Last week, Anya Taylor-Joy spent the day running around New York City to promote her forthcoming film The Gorge. In one day alone, the actor wore five separate outfits—ranging from a sensational Alexander McQueen shearling coat to a mod Celine skirt suit and a brown leather Loewe trapeze jacket.
Taylor-Joy is far from the only celebrity to change outfits at light speed: Keke Palmer, Blake Lively, and Sydney Sweeney have all recently churned out scores of looks in a short amount of time. Beyond street style, awards shows and red carpets have become an opportunity for outfit changes galore. At the Grammys, Doechii and Chappell Roan were among the artists to switch up their looks—Doechii in a parade of custom Thom Browne, Roan in a series of rodeo clown-inspired outfits.
Recently, the speed at which celebrities change clothing seems to be reaching terminal velocity. Sure, there is a logic behind this phenomenon: they are usually in the throes of a press tour, taping junkets, talk shows, and social spots on a condensed timeline. Changing outfits offers the illusion that celebrities have more hours in the day than the rest of us, that they can fulfill endless professional obligations. Why, after all, would we want to know that an actor did GMA, a Buzzfeed puppy interview, and Hot Ones all in the same day? That would shatter the fantasy of promotional work as breezy and fun.
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Meanwhile, when it comes to awards shows, a roster of outfit changes can tell a story and convey power, something both Doechii and Chappell Roan executed at the Grammys. Both singers, nominated for Best New Artist, pulled off major fashion flexes in what the Recording Academy considers their freshman year: Roan changed from archival Jean Paul Gaultier couture into custom Thom Browne, while Doechii rocked four custom looks (also by Browne) over the course of the evening.
But, be it street style or red carpet dressing, constantly changing outfits dilutes the power of the fashion. One can only imagine all of the time and effort that goes into making or procuring a garment—sourcing, shipping, tailoring—just for it to be worn for only a few minutes. It also causes red carpet moments to lose their salience. After all, who cares what a celebrity is wearing on the red carpet when we know they’re about to head inside and change?
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It’s not a problem contained to the fashion industry. We as a culture have a voracious appetite for newness, constant stimulation. But this ecosystem of nonstop changing is wildly unsustainable in terms of the environment, labor, and time. Going forward, celebrities and their stylists would be better served curating fashion moments that promote quality over quantity. After all, we only have so many hours in the day: why waste it changing every hour when one great look is all it takes?
