6 Reasons Why You Have Nothing to Wear

Waking up and feeling like you have nothing to wear is frustrating. It wastes time and starts your day off on the wrong foot. It’s also confusing because your closet is probably filled with clothes. 

Building a functional wardrobe is a lot of work. It takes an investment of time and money, two things we all feel a bit short on these days. 

Retail doesn’t do much to help us; many of us struggle with body image and changes, and we are constantly rushing and pressed for time. 

So shopping is overwhelming; finding the right fit is impossible, and dressing in a way that fells age-appropriate within a reasonable is the kind of advanced math that made college statistics almost the death of me. No wonder so many women feel like they have a closet full of nothing to wear. 

6 Reasons Why You Have Nothing to Wear

There aren’t many resources for grown-up women that provide easy to digest tips, honest recommendations and explanations for why certain outfit combinations are better than others.

I created The Well Dressed Life because I saw as a need for realistic style advice and practical shopping and product recommendations. I hope that our daily tips make your life a little easier and you feel more confident as a result.

So today, I’m breaking down a few of the reasons you feel like you have nothing to wear. We’ll talk about how to fix it, how to avoid it in the future and highlight our most popular posts filled with our best advice.

1. You’re Buying for One Time Use

 

If you’re buying for an occasion rather than multi-wear use you’re going to have a closet full of pieces that don’t mix and match. You want your wardrobe to work together in a cohesive way that makes it easy for you to quickly put outfits together.

Instead, when you’re shopping, even if it’s with a specific event in mind, be sure you can wear the garment two or three different ways before you purchase.

This ensures you get the most out of everything in your closet, I call it the “Wear it Three Ways Rule.”

2. You Make Impulse Purchases

I often encourage our readers to step outside their comfort zone and try a new-to-you style, but if you’re all over the place with what you are buying, none of your clothes will “speak” to each other.

Personally, I have the most difficulty with this. Often, I think I should be braver with my style choices, and end up buying something so out of my realm that it sticks out like a sore thumb and doesn’t go with my other pieces.

If you have a defined style you’re happy and comfortable with, stick to it

3. You’re Only Shopping Sale

No one loves a bargain more than I do, but if you only shop sales, you’re really limiting your options and likely making do with pieces that don’t serve you well.

After more than ten years of cleaning out and reorganizing wardrobes with private clients, I know you will end up saving thousands of dollars over the years if you invest in better basics and use sales to discover a hidden treasure, or to add fun, novelty pieces.

See How to Mix High and Low Fashion and How to Look Stylish on a Budget. 

4. You Have Too Much

If you are short on time our post, How to Edit Your Wardrobe in 60 Minutes is a great way to kick off a good purge and get motivated. 

Back when we worked with clients, the one thing I was always blown away by was the sheer volume of clothes women had in their closets. You can’t see what you have when it’s hidden beneath clutter. Take some time to edit your wardrobe. Only keep what you love.

We have to redefine what it means to “have enough.” Americans in particular tend to value having a lot of “stuff.”  The fact is, you don’t need 25 pairs of jeans, you maybe need 3 or 4 depending on how frequently you wear them. 

5. You Lack Organization

Once your space is pared down, spend a little time getting it organized. You don’t have to spend a fortune, in fact, you might have everything you need in other rooms of your home.

Corral scarves in baskets, hang necklaces on 3M hooks, and keep like items together either folded or hung. To make the most of your space, invest in slim lined flocked hangers, so everything is at eye level.

6. You Don’t Know Your Style

Our post, How to Define Your Personal Style will walk you through our simple process. 

Clients used to tell me, “You know, I just don’t have any style.”  But that was rarely the case. With few exceptions, most women have style, they just don’t know how to articulate it.

If you’re not already on Pinterest, I highly recommend getting an account and creating a personal style board.  You can add images of outfits you like and “pin” all sorts of inspiration.

Once you fill a board with 50 plus pins, go over it again and edit it down. You’ll start to see common themes throughout. 

For example, do you prefer pants to skirts? 

Are you casual and cool or chic and ladylike? 

Are you attracted to neutrals or bold prints and patterns? 

You’ll start to see what you like and that will help you curate your wardrobe going forward.

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Our Content is Inspired by Our Readers

Our readership inspires all of our posts and is not sponsored or paid for by brands or retailers. 

Recommendations are based on my experience as a personal stylist View Post and wardrobe consultant for over a decade. I worked with busy, down-to-earth women who wanted to look chic and feel confident but were often confused by so much of retail. 

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