0000 Jaime 2303559@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Imitation (of myself) is the highest form of flattery. I love to wear outfits worth repeating. Isabel on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303554 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 01:57:09 +0000 Isabel 2303554@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ The decision fatigue mention is interesting. One tends to see it often in men : Presidents, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg...and they're lauded for it. Women are not.   In the mid 80"s I took a business trip with a man that held the same position that I did for the same company.  It was a 10 day trip. I brought a suitcase. He brought a large briefcase.  Two additional clean shirts, some t shirts, shorts, underwear,  a pair of slides.  ( he told me )  The blazer, pants and shirt he was wearing.  This never would have flown for a woman.  Suz on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303553 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 01:45:55 +0000 Suz 2303553@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Oh, this is fascinating -- thank you so much, those who replied. I see a pattern with many of us remembering what teachers wore (for good or ill!) and I have several similar stories of my own.  In answer to your question, Gaylene, I don't think people much notice what I'm wearing. But of course, that's silly, because they do notice -- I get lots of compliments on my outfits. Including from my students. I don't think last year's group had contests related to my outfits but they certainly had favourites and would say things like, "Oh, yay, she's wearing the red jacket and mask today!"   Dee and Kkards, I can definitely understand why you wouldn't want to wear the exact same outfit to work on every Tuesday (for example). I would not do that, either. In fact, I distinctly remember standing in front of the closet last year and trying to reconstruct the previous week's outfits so I wouldn't..But I would repeat the same outfit randomly and did wear the same thing with the same group a bunch of times.   Ditto to what Janet said, also. I have been guilty of the same thing -- wearing the exact same outfit to holiday events a few years in a row, and it speaks to the importance of beefing up or carefully editing the dress up capsule, especially if some items aren't fitting right any more... I had those teachers, too, who wore the same thing all the time. I wondered about it -- I mean, a teacher's salary is not grand but it does allow for a couple of shirts and trousers, surely. Like Rachylou, I wondered about hygiene. But also like she says, kids can be so mean! For all we know, this teacher had identical shirts and pants for seven days.  Still in the realm of teaching, I had a colleague (male) who was one of the most stylish people I've ever known -- he only wore a uniform. He has white hair (though his skin was still young -- he was probably in his late 40s or early 50s; I was in my early 30s). Anyway -- he wore white shirts (different styles but all white and always white), black trousers (again, different styles, but black), and black jackets. He looked impeccable and amazing every day. And often wore the exact same outfit -- but this was clearly a signature style.  Bonnie on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303546 Sun, 22 Jan 2023 00:35:57 +0000 Bonnie 2303546@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ When something works, I wait a week or two and then repeat. I also vary the days something is worn and keep photo records for a month or so. Certain items seem to work together well and when I ignore that and try to be creative, I can come up with some weird combos. Taking an outfit photo is a must for me. Janet on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303541 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:55:15 +0000 Janet 2303541@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I will say that I avoid repeating combinations or certain very distinctive items when I'm attending some event in which I'll see the same people I saw at the last event of that sort -- stuff like art openings. Especially if people will be taking photos. I realized last year that pics of me on social media around the holidays were in the same sequin top for like four years running. I opted to pass along that top, as it was never a perfect fit on my hips and I was a little tired of seeing it in photos.  jussie on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303539 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 23:10:25 +0000 jussie 2303539@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Maybe I should add, I don’t repeat the same outfit within the same week…. I don’t have any issue with doing that, it’s simply because I like variety. Probably once every few weeks I wear certain favorites. I save these as collections in Finds. Barbara Diane on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303529 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:53:45 +0000 Barbara Diane 2303529@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I repeat often. If I’m not seeing the same people (besides my husband) I will even occasionally wear the same outfit 2 days in a row. Irina on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303528 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:52:22 +0000 Irina 2303528@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I don’t repeat the same outfit two days in a row even if no one sees me. For example, I have 3 winter “uniforms” I wear in the mornings to the pool. I rotate them. I feel clothes needs to have some time to air out. Same with shoes. <div>I definitely repeated my outfits when I worked 5 days a week from the office. I wore the exactly same outfit maybe once a month and reshuffled the rest. When I rebuilt my wardrobe I limited my color palette so all the items could play well with each other. I try to take more creative approach now when I’m in the office twice a week. </div> Dee on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303526 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:36:30 +0000 Dee 2303526@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gaylene, Rachylou, as you both mentioned about students. maybe my desire to not repeat may also stem from one particular Biology teacher back in 1970s, who constantly wore, without fail the same mint green polyester-double knit leisure suit everyday of that semester. I don’t know  if he had a couple of these or what, but there was some body odor problems going on there.  