Love Island's Fashion Faux Pas: Why Are Islanders Repeating Outfits?
It seems like every year, a new *Love Island
fashion trend emerges â from flower claw clips to signature necklaces and metallic bikinis. But this season, the real star of the show is a simple Zara plunge maxi dress.
This high-street favourite has become a staple in the *Love Island
villa, with Islanders Matilda Draper, Uma Jammeh, Jessica Spencer, Mimii Ngulube and Jessy Potts all sporting it on repeat throughout the series. The dress, which is now sold out, has clearly generated more screen time than the Casa Amor cast members combined.
Other sought-after items gracing the *Love Island
wardrobes include a £70 denim co-ord worn by Grace and Mimii, an £18 plunging mini dress from Ego, sported by Jessica and Mimii, and the Jaded London backless maxi dress, priced at £100, which has been spotted on Uma, Grace, Matilda and Harriett.
But with previous Islanders confirming that contestants receive a weekly clothing drop, why are they committing the ultimate fashion faux pas of wearing the same outfits as their friends?
Firstly, following criticism over its promotion of fast fashion, *Love Island
partnered with pre-loved fashion platform eBay in 2022. The show has since worked hard to educate viewers about the benefits of buying second-hand and sharing clothes. Sustainability is now a priority, meaning contestants may be encouraged to re-wear items to reduce their impact on the planet.
However, insights from former Islanders suggest that stricter *Love Island
rules might be the real reason behind the repeated outfits.
Striped and patterned clothing, for example, is strictly forbidden, as it can create a strobing effect on camera. Branded items are also prohibited. Former *Love Island
star Brad McLelland revealed to Closer: âYouâre not even allowed patterned topsâ inside the villa. He continued, âI donât think [Liam Readon] got to wear any of his new t-shirts because of the patterns.â
Fellow contestant, Hugo Hammond, confirmed that he was unable to wear many of his shirts brought into the villa because they were either 'branded or they strobed on the camera'.
Recently dumped Islander, Jess White, also provided insight into the outfit-repeating phenomenon, revealing that another filming rule dictates that host Maya Jama's outfit takes precedence over the contestants'. She shared, 'The night of the Casa recoupling, Maya was wearing red. Emma [Milton] and Mimii [Ngulube] wanted to wear red but they couldnât. They thought it might be a strobing situation but we now know itâs because Maya was wearing red.'
Jess continued, 'Another night, we werenât allowed to wear black and thatâs when she came in wearing black. Obviously, the moment is all about Maya so we need to make sure sheâs looking her best. If youâre told you canât wear red for anybody, itâs got to be for her because sheâs so stunning.'
Whether it's a conscious effort to promote sustainability or a result of strict filming regulations, the repeated outfits have certainly become a talking point of *Love Island
season 11.
Shop: The Most Repeated Outfits in the *Love Island
Villa
Jaded London Vida Backless Maxi Dress: This beachy backless maxi dress, worn by Uma, Grace, Matilda and Harriett, is perfect for a holiday.
Club L London Galaxy Shimmer Gold Bias Cut Cowl Front Maxi Dress: Both Grace and Mimii have relied on this dazzling Club L London number for their evening glam.
Rat and Boa Rafinha Dress: Rat and Boa are known for their stylish holiday dresses, and this frock, worn by Grace and Mimii, is a perfect example.
Reformation Consuela Knit Dress: While the Zara halter neck top worn by Matilda, Jess and Uma is out of stock, this Reformation maxi is a great alternative.
*Aimee Jakes is Grazia's trending content editor. She writes about skincare launches, high-street fashion, and gym bag essentials, and she's always chatting with celebs about their beauty routines. Follow her on Instagram here.
