guilt trippin': tips for rewearing your favorite clothing items

After counting, I've worn this skirt 16 times on my Instagram in the last 3 years. Especially in the age of social media where everything is documented, our society frowns upon "outfit repeating". I on the other hand, don't mind wearing the same items over and over again. Ever since high school, I've tried to adopt to the "European" sensibility when it comes to wardrobe and value quality over quantity. I'd rather own 5 dresses that I love, fit me well and I feel comfortable in, rather than 25 dresses I feel lackluster about. I think the rise of social media has increased our urge to buy. Everyday we are bombarded with bloggers telling us to "swipe up" to shop their latest purchases. In my opinion, one of the negatives of blogging is that it creates excess waste and encourages consumerism. To try and combat wastefulness, I actually like rewearing items on my blog and Instagram. Here are some tips for how to rewear your favorite items:


create a theme:
I often find myself pairing this skirt with a graphic tee. Since graphic tees always have a specific saying or illustration on them, I try to use this as inspiration for the theme for the rest of my outfit. In this case, I styled my look based off of this retro graphic on this Poetic Betty tee. I knew I wanted to wear some kind of scarf around my neck, it seemed reminiscent of a glamorous 1950’s woman driving around in a convertible, just like the one in the graphic. Then I added the pink sunglasses to match the polka dot scarf. Finally, I completed the look with saddle shoes, my signature beehive and vintage camera. 


when it comes to outfit photos, let the location be the focal point:
Usually when people go on vacation, they feel like they need to buy a whole new wardrobe, especially because they know they’ll be taking lots of photos. While I agree that it is definitely nice to have one or two new pieces for a trip, I also like to pack tired and true favorites. Wearing a safe bet on a vacation guarantees comfort. There’s nothing worse than trying on something new while on a trip and realizing it doesn’t fit right, doesn’t look good, etc. Also, while on vacation, any photo you take will likely be in a new and interesting location. Anyone looking at the photo will likely be focusing on where you are, and less on what you are wearing. 


remind yourself that no one remembers your wardrobe as well as you:
I’m sure we’ve all experienced this feeling…you’re on your way to meet up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while and you suddenly panic that you might have worn the exact same thing the last time you saw them. I do this a lot, but then I try and remember what the person I’m meeting was wearing the last time I saw them. Usually I can’t remember. Then I remind myself, if I can’t remember what they wore, than they most likely don’t remember what I wore either. 


What are your thoughts on being an “outfit repeater”? Do you like rewearing your favorite pieces?


If you’d like to shop my shirt, you can find it here:
http://www.poeticbetty.com/product/guilt-trippin-w

PS it comes in pink too!


T Shirt: c/o Poetic Betty
Skirt: Madewell; Saddle Shoes: Eastland Shoe; Scarf: Target; Sunglasses: East Village Vintage Collective 
Location: Red Hook, Brooklyn