Binge dressing: why you should be indulging

Picture the scene: you have just bought a new item of clothing and you decide to wear it the very same day. Then the next day, and the next, and the next, until you realise you are still wearing it three weeks later. Congratulations! You have just been introduced to the art of binge dressing and, word of warning, it’s addictive.

Despite what the name suggests, binge dressing is the opposite of overindulgence as it prevents us from making unnecessary purchases and buying exorbitant amounts of clothes because we don’t feel the need to. In this way, it pushes back on fast fashion because we are no longer buying into trends and are instead carefully choosing clothes that feel like an extension of our personalities and that we can wear day in and day out.

Instead of feeling like they need the newest, trendiest clothes, many consumers are turning toward individuality and cultivating a personal brand

The term ‘fast fashion’ was coined in the ‘90s to describe how Zara was adapting styles from the runway to their shop floors in only two weeks, disregarding the traditional spring/summer and autumn/winter fashion seasons. This was only exacerbated with the rise of online shopping, which allowed retailers to cut this turnaround period in half, mass-producing thousands of garments per week to meet demand and generate maximum cash flow. Unsurprisingly, companies started outsourcing the making of their clothes to developing countries so they could pay their workers less to work longer hours, and they also moved to using lower quality and cheaper textiles, so that both workers and consumers were being exploited and cheated out of their hard-earned money. Cut to today, and most high street fashion brands are still conforming to this business model, with the rise of over-excessive clothing hauls online convincing the masses that this is the norm. However, in recent years there has been a real rise in awareness about the unethical practices of these brands, with consumers being much more considerate with where they are purchasing from, and how often.

I find myself not buying into trends out of stubbornness, because who wants to look like everyone else anyway?

This is where binge dressing comes in. Instead of feeling like they need the newest, trendiest clothes, many consumers are turning toward individuality and cultivating a personal brand, choosing pieces that are sustainable, long-lasting, and that go together. This is demonstrated through the rise in popularity of the so-called capsule wardrobe, which is a method of buying clothes where you focus on acquiring basic pieces that all complement each other in either tone, shape, or style. This has been condensed even further to the more recent 3-3-3 dressing method, where you buy three tops, three bottoms, and three shoes that all complement each other, creating 27 different outfits from just a handful of garments. This is especially attractive in the modern era where advertising is everywhere: every time I check my emails I am hit with marketing about this week’s trendy style of jeans, and social media influencers are constantly telling me how to dress like the ‘It Girl’ of the summer. The repetition gets boring, and I find myself not buying into trends out of stubbornness, because who wants to look like everyone else anyway?

Naturally it should be a reflection of your individual style because it will soon become an extension of you

So, we have established that binge dressing is both good for the environment and for self-expression, but how do you make sure you get it right? The simple answer is that there is no right way to choose your next fashion obsession, you just have to pick what speaks to you in the moment. However, it is advisable to choose a piece that goes with a lot of the clothes you already have (it doesn’t have to match everything you own like a capsule wardrobe, but you should ideally be able to make at least a handful of outfits with it). I also find it easier to start with outerwear: my first real binge dressing piece was a graphic hoodie that I could make the star of every outfit practically all year round. You should choose something that is comfortable and good quality, and that will survive hundreds of wears and washes so that you’re not left in the lurch when a piece you have come to rely on is at the bottom of your repair pile. It should of course be produced sustainably and you should look after it according to the care instructions on the label to preserve its longevity. And naturally it should be a reflection of your individual style because it will soon become an extension of you, so choose something fun, unique, and personal.