5 Reasons You Have Nothing to Wear

ByNatasha B

The dreadful agony of having somewhere to be to only discover that you have absolutely nothing to wear is an all to common phenomenon that even the most fashionable can sometime find themselves in. Despite having a closet that can be envied by Carrie Bradshaw; navigating through the complexities of your wardrobe can be a pretty daunting task. So lets dissect some of the root causes behind your wardrobe frustrations. Here are my top 5 reasons you don’t have anything to wear; which are solely centered around your basic closet components, personal style and shopping technique and strategy.

Why women have nothing to hear.

1. You Have No Clue What’s In Your Closet. Sure, you have a fabulous closet that every women will envy, but do you actually know what’s in it? Can you take a mental inventory that doesn’t take upwards of 24 hours to complete? There is certainly a misconception that the more the merrier when it comes to fashion. Ask any minimalist and they will argue to the contrary. If your closet is to the point where you can’t see and/or remember everything in it, you may certainly have too much crap (and that’s putting it lightly…LOL).
Solution: It’s time for some spring cleaning. Reassess your current wardrobe and remove any items that you haven’t worn in more than two seasons. Start with the basic staples and work your way up. More than likely you’ve outgrown these items in taste.

2. Your Wardrobe Is Out of Sync With Your Style. Every couple of years I go through a style transformation. During this time, I reassess my current wardrobe to ensure that it aligns with my current style. Our style is a constant evolution and so is our closet. Maybe you’ve recently transitioned away from a more trendy sense of style, but your closet doesn’t reflect this change. 
Solution: Remove all items that are no longer in sync with your personal style. In this case, all trendy items should be replaced with more classic pieces.
3. You Have Yet To Define Your Personal Style. Our personal style is typically geared towards our lifestyle. One good way of defining our personal style is to create a mood board or a visual journal of inspirational style concepts. For me, I’ve utilized Pinterest in this case where I’ve pinned many inspirational pieces and comprehensive looks to my ‘My Kinda Style’ board. This is a collection of curated looks that appeal to me as it pertains to my lifestyle. This visual board should aid as a great way to redefine and develop a specific sense of style that is a reflection of your current lifestyle. 
Solution: Determining the following helps in defining your personal style. What is your favorite color scheme (brights, monochrome, pastels, etc)? What are your favorite textures and fabrics? What is the main theme to your story (clean lines, classic tailored, bohemian, vintage, etc)? What items stand out most to you (boyfriend jeans, palazzo pants, pencil skirts, etc)? Developing personal style is just as much about eliminating items that are not aesthetically pleasing as it is about selecting the right ones. Pinterest is a great tool for inspirational style concepts. Let’s get connected on Pinterest here.
4. Your Wardrobe Lacks Structure. The fundamental key to building a strong wardrobe that is structurally in tack  is having the basic building blocks. The core staples. Keep in mind that the term “wardrobe essentials” is relative to each person’s lifestyle. If you live a more casual lifestyle, then having a need for more dressier items like pencil skirts and sheath dresses may not be suitable. For me, key pieces or wardrobe staples are generally categorized by function and color. For example; the need for a classic black blazer fits the requirement of both color and function. The color is classic and brings about versatility and the style is functional enough to be worn to work or dress down with a pair of jeans making it a perfect transitional piece. Next is to organize your closet space to meet your functional needs.
Solution: Start out by identifying what your individual staple items are. Once this is established; organize your closet by season, by type (shirts, pants, dresses) and  by function (work vs casual).

5. You Are An Impulsive Shopper. Ok! So not only are you the type to scour the malls casually to find yourself leaving with an excessive amount of shit that you know good well you don’t need—You are the master curator of excess, which can lead to hoarder tendencies. You know— the type that never have anything to wear but have a closet full of clothes with the original tags still affixed? Chances are those items that have been collecting dust really didn’t need to be purchased and are simply taking up valuable closet space. Not to mention the amount of money wasted.
Solution: Before you step up to the checkout during your next shopping spree, ask yourself these questions. How versatile is the garment? Can I style it multiple ways? How well does it fit? Will it fill an existing void in your wardrobe or create unnecessary excess? What function will it serve in your existing wardrobe? Is it a staple item? Is it work or casual wear, etc? Does it fit my current personal style?Now you are on your way to finding something fashionably fabulous to wear!

“I’ve been shopping all my life
And I still have absolutely nothing to wear!”
-Women Everywhere 

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43 Comments

  7. Many of these are true for me, and I would add that I have trouble finding clothes to fit me. I watch Stacy & Clinton, so I know I should pay for alterations, but they are so expensive. Seems like clothes are all big these days. And shoes? Forget about it… 5 Narrow. Can't find them anywhere…

    1. 5 Narrow….I envy our cute and tiny feet. I totally agree with us petites….it's hard to find clothes to fit us….one of the reasons why I started sewing. Thanks for visiting hun.

  8. Hi, Natasha! I'm Courtney from The Brown Girl with Long Hair blog, stopping by from SITS…

    Yeah, this post is spot on. After rigorous investigation, I have come to find that your #3 — You Have Yet To Define Your Personal Style — is the culprit here. (Thanks God I stopped impulse buying years ago…)

    The issue with me lies in that I seem to have fashion schizophrenia: my personal style changes faster that I'd like to admit.

    I am working on this.

    Happy SITS Day!

  10. I should point my mother in the direction of this post – her closet is literally overflowing and she still complains she has nothing to wear and then winds up wearing a few items! Stopping by from SITS, have a wonderful feature day!

  11. I'm definitely a 3 and a 4. I'm working on it. I've got my pintrest style board going. One of my problems is I'm in a "middle phase". I'm still in love with my college clothes but I want a more sophisticated look

  12. I'm a #2 and #5. This is a great post. Totally helps define what my problem is and I'll keep this in mind when I'm shopping. Thanks!

  13. Great post! I was guilty of not knowing what was in my closet and actually discovered a few things I forgot about that are perfect right now 🙂

  15. I just figured out why I never have anything to wear – I tend to buy sale items at the end of the season rather than assessing what I really need or what my style really is. I am also kind of a hoarder, since I refuse to get read of anything I've only worn a handful of times no matter how much I hate it.

  16. I'm in the process of cleaning out my process by separating what I've worn by what I haven't, next year I'll donate anything not worn since a lot of the clothes I have are from high school and I just buy things little by little – so A LOT of my closet doesn't align with my style or where I am in life. Slowly it's getting better! Have a great one Natasha! -Iva

  17. Just found you via your SITS Day! I am working on defining my style and creating a capsule wardrobe, so I can get rid of all those items that I never (or rarely) wear.

  20. Number 2 & 5…GUILTY as charged! My style changes like the wind blows. And i have to admit, i can be a compulsive shopper at times. A lot of times. I gave away A LOT of clothes to my sister's friend and all she kept saying was "Look at this! It's new with tags!" lol

  22. Love this post Natasha, fabulous! I definitely need a closet redo, too many clothes I don't wear. Sometime I get rid of them and then sorry I did, sometimes the styles come back around.

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