As well, for many years I was stuck wearing uniforms for many of my jobs and I would have loved to have had the freedom to wear my own choice of clothing. rachylou on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303525 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:03:42 +0000 rachylou 2303525@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ But I have to contrast: My grandma had a uniform. The exact same dress pattern run up in different materials. By contrast, she was extremely elegant and dignified. My cousin and I each took a dress of hers. I suspect it’s a uniform we’d both like to move to one day. ETA: Gaylene, my student days of minute observation of teachers have certainly stayed with me(!) Gaylene on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303524 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 19:01:29 +0000 Gaylene 2303524@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, this is sort of a backwards answer to your question “What do you think people are thinking when you repeat an outfit?” Several decades ago when I was a young, junior-high teacher, I noticed my class giggling every morning when I walked through the door of my classroom. When I finally got up enough nerve to ask them what was going on, a sheepish volunteer told me that they all had their favourite outfits and, if that outfit appeared, it was a “win” for those students. If a favourite outfit showed up on a test day, it was double luck for those students who had chosen it. After learning that bit of information, it seemed only fair to not repeat on test days. <div> </div><div>It was also hard to accept my minuscule wardrobe would warrant that kind of interest until I realized that all of other teachers in the school were at least a couple of decades older than I was at the time. As a young teacher who was interested in current fashion, I was a novelty. The realization that my students closely inspected (and commented on) every aspect of my appearance stayed with me throughout my teaching career. ”Wear whatever you want” is certainly a good catchphrase, but I also think many situations require a more delicate balance of dressing for oneself and dressing for others.  <div> </div><div> </div></div> rachylou on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303523 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 18:59:09 +0000 rachylou 2303523@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I’m back to tell y’all about these two teachers I had as a child. They wore the same garments every day. The French teacher, a turquoise dress. That was probably acquired in the 70s. The History teacher, grey pants and a green shirt in winter and an orange one in summer. They looked to be from the 50s. The History teacher, his clothes were shiny with washing and had a rent or two. Particularly a thing of askance. I think as students, what we were afraid of was… decrepitude and poor hygiene. Children of course are wicked mean, but I must say it made the future a thing of trepidation. No, honestly, it made the present disturbing. I will say the History teacher was British, possibly a veteran of WWII when I think about it now. It would explain a lot. If you’re a heavy heavy repeater like my teachers were, I think if they had stuck to the classic classic uniform … blue blazer and button down shirt uniformity … the garments would have been less … freakish? Dee on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303521 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 18:55:57 +0000 Dee 2303521@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz as a non-repeater mostly at work or socially, I really wasn’t worried about what people thought if I repeated an outfit, I just really love all the variety and combinations that I can create with a fairly large, classic 4 seasons mix and match wardrobe. As I mentioned before, I started to repeat occasionally at work because I didn’t want people to think that all I ever did was shop for clothes. Jules on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303517 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 18:28:13 +0000 Jules 2303517@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I was thinking about decision fatigue after I posted as well - when I went to the office 4-5 days a week, and had a busy after work schedule with younger kids, I definitely needed easy outfit formulas. Now that I go twice a week, and have a lot more free time, playing with my outfits is a joy as The Cat mentioned. It’s also a factor that I currently go to my workplace gym early in the AM, so I pack my outfit the night before to change into. I’m not a morning person so it was never super fun for me to play in the morning. I also have a little more time to play with my hair and makeup - and a whole change room to myself, not shared with teenage daughters All these factors make it fun right now. If I get stressed for time/energy it will be one of the first things to go. LJP on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303514 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 17:26:50 +0000 LJP 2303514@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ If you mean two days in a row , or same outfit within a week etc….no, I don’t do that except at home . But if you mean in the bigger picture , and where one wears the same blouse with the same jeans every time ……of course I repeat . Why not ? Back a million years ago when I worked in fashion in an actual office setting , I didn’t wear the same outfit more than once or twice a month . Kind of stupid now , but I was young and desperately insecure . Now I’m old and don’t care what anyone thinks about what I wear and how often . Cardiff girl on "Do you repeat outfits?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/how-often-do-you-repeat-an-outfit/page/2#post-2303513 Sat, 21 Jan 2023 17:25:32 +0000 Cardiff girl 2303513@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I like to think that l wear a wide variety of outfits but my outfit tracker tells me otherwise!I think that l get comfortable with certain clothes for certain activities and given that l tend to repeat activities,l repeat the outfits for those activities.As you said accessories are an easy way to stick with the same formula but add in a bit of variety.