I tend to agree with you, Ingunn. You can't wear the same thing twice in a row to meet the same people, not in the U.S. Even when the occasions are a year apart. My cousin did that - wore the same dress at two Chrismases in a row, and one of my American uncles commented.

Talk about loooooong memories.

...and then there's No Money (that's my tribe).

One of the things about the Christmas outfits is they get captured for all time in the Family Photograph (and this was true even before social media).

@Laurinda: You're reading my mail! Hubs plays offense and I play a mean defense.

high-five Claire, that's my tribe too. If you want to make auntie or uncle's Christmas wear the sweater they thrifted for you last year and gifted you with.
So family, wearing the same thing doesn't matter, but they do appreciate when you dress up for dinner. But to my husband's work xmas party or something .... hmm I've worn variations on a theme for a few years, but not the exact same outfit.

I'll often wear the same items put together in new ways during a week (the same sweater and boots one day with a skirt, one day with jeans) for example in day to day life, but I don't often exactly repeat an outfit and I'm usually seeing different people so it doesn't matter.

Interesting discussion! And more interesting in the Europe vs. US angle. For myself, this is a creative outlet and I don't generally repeat full outfits period, let alone back-to-back. But It's not an issue of being seen wearing the same thing, that actually doesn't bother me in the least. In fact, among friends and here on YLF I always enjoy hearing that others enjoy seeing how I've styled the same piece -- I take "I love seeing how you've styled that this time" as a great compliment. It's more an issue of having too many ideas to try and not enough days! I think I could drastically minimize my wardrobe, meaning far more repeats, and be happy with it BUT I am certainly happier with more options to be more creative with. As far as repeating items back-to-back, the only thing I don't like to do that with is shoes. I like to let those air out a day between wears, although if I've only worn them for a very short period on the weekend sometimes I'll wear a pair again the next day for another short outing. I tend to view my outfits as a weekly arc, and I've got enough clothing that I don't often duplicate in one week although I will. I'm much more inclined to repeat on the weekends, since work wear is my experimental time and weekends are far more practical and limited.

An additional thought: It feels like women are expected to change outfits more often than men. This is something I've discussed with my husband, and we've decided that in addition to that, women also generally have more dressiness levels than men. For example, my husband primarily wears nice jeans, high quality leather boots, and a perfectly fitting button-up shirt (his are bespoke). This takes him from yard work, to eating at most restaurants, to a casual outing with friends, to visiting his parents, to work, to a ballgame, etc. I don't know that there is a single outfit that can achieve that wide a range of activities for me.

EDIT: And one more additional thought: Taking and posting outfit photos daily probably skews this as well. I've been doing it for a very long time (many years now), long enough that I am not sure whether or not I'd be more inclined to repeat full outfits if I wasn't doing it. My hunch is no, because last year when I was away from YLF, even though I took photos without the intent of sharing, I still didn't repeat outfits. It was the same as when I am sharing the photos. I may have repeated items more frequently though, not sure.

Tracyliz65 posted a challenge last year that involves carrying forward to the next day one item from the day before...a kind of sartorial 6 degrees of separation. This is one of my favourite ways to 'play' with fashion and change up a developing mix and match wardrobe. It helps break out of the mindset that only certain things 'go together' as one outfit.

This involves wearing at least one item more then once in a week. The next day, in fact!

Wow this thread brought back memories. I had a friend in high school (in New Jersey) who kept a chart of what she wore each day and what she would wear to make sure she did not repeat anything too soon. Her family did not have lots of money and it was important to her not to look like she only had a few clothes. My family had relatively more money, but I was a grungey mess in high school and pretty much wore the same uniform of sweatshirt and jeans every day (a few copies were alternated). At least that is what I remember.

Israel is a new country and people here (if I may widely generalize) love new. New clothes, new gadgets, new apartments. This is why I find such good things at thrift stores so I am not complaining. I like to wear different skirts and dresses on holidays for fun, but would not hesitate to repeat an outfit either. Day to day I repeat pieces a lot and outfits whenever I want.

I have a friend who lives in England and she says I need to go to certain thrift stores in a certain very wealthy neighborhood because the ladies there will not wear anything twice and the charity shops are a goldmine. I have been told the thrift stores in Berlin are quite good too!

I am very self-conscious about being seen in the same outfit by the same people within a short time, but I don't know why. If I'm teaching a class, I don't want the class to see me in the same outfit the next class session, even though it's a week later, so they really couldn't possibly think I slept in the clothes that long! I won't wear the same thing to work two days in a row, even though it's highly unlikely I'll see the same customers and even though I may actually be working with a different set of coworkers. Sometimes when I'm at home, I will wear the same outfit, or much of the same one, two days in a row. But usually I'll change something just for the sake of variety (for my own amusement), like shoes or accessories. I don't like to wear the same thing to family holiday get-togethers, if I can avoid it (that is, if I can remember what I wore last time). Speaking of which, it is getting harder to keep these things straight. I fear I'm getting into the territory where family, coworkers, even friends may think, "oh, the poor dear, she doesn't remember that she wore that outfit last time we saw her."

