Go sustainable with these celebs who love repeating outfits

Ahead of World Environment Day (June 5), we take a look at celebs who have set some major fashion goals by repeating outfits they have worn in the past.

In the recent past, the world has seen a slight shift from consumerism to sustainability – there’s an increasing awareness about the planet and the effects human activities can have on the same. Fashion, being the multi-billion-dollar industry that it is today, is also among the most polluting industries in the world. The indutry creates waste, both in terms of materials and also actual products— most of which are worn just once before being discarded.

Times are, however, changing now. Recently, UK reality show Love Island announced that they were going to give up their partnerships with fast fashion brands, and opt for second-hand fashion acquired via a partnership with eBay UK. Closer to home, Grammy Award-winning artiste Ricky Kej made heads turn last month when he appeared for two events— the 2022 Grammys and the Cannes Film Festival in May— in the same outfit, as part of a ReWear4Earth campaign.

With sustainable fashion set to be the future of the industry, we take a look at the celebs who have repeated their outfits in the past, making recycling clothes and fashion acceptable and cool.

Celebs who have repeated outfits

Ricky Kej

The two-time Grammy Award winner repeated the outfit he had chosen for the Grammys this year, when he walked the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival in May. In a social media post, he wrote, “For decades, repeating an outfit for galas and events would be considered a fashion blunder – encouraging people to switch up outfits for every event, making clothes ‘Single Use’. Its time to change that narrative. Its time we consider our planet in this equation. Fashion Can Be Trendy Twice (sic).”

Kate Middleton

The Duchess of Cambridge is known for her elegant appearances and graceful choices when it comes to clothes. And something that has managed to grab headlines more than once is the fact that she is one of the celebs who has repeated her outfits, either accessorising them differently or altering them to add her own personal touch.

Sonali Bendre

Over the last few months, Sonali Bendre has been sharing snaps of herself in outfits she wore years ago. On an episode of a dance reality show, she wore a Rohit Bal jacket she had previously adorned at least two decades ago. And last month, she made heads turn again when she posted pictures of her in a white suit that she had worn during her first trimester.

Joaquin Phoenix

While one might argue that it’s mostly a woman’s closet that’s overflowing with clothes and men seem to make more practical choices when it comes to outfits, the men’s fashion industry is also an extremely wasteful one. However, in 2020, The Joker actor Joaquin Phoenix took the decision to appear for all award functions in the season wearing the same tux— a Stella McCartney piece— and set an example for repeating clothes.

Meghan Markle

Before Meghan and Harry gave up their royal titles, the former actress made several public appearances as part of her royal duties, charitable work and more. What made heads turn were the outfits she decided to re-wear on many such occasions— right from her trench coat dress to her purple midi and her striped dress— telling the world that even if you are a duchess, making sustainable choices and repeating clothes only gets trendier by the day.

Tiffany Haddish

Tiffany Haddish is someone who has been termed the ‘serial outfit repeater’. She has worn her Alexander McQueen white dress over four times now, each time for a public appearance. Talking about recycling her look multiple times (the latest being for a People magazine shoot), she told a publication that her dress was USD 4,122 (INR 3,19,754), and even though people warned her against it, she will continue to wear the dress in public again.

Hailey Bieber

Among the celebs who have repeated outfits is Hailey Bieber. The model loves her comfy outfits, and has been spotted more than once in her brown Yeezy tracksuit, pairing it with different accessories for a fresh look.

Cate Blanchett

Cate Blanchett is no stranger to repeating outfits on red carpets, having recycled many clothes in the past. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, when asked about this choice of hers, she had said, “Particularly in today’s climate, it seems wilful and ridiculous that such beautiful garments are not cherished and reworn for a lifetime.”

Featured Image: Courtesy of @elizabethstewart1/Instagram; Hero Image: Courtesy of @iamsonalibendre/Instagram