When I was at school, planning what to wear every day was one of the biggest traumas of my teenage life.
I went to a school that had no uniforms. So I had all my clothes on fortnightly rotations – at the very least — because heaven forbid I should end up on Rita’s MySpace in the same denim skirt twice in less than a month.
Thankfully when my teen angst washed away, so did this obsession. If my friends see me in the same turtleneck top twice in a row, so be it.
And, to the horror of some, I’ve applied the same mentality to weddings.
I’ve been to two in the past fortnight. On both occasions I wore the exact same outfit – from my earrings and dress right down to my heels.
Apparently, that’s cardinal sin No. 31293 in nuptials land. Y’know, on top of banning white, avoiding black, not showing too much skin, not matching the bridesmaids, hitting the sweet spot between showy and casual… and yet a guy could rock up in a banana suit.
It's a "rule" that fails all logic and has retailers chomping at the bit, but a "rule" nonetheless.
Just last week, a Mumsnet user was accused of being disrespectful and rude for wearing the same dress to three weddings.
Someone bleated at her: "It's a shame you couldn't be bothered to wear something different."
But, guys, you don't recycle outfits because you're lazy.
There is nothing lazy about going to weddings. These events are beautiful celebrations of love, and they require a respectable amount of effort from the guests - whether that means travelling to attend, booking accommodation, finding a gift, matching a theme or dress code, and so on.
Listen: From a three million dollar wedding that ended in court, to an el cheapo one that was organised in five days, Mamamia Out Loud talk the extreme costs of weddings. (Post continues after audio.)
And when you have several weddings in quick succession, the last thing you and your bank balance need is a spending frenzy, hunting for a series of picture-perfect dresses you'll only wear once.
Unless you're truly getting oodles of emotional fulfillment out of it, it's a waste of time and cash - no matter how hot your Facebook profile looks.
I spent $300 on my outfit. I wore it twice, and will do so again. Instead of fretting about it, I channelled my energy into the reason I shopped in the first place: honouring the marrying couple. That's something a frock can't do, no matter how sparkly.
And it really wouldn't hurt if more people called bullsh*t on this rule.
The most likely result is hardly anybody will notice the double-up when all attention is, quite rightly, on the beautiful bride.
And if someone does, they'll move on very quickly. Because, champagne.
Plus, you're not 15 years old anymore. The only person stalking your Facebook photos close enough to spot the "faux-pas" is your mum.
So while some might call it inappropriate or cheap. I prefer the term "cost-effective".
Do you recycle your wedding outfits? Let us know in the comments below.