And I do realize that these people I'm worried about almost certainly would not notice if I wore the same thing again, and if they did notice, they wouldn't judge me harshly for it. So why be self-conscious about it? Good question, Ingunn!

I'm getting less concerned about repeating outfits in front of people, but when I do it knowingly, it is a very conscious act and it makes me a little nervous.

I really don't think people notice what you are wearing so much as whether or not you present yourself well. Do you really remember what your friend or coworker was wearing last time you saw her? I do try to avoid wearing the same thing when around children because they notice. Otherwise, if it is an outfit that I feel great wearing, I will repeat it with the same people in a short time and not think anything of it.

The question of whether or not people notice repeat outfits is interesting. I believe that if I were to repeat in close succession, people *would* notice because much of my wardrobe is memorable. I have known two women in the past who regularly repeated outfits the next day or the same week. Both had some unique and interesting pieces. I think there are probably plenty of others who repeat and I don't notice bc their clothing is more ubiquitous and blends into the background.

(There may be a cultural factor at play here too. One of the two aforementioned women was Finnish, the other was Japanese but married to a Swedish guy. I never asked about the repeating outfits but I think both were completely comfortable doing it.)

This discussion has reminded me of this article I read a while back, by a woman who wore the same outfit ever day for a year. It's an interesting concept, although I do think it's important to note that she deliberately picked a very plain, unmemorable outfi.

http://helloimnadia.com/post/6.....for-a-year

Not an American or a European! So take my opinion FWIW! I won't be caught dead wearing the same exact outfit seeing the same people within a short period of time. I have accidentally done it in past (because I felt fab in the outfit!) and have changed when I realized it.

BUT I repeat one of my clothing item (either top or bottom) on purpose, to stop people from judging me when I wear an all new outfit. You know its hard to justify when you are a SAHM :). I dont need to but I just don't like the negativity around it. So I make a conscious effort to include a seen piece. Now that's the story of an Asian. Lol!

I've been wearing the exact same outfit seeing the same people in the
past and it hasn't bothered me. And nobody commented and if they did it
was only to pay me a compliment because I looked nice. Because you know,
every outfit worth repeating head to toe means it's a good one.

But it's not often I wear the exact same outfit anyway, even with a small wardrobe. I'm just wearing the same look! But I might wear a striped tee instead of a solid navy one. Or a different scarf or belt. Textured or plain tights. A different bag. You get the idea. Changing just a small detail (because I feel like it or something is in the laundry) makes me feel like I wear a completely different outfit. But I don't start dressing with a past outfit in mind, feeling I have to avoid wearing that combination again. The little changes are more or less unintentional.

The ability to repeat an outfit may also have something to do with the weather. In a hot, humid place, repeating an outfit - even if it is made with natural fibres, it may just not be possible due to grooming etiquette. Simply put, clothes get stinky and need some downtime (washing, sun-drying etc) between wear.

T, I think the question is whether you wear the exact same clothes two days in a row (which I don't do either if I can help it because of the reasons you mentioned) or if you wear the exact same outfit with a few days (and laundry) in between with the same crowd who may not not have seen you in the meantime. For example I tend to repeat my outfits for the workplace in summer because I don't have many options, but I'm only working Wednesdays and Fridays and do laundry in between.

I have way too many clothes to wear the same outfit to see a group of people I don't see every day. No, I don't tend to repeat outfits often -- I mix and match a lot. Even if I repeat an item, it's a good bet it will be paired with a whole different ensemble.

Even if it's an annual, dressy occasion, I'd hate to wear the exact same thing I wore the prior year. Part of it is concern that people would remember, but part of it is just my own desire to keep mixing things up and not fall into a rut.

I am a repeater most days. There I said it. I work from home 2-3 days a week, go into the office 1-2 a week, and am home with my kids Friday - Sunday. On my home days I have preschool drop off/pick up but usually nothing else outside of my house. I tend to wear the same jeans 2-3 days with a different top. The same is true over the weekend. Considering I spend about 1/3 of most days in gear I rarely get my real clothes dirty. I try to vary my tops and shoes but some weeks are pretty limited. My office is ultra casual but I try to be a little bit more polished. I don't repeat right after wearing something but have no qualms about soon after especially if worn differently. The one area that I am a bit more picky about is when DH and I go out or I meet up with friends for dinner or drinks. Our area is pretty casual during the day but I find that people step it up a notch to dine, more smart dressy casual. I try to wear a new outfit and put much more thought into it than I do during the day.

All the talk about planning outfits in high school brings back lots of memories. I do remember planning out my week to separate outfits has much has possible. I probably had 5-7 unique outfits but with some mixing could get to 10-11. I remember being very conscious when I wore something last and doing a juggle to get the most outfits out of my closet.

