Closet Psyche: Help, I’m a Repeat-Buy Offender!
I rabidly buy two…or three of the same things. And I'm not alone!
For this Closet Psyche, I’m analyzing myself and why I buy repeat pieces—and why I also feel not so great about my doppelgänger purchases. I had a nice chat with Lynn Yaeger and Laurie Trott about seeing-double shopping issue…also two repeat-buy offenders! Also, watch the latest #NEVERWORNS here.
Name: Liana
Profession: Writer
NEVERWORNS item: Are you ready for the whole Megillah of repeat items? The freakish breakdown of closet clones? Two Tom Ford-era Gucci striped orange and fuchsia button downs from fall 1995 that remind me of crying watercolors. Very beautiful. Editorial-worthy. Two Fashion Café bomber jackets (both from the location London). Two baby tees also from the now-defunct supermodel-backed ‘90s restaurant. Super bitchy. A pair of snakeskin print Tom Ford-era Gucci pants from spring 2000. Multiple pairs of the Wrangler Wrancher jeans in black and Wrangler Five Star Premium Denim Regular Fit in stonewash. And my most recent egregious duplicate purchase? A slinky chain print Michael Kors-era Celine top from spring 2004. PS. There’s more.
When did you buy them? Different points in my life. When I like something, I buy it…again. I bought the Michael Kors-era Celine top a few days ago. I’m writing this piece while wearing it. Not technically a #NEVERWORNS but it checks what I consider my deranged purchase box.
Where did you buy them? Everything is from a Japanese proxy site for secondhand, Poshmark, eBay, or The RealReal. James Veloria if I’m feeling nasty and want to experience shopping.
What drew you to these pieces? For the Tom Ford-Gucci moments…well, I love his pieces during this era. I wear the tops a lot for my #NEVERWORNS video interviews. As for the Wrangler repeats? I have a bigger butt and a long torso, so it’s been a lifelong annoyance to find good pants. These work for me.
Why ultimately don’t you think you’ve worn it? I actually wear most of these pieces but I dislike how I feel an almost carnal urge to repetitively buy.
The Diagnosis
Obviously, I have a Case of Repeat Buys. It is exactly how it sounds: I buy the same thing twice. Maybe three times.
There’s the draw of the lower prices, which reminds me of Closet Psyche guest Hannah Tindle who has been a chronic sufferer of eBay Panic Buys and Price Wasn’t That Bad Brain…aka quickly buying pieces because they seem unusually affordable. Note: I do not spend a ton at all on my clothes…I get mental hives at the thought of dropping more than $100 on anything. Perhaps this is why I love vintage so much: I know I can get delicious quality for the low.
I have a feeling that my Case of Repeat Buys stems from Scarce Fashion Freakout, which is when there is only so much of the product to go around. (This is a marketing foundation of luxury shopping: The more scarce, the more people want it!) I feel Scarce Fashion Freakout most deeply when it comes to my vintage pieces, which by nature, are more rare than most new items. This feeling kicks in when I find something that fits so well—the most epic slink or hang or grip on the hips—and then I’m nervous the piece will get ruined and I’ll never find another again, so I preemptively purchase another version or the exact type. This is obviously a twisted way of thinking.
But is it actually a twisted way of thinking? Perhaps not so much. Ultimately, I wear a uniform. I know what I like, which is usually a freaky top that slightly scoops or has a square neckline; a pair of pants with a kick. I rarely, rarely ever venture out of this silhouette. And if I find what I want, which is dependable and great quality, why would I venture out of that realm?
I also wear the things multiple times during the week but hate wearing the same thing…seven days a week. So, there’s a bit of practicality behind my repeat purchase decisions. I’m not alone. “I’m so obsessed with it that I needed to buy a second of said white sweater because I was abusing the first sweater too much,” says my former colleague writer Elise Taylor. “Like I was wearing it two to three times a week. Couldn’t bring it to the dry cleaner or else my wardrobe would crumble.” Writer Christian Allaire has four pairs of dress pants in different colors while production and editorial coordinator Irene Kim notes: “I have two of my black Mango dresses because of the ‘Elise thing’ with how if it was in the laundry I would have nothing to wear in the summer!” says Kim. “But that was like $40 so it was easy to buy two.”
Practicality aside, there’s a deeper slice to repeat buys that taps into comfort and confidence. I chatted with stylist and consultant Laurie Trott, who has such a polished look: Uniqlo merino wool rib knit turtlenecks, Charvet men’s shirts, and Dickies canvas carpenter pants. (Side note: At breakfast, she was wearing a camel Uniqlo trench coat, which I thought was Burberry. “Just get one size up and you’ll look more expensive.” Veteran advice.) “I’m a repeat offender. I think it’s about how if you know your personal style, it makes sense to have these evergreen pieces. It’s a uniform,” she says, adding. “I appreciate trends and what’s new in fashion, and having done years of styling, it’s that newness that you need to move things forward. But when it comes to dressing myself, I like what I like, and I know what looks good on me.”
Trott’s insights made me feel good; great even. I know what I like and that’s that. But still, there was something irking me in how I purchased these repeat items. I spoke with the queen of tulle, frill-loving, pouf-donning writer Lynn Yaeger who said she has “two to three of everything”. (I can confirm: I’ve cleansed her closet multiple times.) When I asked her “why”, Yaeger said this: “Because that way I can put it in the checked luggage! And if it gets a stain I have another one!!” I get it! I’m Lynn here in which buying doubles is seeded in the Whatifisms of Shopping.
I see both of myself in these two women’s differing opinions about repeat buys. In one sense, I’m Trott: I know what I like. Begone the years of me trying to use a pair of pliers to zip up a pair of low-waisted denim jeans; begone the years of wearing pants that make me look like a piano fell on me.
On the other hand, I’m Yaeger: My urge to buy doubles is fueled by fear; my clone purchases are propelled by a fictionalized event that may or may not happen. I’m not a fan of any decision informed by panicked emotions. And yet, I’m a masochist. My best purchases are those froth-at-the-mouth finds that quell that throbbing style vacancy. They are gut purchases, which aren’t necessarily bad. Remember I told Magasin’s
to go with her gut instead of using Logic Box Buy mentality? There’s a great middle ground when it comes to heart vs. brain when shopping—it’s just up to you to honestly feel it out. (Seems like this worked for le Laura?!)The Prescription:
I don’t think there is an actual prescription for my repeat buy ailment. I have been wearing both Michael Kors-era Celine chain print tops to death, switching on and off between the two. Perhaps this whole realization is about cutting myself slack when it comes to buying repeats. I know myself at this moment—what’s wrong with that?
Watch #NEVERWORNS here, especially the one below about Eden, a Nicolas Ghesquiére Balenciaga collector (read here) who let go of her collection in the #NEVERWORNS chat.
Oh dear the Fashion Cafe was my boyfriends first job. Love that jacket for you 👯♂️
You are not alone. I’m driven by the thought that it will wear out stain tear etc or shoes- I may not find as comfortable a pair. I’ve also berated myself for not getting a third when the item is easily damaged Silk, satin and at risk of no longer available