Ever had an item of clothing you love so much that you end up being too scared to wear it, in case something happens to it?
Er, please tell us we’re not the only ones who do that? Sometimes particular favourites end up being consigned to the “do not wear” pile much earlier than they really need to be, purely because we know that, left to our own devices, we’d wear them so often we’d wear them right out – and can you imagine how awful it would be to no longer have that favourite sweater, or perfectly-fitting pair of jeans? Exactly.
The trouble with THAT theory, obviously (and we’re sure you’ve spotted it already), is that if you’re avoiding wearing something just so you don’t wear it out, it’s basically the SAME as not having it. And what’s the point of having beautiful clothes if you’re not going to wear them? The answer to the dilemma?
Shopping in Duplicate
It’s a very obvious answer, but it’s a technique that a lot of people don’t use, purely because of the cost. No matter how much you love something, after all, it can feel wasteful to buy more than one of it, and it’s not always financially feasible, either. If you CAN afford to double-up on certain items, though, it can be a really useful thing to do, because it gives you the freedom to wear that treasured item as often as you like, safe in the knowledge that you have another one tucked away, just waiting for that fateful day when you spill an entire glass of red wine down the first one, and it won’t come out, no matter how many Pinterest-approved techniques you try.
Of course, not all clothing is worth buying duplicates of. Here are some that are…
Things it’s Worth Buying More Than One of:
Jeans That Fit Perfectly: We all know how hard it is to find the perfect pair of jeans, right? Well, when you do find them, for the love of God, don’t just buy one pair: if you can afford to, buy a backup – because you’ll probably never find that good a fit ever again.
Frequently-Worn Basics: It’s not much fun to stock up on t-shirts, to be honest, but at the same time, it’s also not much fun to go to your closet and discover a huge stain on your favourite white tee – and then not be able to replace it, because although you’d think this kind of thing would be easy to find, sometimes there’s just no replacing a favourite, is there?Also, you can never have too many Breton stripes.
Ballet Flats: Maybe it’s just us, but we seem to be on a permanent search for ballet flats that are just the right shape and colour. When we do find them, we seem to go through them fast, so having a second pair in reserve is a good way to cut down the number of shopping searches we have to embark upon each year.
Things it’s NOT Worth Doubling Up On:
Trend Pieces: No matter how amazing you think it is now, chances are you won’t feel the same way a few years from now, which is when you’d be needing your back up: resist!
Anything That’s Easily Replaced: We said it’s a good idea to stock up on basics, but that’s only the case if your “basics” aren’t always readily available – i.e. you’ve found a particular type of tank top, say, that’s out-of-this-world amazing, but it’s from a brand that might not keep on making it. If, on the other hand, you love a particular Gap t-shirt, say, or something else the brand has been making forever, buying duplicates means you’ll just spend money needlessly, and clog up your wardrobe with items you could very easily replace if you really needed to. The idea is to use this technique to reduce the amount of shopping you do, not simply to turn into a hoarder by buying tons of things you can easily get from the target.
Clothes You Don’t Wear Very Often: As with the trend pieces, that evening dress you just bought might make you feel like a million dollars, but unless you’re going to be wearing it every other week, it’s not worth duplicating, because even if something did happen to it, you probably wouldn’t miss it that much, anyway.
