Repeating your clothes isn’t really all that. We’re sure you’ve lost count on the number of times you’ve pulled your favourite basic tee out of your pile of clothes, to look comfy yet chic. But when you’re constantly in the public eye, the pressures of living up to the unreal sartorial standards is meticulously intense to say the least. Coming back to the whole outfit repeating shtick, even if you don’t think too hard about your clothes, reaching out for those over-the-top, fanciful pieces in your wardrobe for a second, third, or fourth time around, inevitably comes with a side of contemplating how everyone you know has already seen you in it — not to mention the much-needed furore over doing your bit in upholding sustainable fashion. A look can be special on more than one occasion and we have enough visual cues to get you on board this train.
The newsmaker: Halle Berry
From 2002 to 2024, Halle Berry’s appeal appears to be transfixed in time. Earlier this week, Elie Saab celebrated the launch of its 1,001st season with a star-spangled fashion showcase in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh.
A special occasion of this sort of course demands an equally special ensemble and Halle understood the brief. She pulled out the exquisite all-garnet hued Elie Saab number, featuring a mesh torso with floral embroidery trailing into draped taffeta skirt, the very same one she had worn to the Oscars back in 2002. Not only was the look visually stunning but achieved cult status as Halle went onto life her Best Actress award for Monster’s Ball (2001), becoming the first Black woman to do so in Oscars history.
Trivia: Absolutely no alterations were made to the gown before Halle re-wore it.
Milestone moments: Alia Bhatt
When Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot on April 14, 2022, the then-nascent trend of (Desi) white weddings caught the imagination of a sea of brides to be. Alia looked ethereal in her minimalistic hand dyed ivory organza sari embroidered with fine tilla work and an embroidered handwoven tissue veil, from the resplendent house of Sabyasachi.
The saree made an almost equally momentous splash when the actor chose to re-wear it, this time sans the veil for obvious reasons, as she walked up on stage at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan to be felicitated with her first ever National Award, for her work in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s critical and commercial success, Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022).
Not just a PR stunt, Alia orchestrated a similar moment of sorts, yet again, much more recently. Her mehndi ensemble from the wedding was a pretty pink Manish Malhotra original, which took the Mijwan women who made it, a composite 3000 hours to complete. Across Banarasi brocades, jacquard, bandhani, Kachha Resham knots, Kashmiri and Chikankari threads and 180 textile patches which incidentally included bits from some early Alia looks, the final payoff was a beautifully personalised cheerful look.
The actor rewore the ensemble this year as she attended the designer’s annual Diwali party held in Delhi.
All the way to Hollywood: Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone had managed to make a big splash the very second she debuted opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om (2007). Five years into her booming career at the time, the actor attended 2012’s Vogue Beauty Awards. Personifying chic confidence, Deepika had opted for a strapless Dolce & Gabbana piece with a ruched strapless torso in black and a neatly sectioned off, hip-hugging golden skirt, chock-a-block full of a cool gold shimmer.
About 5 years from then, Deepika repeated her look, down to how she styled her hair, for the Vanity Fair Oscars party. She was there in lieu of having marked her Hollywood debut in xXx: Return of Xander Cage, the same year, opposite Vin Diesel.
Going green: Jennifer Lopez
Despite all that Jennifer Lopez has achieved and all the absolutely delightful red carpet sartorial serves she has delivered, the fact that the Versace jungle dress from 2000, is an evergreen part of her legacy — pun intended — speaks volumes about the absolute chokehold the moment had at the time. If you can’t quite gauge HOW iconic the bohemian chiffon moment was, just know that the overwhelming internet hits trying to get to a photo of the moment, is what prompted the birth of Google Image Search, as shared by Eric Schmidt, Former Google CEO and Executive Chairman.
A revamped and bejeweled version of the sheer and risqué gown was presented as the focal point of Donatella Versace’s Spring 2020 womenswear collection with of course, Jennifer modeling it. The reinterpretation, covered up the navel — something the original version’s plunging bust had gone way past — and instead frayed itself aesthetically over the torso, trailing down the legs in panels.
A royal update: Princess Diana
The OG inspiration for today’s raging #princesscore aesthetic, the Claridge’s May, 1989 banquet in London, saw Princess Diana look as elegant as ever in her in a petite yet regal, all-lavender ensemble. The embroidered full-sleeved blouse was trailed by a ruched torso and pleated skirt in effervescent satin. The blouse was retained for a public appearance, 3 years later for a Seoul banquet, with the ballgown being switched out with a pale violet straight skirt. Once an icon, always an icon.
So as repeating statement looks go on-trend, which iconic celeb fits would you like to see a second time around?