Why women 'raid' partner's closets

It is not unusual to spot couples sharing clothes. Perhaps a sweatshirt there or a hat here, hawk-eyed fans can often tell when a famous pair have been to each other's closets.

It was one of those moments during the ongoing general elections that Kenyans were quick to catch on- that the president and the first lady were seen wearing a similar jacket.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and the first lady Margaret Kenyatta caused a stir yesterday when they arrived to their different voting destinations both donning the cosy, navy blue piece.

The first lady went to cast her vote in Lavington, Dagoretti North constituency at 7 am, and she wore the same blue jacket, a black sweater and a hat for the early morning exercise.

Next, the head of state had it on while casting his vote at 9 am at Gatundu, Kiambu County. The first lady was by his side, and she had switched up her look to a grey poncho decorated with intricate African designs.

"Vote peacefully and go home to wait for the results," President Kenyatta said.

This time, the president wore a similar navy blue jacket- which looked very familiar, almost identical to the one the first lady had on earlier.

A closer look at the jackets shows that it has a Gant label, and may belong to the luxury American Swedish clothing brand.

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The website of the brand notes that it specialises in comfortable casual -wear, and similar jackets are advertised in the brand's catalogue under men's coats and jackets.

Similar coats on the platform range from Sh 26, 707 (PS185) to Sh 33,215 (PS230).

The president has been pictured in another Gant jacket before. In 2021, when he toured Ukambani, he was spotted dressed casually in a mustard-coloured checked shirt, black khaki trousers and a Gant navy blue Windshielder jacket.

Similar coats on the site range at Sh25,295 (PS175).

Wearing a partner's clothes

If the first lady did indeed adopt something from the president's closet, she's not the first significant other to do so

A popular meme that was making rounds on social media states; "Men, have you seen this weather? Hide your hoodies."

It is a well-known behaviour by girls to "raid" their partner's closet, be it out of pure affection, convenience or the love of male fashion options.

Many celebrity pairs have been spotted rocking each other's fits.

Like back when Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez were briefly back together in 2017, she wore his hockey jacket after a game together. And later that year, when she famously linked up with the pop crooner The Weeknd, she wore his windbreaker jacket to a bike ride

Now, Bieber's wife Hailey regularly takes pieces from his closet, as well as supporting his clothing brand Drew House.

"Drew, which is inspired by Justin Bieber's middle name and manufactured in Los Angeles, is a unisex line and features oversized, relaxed-fit pieces. And the brand's aesthetic certainly fits his wife's style," Insider Magazine reports.

The model has also taken pieces of her husband's clothing for her everyday looks, famously wearing his trousers in June this year.

"Hailey posed for a 'fit pic, writing, 'Stole husbands pants this morning.' The OOTD was so comfortable that she wore it the rest of the day, and the exact morning outfit was later showcased in a Saturday evening paparazzi photo and a post on Hailey's Instagram grid," Teen Vogue reported.

Kim Kardashian also wore her ex-husband Ye's (formerly known as Kanye West) clothes often during their marriage. She has also strongly supported his luxury brand, Yeezys.

Further, the reality TV star also saw her style and fashion sense evolve dramatically during her relationship with the famous rapper.

"In the years that followed her closet purge, Kardashian underwent a style transformation, in which she ditched over-the-top prints and accessories for more subdued, timeless styles," US Weekly reports.

Sometimes, it's a matter of 'marking one's territory.' But it is also a long-standing practice that we knowingly or unknowingly adhere to from the time we have our first crushes as children and later when we begin to date.

"Giving somebody something of yours that is special or of value has long been a part of courting and dating rituals. Movies from the 1950s are well known for men making gestures like giving his girl his Letterman's jacket, or a girl wearing a guy's class ring on a chain around her neck," Thrillist, an entertainment website reports.

It adds that the ladies often do this simply because "it feels good" due to the super comfortable nature of men's casual wear.

The practice can be looked at as "a way of letting others know that you or your mate are 'taken' and 'off the market."

Not to mention, wearing your beau's clothes will trigger those good memories linked to their scent, quite literally. The Guardian notes that the scent of one's partner often brings on a sense of calmness, especially for women.

"A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, tested 96 women, who were asked to randomly smell one of three scents - a male partner's, a stranger's or a neutral scent. Those who caught a whiff of their partner tended to experience a reduction in stress hormones, while those forced to sniff a stranger experienced the opposite."

Masculine fashion pieces also work very well when properly styled on women.

"There's nothing better than scoring a perfectly worn-in T-shirt from your partner or from another favourite man in your life. The smell ... the soft material ... the baggy vibe ... it's all so good. T-shirts aside, there are several clothing items you can borrow from your man's wardrobe," Kourtney Kardashian's lifestyle website Poosh reports.

The website adds tips on how to fashionably wear a partner's clothes, going from turning his baggy shirt into a summer dress to layering it onto your own outfit.