Are Duplicates Always a Bad Idea?

Analysing duplicates in my wardrobe

After reading different advice concerning duplicates I got curious how they’ve worked out for me and started digging into my wardrobe stats and the reasons behind them.

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Allison Bornstein has several times mentioned duplicates being a bad idea as they can cause decision fatigue as well as diluting the value of the original item. Reva Luft states a compelling case to think of our clothes as puzzle pieces and avoid duplicates.

Angie Uh’s interesting article on Depth vs Breadth in your wardrobe touches on duplicates as well. Depth being having the same item in different colours or slight variations on the same colour. Breadth is a mix of colours, fits, textures etc. If you have more breadth, it will offer more variety in your wardrobe. It’s about achieving the right balance between depth and breath.

I even included avoiding duplicates in one of my style goals for 2025:

I want to focus on adding variety through texture while still staying true to my style uniform - and thus avoiding complete duplicates.

And still - while on the one hand I do want to avoid duplicates and agree they can help us to unlock new potential in our wardrobe, on the other hand there are duplicates in my wardrobe that are some of my most worn pieces and that I truly love wearing. Are there some exceptions where duplicates actually can work? I decided to analyse some of the duplicates in my wardrobe to find out.

First of all I want to mention that there are different categories of duplicates. 1. Completely identical items down to colour and material. 2. Same item, but different colour. 3. Similar items, but small differences.

What I talk about here mainly falls into the second category. Unless you like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg prefer to dress in the exact same outfit every day, I don’t think you need identical duplicates - socks and underwear excluded (If this is you, go for it!).

When it worked

I have a cotton/linen shirt from H&M in three different colours, which can seem excessive, but I wear them for different occasions and have worn all of them a lot. I love the slightly oversized fit that easily accommodates my broad shoulders and I’d happily wear a button-up every day during Spring and Autumn - you could almost say it’s my comfort blanket. It’s a basic piece that encapsulates two of my style words: classic and relaxed.

• The blue and white striped shirt
  I bought the first shirt in spring 2023 and have worn it 74 times and it still looks great. For me this is one of a handful of pieces I’ll wear both at work with a pair of tailored black linen pants, on holiday with beige linen shorts or just hanging around the house paired with jeans or a pair of pull-on pants.

• The white shirt
  I bought the second in summer 2023 and have worn it 29 times. This is the one I’ve worn the least, probably because white is a little more delicate, so I don’t usually wear this at home. I still love wearing it at work in the warmer months paired with a skirt.

• The beige shirt
  I bought this shirt spring 2024 as a replacement for a too small shirt from Uniqlo and have already worn it 44 times. It’s so easy to throw on at home and still feel put together, but it’s also something I pack for vacation - going on safari in Botswana last summer this was indispensable. I’ve later tried pairing it with silk trousers for a dressier look.

Looking forward to wearing these outfits again!

I might even add another one in black or olive if it’s available again this year… I would wear this to painting class or other a little more messy activities. It’s a very practical and comfortable piece for me and I don’t mind that the shirts are identical in fabric and fit.

I actually have duplicates of another button-up, a silk one from Uniqlo x Ines de la Fressange in black and white that I’ve worn 56 and 45 times respectively since spring 2022.

Some of my favourite outfits wearing the Uniqlo silk shirt

You could argue that I would get even greater variety in my closet if they had slight variations, but I like a classic shirt and they are part of my style uniform. I did wonder if the shirts work for me because they offer multiple styling opportunities - roll the sleeves, wear them tucked or untucked etc. They become almost like a canvas you can play with.

Lesson #1: A staple piece like a classic shirt can be worth duplicating (for me). If you are someone who likes a lot of variety, it very well might not work for you.

When it didn’t work

In the summer of 2021 I ended up buying three identical pairs of shorts in beige, navy and olive. I don’t know exactly what I was thinking - or maybe I do know. I’m not in general a huge shorts wearer and I found a pair that I liked the fit of. I first bought the beige and the navy pair and later discovered it also came in an olive green which is one of my favourite colours, so I added that as well. I have worn the beige pair 15 times and the olive and the navy 11 times each. I’ve since discovered I like shorts with an A-line silhouette and a shorter hemline. I ended up giving the navy shorts away as I didn’t really liked wearing them. I’m holding on to the two other pairs for now.

Three identical pairs of shorts from Vila in different colours… As if you couldn’t tell.

In general shorts aren’t something I reach for all the time as I often prefer loose pants instead. When I wear shorts, I like them to have different vibes, like the tailored beige pair and the burnt orange drawstring pair I’ve since added and am excited to wear. Shorts furthermore don’t offer the same styling opportunities as a shirt, so that might be part of it.

Lesson #2: Duplicates aren’t a good idea if it isn’t a staple that you wear all the time.

While visiting Gothenburg in Autumn (totally recommend for a weekend getaway!) I actually bought the white version of the dark green Uniqlo cashmere V-neck sweater I bought as my item #1, but I ended up returning the white one as it felt too similar to my white V-neck cashmere cardigan from Falconeri. This would fall in the 3rd category of duplicates. The texture was very similar and I would style it with the same outfits as I wear my cardigan - and in all honesty I would probably reach for my cardigan most of the time. A deep V-neck is one of my favourite necklines, but they just felt too similar in colour, texture and shape. I do want to add another white sweater at some point, but it needs to add something different to my wardrobe! Though I am considering purchasing the Uniqlo sweater in black as I love the texture and the cut…

Lesson #3: If colour, texture AND shape are similar, it won’t add enough variation to the outfits.

Similar vibe: White cardigan from Falconeri / White sweater from Uniqlo

Final Thoughts

I haven’t touched on the emotional value we attach to clothes. Adding a duplicate can lower the perceived value of an item, so you don’t appreciate it as much. This has definitely happened to me in the past, so when considering acquiring a duplicate of something I already own, I consider my reasons for doing so very carefully. It has to be different enough and/or meet a true practical need.

Reva also touches on this:

When you own multiple versions of something, the piece loses its uniqueness. It’s no longer that special item you look forward to wearing. You wear it more frequently. In different colours. Its appeal starts to fade. You commoditize it. It loses its cachet. And you get bored of it faster, and it becomes overexposed.

I do agree that this easily can happen. Often duplicates just aren’t a good idea. If the colour was what attracted you in the first place, and you buy every colour available, you’re probably only going to wear the original. The duplicates have to feel distinct to you.

Even Allison Bornstein, who in general advocates against buying multiples, has a few things that she buys in multiples. Among those a cashmere sweater from COS in grey and black. As she admits, she didn’t need it, but she wears them to work from home most days. Do I need another cashmere sweater from Uniqlo? Probably not, but I’m sure I’ll get loads of wear out of it, if (when?) I buy it. To use Angie’s term a certain depth can work for me, but I also tend to gravitate towards the same style uniform.

If you, like me, often struggle to find items that fit, I think it’s natural to gravitate towards buying duplicates. Whether or not this is a good idea, depends heavily on the item and your relationship with clothes and style. I definitely have to pay attention to not going overboard with the duplicates, especially as I am doing a low buy. I could easily up getting bored with my wardrobe. If what I love is mainly the material and the fit and it’s a staple I can style in multiple ways, a duplicate may work for me - I’m still excited to wear all my shirts as soon as the weather starts to warm up a bit (which will probably be in April!)

Do you have any duplicates in your closet and did they work for you?

P.S. I have four 1-month subscribtions to Allison Bornstein’s Substack to give away. Let me know below if you’re interested and include your email (or send me a DM).