One of the profs I work with wore the "same outfit" every time she lectured on purpose. She even asked the students about it in the last lecture, if they had noticed. She then told them she hadn't worn the exact same outfit, that she had three different tops and three different bottoms that she had been mixing and matching on purpose each week, and that she was consciously doing it.

It was a really great discussion about uniforms. One of the students said she was like a superhero with her teaching uniform, and they got to expect seeing her wearing the same thing each week.

It was really interesting to see the students' opinions on it (1st year anthropology class). For many of them, this is the first time they have autonomy away from their parents, and this whole idea of constructing an image or projecting a conscious image based on clothes was fascinating to them.

Ugh, the wearing the same thing to visit people dilemma: I struggle with this every year when we go back for the holidays. I want to dress in a varied and interesting manner, but a repetitious capsule wardrobe is so much more practical and easy to pack. I love when people visit me for a change so they can see me in my native habitat, so to speak, with all of my shoes at my disposal.

Someone up thread asked whether the American tendency to not repeat is a want or a need. For sure it's a want, but it's also a really culturally expected thing. Men may get more of a pass, but even they will get comments - I worked in an office where one guy alternated the same two outfits, and it was definitely taken as proof that he was struggling financially (which he probably was, it's not like we made a lot of money, but even if you are, you're not supposed to show it, so you look successful and promotable). At work, assuming we're talking about a typical office and not somewhere where people wear uniforms or scrubs or whatnot, what you wear is part of your general presentation and it needs to be in line with the goals of the organization, and show that you're with the times (but not too trendy - unless you work for a fashion magazine in which case there's probably nothing too trendy).

I have a dear friend who's not much of a clothes person, and she repeats her outfits often. She's a rock climber so she's got a lot of stuff that has that gear vibe or is actual gear that she wears for casual too, and there's something more memorable about brown cargo pants than plain jeans for some reason to me, so I always notice. I don't judge her for it per se, but if she were a stranger that I was interviewing for a job or trying to get to know, it would definitely color my perspective of them - along the lines of ok, this person isn't much into fashion and tends to be very practical in the way they dress.

Coming back to add that I do often repeat an item of clothing from one day to the next, in the '6 degrees of separation' way described upthread. I might wear a white tee with my berry shorts, then the berry shorts with a black top, then the black top with a skirt, etc, etc. This is honestly laundry driven, and laziness rolled up into one lol. I want to be sure it's worn enough to actually be dirty for the wash, but I don't want lots of my wardrobe hanging around, half dirty, at any one time. I prefer having dirty or clean and not in between. This is for my kick around casual stuff. Running errands, hanging around the house. Not for 'going out' wear. So I guess the only folks I'd be risking a repeat with would be cashiers or doctors offices, who are all in uniform wearing exactly the same things themselves!

I repeat outfits all the time but not generally with the same people. I do think about the photo issue though. I try not to wear the same thing if I think the pictures will be on instagram or facebook.

Thanks for starting this thread Ingunn. And also for my first badge!

I found it fascinating how high school experiences have contributed to clothes wearing behaviour. In NZ we mostly have school uniforms with maybe one "mufti" day each term so teenagers back in my day had quite limited needs for clothes. I suspect it could be different now with more variety at cheaper prices, and with social media and influences such as the terrible K family! In saying that I provide a very limited wardrobe to my 12 year old who does wear a school uniform because he grows so fast and really does not care what he wears. I just try and keep it not- embarrassing!

If I buy something that I suspect has a short fashion life I will repeat it a lot so I get value. For example some printed cropped black and white pants. I love them and they are very obvious, but I suspect that they could look dated in a year. So this year I am wearing them frequently and really enjoying mixing them with three different tops and three different pairs of shoes.

If someone repeats an outfit frequently and it is a great one I really admire their confidence.

One of the many great things about YLF is that when you ask a question, you get many great answers. It has been interesting and enlightening to read all the contributions to this thread. Thank you everybody for sharing your opinions. What I take away is:

• We dress differently every day for creative reasons. We need variety to feel good, and many of us have many pieces we like to put into action.
• We dress differently every day for practical reasons. Clothes get dirty, and we don't want to come through as badly groomed or worse.
• We dress differently every day for social reasons. People might judge us and think that we might be poor or are sub standard at least if we don't.
• We dress differently every day to meet certain dress codes, which differ a lot depending on where we are and who we are with. We aim to fit in.

My initial reason for asking was mostly related to the social motivations for dressing in different outfits every day. The desire for a well groomed and clean appearance is probably quite universal, but the social codes that rule our behavior are more varied. In some environments dressing in new, various outfits very often could produce the opposite effect than desired because it might be interpreted as vain, showing of etc. Other places, it evokes admiration. No wonder one might feel insecure at times. It has been very interesting to learn more about the subtle reasons that guide our choices both in Europe, America and Asia.

Brilliant summary, Ingunn!