Wearing The Same Outfit Everyday

Willpower is a limited resource, and making decisions takes willpower. In this modern chaotic world, there are so many decisions that you have to make everyday that by the evening, you’re totally drained. One of the biggest, and earliest decisions we make everyday is what to wear. It’s a big decision because in some ways it defines your entire day. You’re going to be in those clothes for a while, so you better choose right. I decided to eliminate this decision from my life by wearing the same outfit everyday. I’ve been doing it for about 6 months and these are my thoughts.

The good side

No decision making fatigue

I don’t have to think about what to wear when I wake up, so the entire process of getting ready in the morning is automatic. I don’t have to debate whether some piece of clothing would work for both class, and the networking event later. In a world where I’m flooded with decisions everyday, being able to avoid one of the most urgent ones when I wake up is great.

Less clutter

Let’s be real, you haven’t worn half the things in your closet for the whole year. There are probably things there that you didn’t even remember were there. Even if you don’t like the idea of wearing the same outfit everyday, you should consider cleaning out all the old things that you will never wear. A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind, and it makes your clothing decision way harder than it needs to be.

Less money spent

The average person spends $1600 — $4800 on clothes per year. I spent $247 on my entire outfit, and it’ll last me at least a year, if not more. If you enjoy not spending money as much as I do, this is a good way to do it.

Signature look

Once you have an outfit that people see you wearing everyday, you and that outfit become synonymous. Maybe I’m just living out my doctor who fantasy but it feels pretty cool to have a signature style.

The bad side

People who see you everyday create crazy theories

Your friends will quietly begin to suspect that you’ve been wearing the same clothes without washing anything for the last week. They also suspect that you haven’t showered in the same amount of time. They will come up with a list of crazy theories and completely avoid *asking you* about it, because why would anyone do that? The very last conclusion they would possibly come to is that you own 20 of the same t-shirts because apparently that’s harder to believe than you just not showering for a month.

You occasionally get jealous when you see someone with good fashion

There are some pretty cool outfits out there, and new styles emerge all the time. Every now and again you’ll see someone wearing something that you wish you could be wearing. Oh well, at least you can still appreciate their great fashion sense.

You can’t tell the difference between your clothes

Considering all your clothes look exactly the same, it is sometimes hard to tell which clothes are the dirty ones you just took off vs the clean ones you’re trying to put on. This is a real problem.

Picking the outfit

Attempt 1 — all black

I got an all black outfit initially because it was an easy option that would work in any scenario. But it ended up being a little bit too serious for my liking.

Attempt 2 — purple t-shirt

The next thing I tried was a purple t-shirt. I thought it was a fun color that would work in casual scenarios, which are the majority of my day. It wasn’t ideal in more serious scenarios though, and it felt a little bit too attention grabbing to be wearing it everyday.

Final Decisions

I had to think of something that was casual and would work with almost all college events, but also be okay for more serious events and meetings. So it couldn’t be anything crazy or bold. I liked the idea of khaki chinos. They seemed to be pretty versatile, working in both the most casual hangouts and serious meetings. I could put a blazer on top of it if I ever needed to look professional. The most versatile top to wear was a t-shirt. A jacket could easily be added if it was ever too cold. I just needed to figure out what color would work both in serious and casual scenarios, which brought me to the ever timeless black. I got black shoes and socks to match the black top. To keep it from being too ‘black and white’, I added some colors on my wrists with a red watch on one hand and bracelet on the other. With that, my outfit was complete.

It was liberating to dump all of my old clothes, and at some point my friends did learn that I take showers every day (except finals week). Wearing one outfit has its ups and downs just like anything else. If you wake up in the morning and enjoy dressing up and figuring out what to wear, then keep looking fab. If you get annoyed out of your mind deciding what to wear everyday, want to save some time, or want to have your ‘signature look’, you can try this out for a bit. You can start small by wearing the same colored top everyday, or go full out with an entire outfit. Either way, keep it classy.

)
Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade