Stars Who Basically Wear The Same Thing Every Day
If you thought getting dressed for school or work every day was hard, imagine what it must be like to be a famous person. A-list stars are regularly photographed, whether they're at an event or simply running out to get coffee, meaning that their outfit is always being judged. It has to be exhausting to put together some new, stylish, and interesting every single day, and so it's no wonder that some celebrities decide to instead stick to a uniform of sorts.
Instead of opting to go all out with a stylist and Instagram-worthy outfits every day, some stars choose to wear the same thing each day. Of course, it's not exactly the same item, but they pick a specific look that works for them, then go for a slightly different version of it whenever they go out — and it definitely works for them. Below are a few stars who are almost always seen wearing a version of the same outfit.
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is very rarely seen without her signature hairstyle: her super long high ponytail that is either worn half-up or all up, sitting directly on top of her head. In fact, Grande is seen with this look so much that her fans eventually began to wonder why. She finally talked about the reason for the constant ponytail in a status on her Facebook page, explaining that after years of bleaching and dying her hair for her role as Cat on iCarly, it was left completely destroyed.
She added that she didn't like wigs or a weave, and felt best in extensions, saying, "So as annoying as it is for y'all to have to look at the same hair style all the time, it's all that works for now (AND I'm comfortable for the first time in years)." Aside from the hair, Grande's uniform usually consists of over-the-knee boots with either an oversized sweatshirt or a babydoll skirt or dress.
Ellen DeGeneres
As a daytime talk show host, Ellen DeGeneres is in the public eye at least five days a week, so it makes sense that she started to rely on a basic uniform. DeGeneres is usually wearing a variation of a fitted blazer or jacket, skinny pants, and a patterned button-down shirt — whether she's on The Ellen Show or appearing on the red carpet.
She explained the idea behind her style in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, saying, "I don't put much thought into it — this is just who I am. I wear comfortable clothes, and I don't really fall into any specific category. I don't like extremely feminine things, obviously, and I don't like extremely masculine things; I like sort of neutral things." She also spoke about finding the right style for herself in an interview with Footwear News, saying that what she loves about fashion is "individual expression." She explained, "I got more comfortable in dressing in the way I want to dress instead of what I think I'm supposed to dress like."
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is iconic for two reasons: for being the creative force behind Chanel, Fendi and his eponymous brand... and for wearing almost the same exact outfit everywhere he goes. In fact, Lagerfeld's look is so recognizable that you'd likely recognize him even if you didn't know who he was. He's always seen in a black suit (with various black jackets), a white button-down shirt, black gloves, and black sunglasses.
Lagerfeld, however, is always careful to say he doesn't wear the same thing everywhere. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, he explained the slight differences in his look, saying, "people think I wear the same thing every day, but in fact it's never the same thing." He talked about the differences between two jackets he frequently sports: he insists that, although both are Dior, you can tell they're very different styles if you give them a closer look. He also has five duplicates of one of those jackets. Surprisingly enough, he added, "My dressing room is so full that I can only wear what I see on top of all of the racks."
Kanye West
If there's one thing Kanye West loves in recent years, it's a coordinating athleisure outfit. West is almost always seen in some form of sweats, usually wearing the same color or shade from his shirt down to his shoes. If he's not in fitted sweats with a matching top, he's usually in leather pants.
This is a style choice that has not gone unnoticed. Although West has never talked about his "uniform," many others have. MTV News has pointed out specific examples of how West has worn the same five sweatshirts over and over again, and each one is similar to the next: they are all pretty plain and in a solid color. The Sun once shared a series of pictures that showed West wearing the same exact outfit three times in one week. And one Wall Street Journal article shows that West often goes through style phases like this, where he gets seemingly obsessed with one type of look and wears it endlessly.
Michael Kors
Like Lagerfeld, you would think a huge fashion designer like Michael Kors would have his own eclectic sense of style. Instead, Kors has opted to stick to what works for him: wearing black from head to toe. It's a rare occasion that we see Kors out and about in anything other than his classic all-black ensemble, usually including a fitted jacket, a t-shirt, and dark jeans (although sometimes they're white). He also typically accessorizes with black aviators.
He's also totally aware that he dresses the same all the time. Kors discussed his look once in an interview with Seattle Times (via LiveAbout), where he said, "I wear the same thing every day. I always pack two black jackets, loads of black T-shirts, loads of white jeans. I feel a little fresh and glamorous and graphic." Hey, at least he owns up to it — and his uniform is definitely chic.
Adele
As far as celebrities go, Adele is a pretty private person, and we don't see her much when she isn't on tour. But when she does show up to red carpet events and award shows, you can bet she's usually wearing a version of the same dress. Adele is almost always in a long-sleeved maxi dress with a high neck, and it's usually in a dark shade.
In fact, Adele sticks to this look even when she's on stage, which is a stark difference from many other pop stars who go all out with their tour outfits. During one tour, the singer wore the same Christopher Bailey-designed Burberry gown to every single show. Adele's stylist, Gaelle Paul, explained the idea behind the look to Billboard, saying that, while they had originally looked at "a mountain of sketches" for outfits, they eventually shifted their focus to creating "one great dress that went the extra mile and that really wowed."
Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs was famous for wearing a uniform every time he appeared in public — in fact, it's almost impossible to find photos of him in anything else. The Apple CEO was always seen in a black mock turtleneck sweater, blue jeans, and running sneakers. Unsurprisingly, the tech mogul never addressed his wardrobe choices, but there was always plenty of speculation.
INC reported that researchers have likely found the reason behind Jobs' decision to wear the same thing all the time, citing that this isn't uncommon among other successful people. This research demonstrates that extremely busy and successful people like Jobs have to make so many decisions each day that it becomes overwhelming. INC disseminated the research, explaining that picking a uniform helps avoid "decision fatigue." It's basically one less thing they have to think about, because the guesswork has been taken out: in Jobs' case, he could just open his closet, pull out jeans and a black turtleneck, and be done with it.
Tom Ford
Tom Ford has been a major fashion designer for brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as his own eponymous brand. Still, he keeps his own wardrobe simple and chic: Ford almost always wears a fitted black Tom Ford suit. If he's not in a suit, then he's almost surely wearing all black. He addressed this in an interview with Mr. Porter, where he said that the reason he wears black so often is because he feels "comfortable and confident in it."
He added, "It is important to find your own sense of style, your own look, something that makes you feel confident. Never wear things that you don't love just because someone else tells you that you should. I personally tend to feel the best in dark colors." Ford also once told The Guardian that he feels "weak" when he's not wearing a suit, saying, "A suit is armor. You know, I'm not good in knitwear. I feel mushy and soft. I'm not good in anything but a boot. I feel solid and grounded."
Hillary Clinton
During the 2016 presidential election, one topic about Hillary Clinton was continuously brought up in the media: why the presidential candidate always wore a matching pantsuit and kitten heels, usually something in a bright color. In her memoir What Happened (via CNBC), Clinton explained the meaning behind her pantsuits, admitting she often wore a "uniform," and saying, "I did this because I like pantsuits. They make me feel professional and ready to go."
The outfit choice was also about equality — Clinton noted that male politicians wear similar suits every day, and that, "as a woman running for President, she liked the "visual cue" that she was "different from the men but also familiar." Finally, she hoped that the uniform would keep people from paying too much attention to her clothes, explaining, "A uniform was also an anti-distraction technique: since there wasn't much to say or report on what I wore, maybe people would focus on what I was saying instead."
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is another tech genius who sticks to a pretty consistent uniform. Although he'll step out in a suit or some sort of formal wear when needed, Zuckerberg is typically wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans. During his first public question and answer session in 2014, Zuckerberg was asked why he never changed up his clothing. He answered, "I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community."
He added, "I'm in this really lucky position, where I get to wake up every day and help serve more than a billion people. And I feel like I'm not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life." Zuckerberg has also joked about his wardrobe since then. In 2016, he posted a photo on Facebook of a closet of gray t-shirts captioned, "First day back after paternity leave. What should I wear?"