6 Reasons Why You Have Nothing to Wear

Waking up and feeling like you have nothing to wear is frustrating, especially when staring at a closet full of things.

It wastes time and starts your day off on the wrong foot. 

So how is it that despite having so much stuff, you still can’t create an outfit?

Let’s break it down, because once you know why you have nothing to wear, you can start to turn it around.

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

Why You Feel Like You Have Nothing to Wear 

The retail industry has never done much to help us, especially women over 40.

Styles are unwearable; when we find something we like, the inventory levels are low, and they continue to eliminate extended sizes in-store and online.

And I don’t know if you’ve walked into a store recently, but customer service is a thing of the past.

Shopping is downright overwhelming.

Add to that body image and changes (raises hand) and the fact that we are constantly pressed for time; it’s no wonder shopping is such a chore.

There aren’t many resources for grown-up women that provide:

• Easy-to-digest tips.
•  Honest recommendations.
•  Explanations for why certain outfit combinations are better than others.

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

While it may seem so frivolous, having a closet full of nothing to wear is the biggest complaint I hear from our community. 

It can be exhausting, feeling like you are constantly reinventing the wheel. 

6 Reasons Why You Have Nothing to Wear

Today, I’m breaking down a few of the reasons you feel like you have nothing to wear.

I guarantee you will see yourself in many of these examples.

We’ll talk about how to fix it, how to avoid it in the future, and highlight our most popular posts filled with some of our best advice.

As always, I’d love to hear your takeaways in the comments below. 

1. You’re Buying for One Time Use

If you’re buying for an occasion rather than multi-wear use, you will have a closet full of pieces that don’t mix and match. 

You want your wardrobe to work together cohesively, making it easy to put outfits together quickly.

This remains my biggest personal challenge. 

I am chronically overcommitted and wait until the last minute, usually because I’m dressing everyone else in my house, and then run out or quickly order a dress or top for a specific event. 

A game-changing tip is when you are running to a store or hopping online to shop, even 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 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.

So often, I hear from our community that it’s hard to walk the line between being brave with their style choice and being practical.

You end up with a closet full of fun and funky tops, OR you keep buying white tee shirts. There is no in between.

That’s why it’s essential to root your wardrobe in better basics.

A few fun tops from Amazon won’t derail your closet if your wardrobe is heavy in better basics, like dark jeans, good black pants, and quality shoes.

Not only will this help you incorporate the trend into three looks (tip #1), BUT it also will elevate the less expensive piece in the overall feel of your outfit.

3. You’re Only Shopping Sale

No one loves a bargain more than I do, as evident in our weekly Sunday Sales Feature.

BUT,  if you only shop sales, you’re limiting your options and likely making do with pieces that don’t serve you well.

After more than a decade 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 true deal, 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

I’m often asked how many of something you should own, for example, “How many jeans are enough?”

And my answer is always the same, “It depends.”

Our needs are determined by our lifestyle, maybe your lifestyle supports dozens of pairs, maybe you only need 3.

Back when I worked with clients in person, the one thing I was always blown away by was the sheer volume of clothes women had in their closets that they did not need, like, or wear.

They just held on to items. Like someone who’s been retired for five years but kept all of her suits from the early 90s – just in case.

Hanging on to items you’re not wear, and don’t need creates clutter.

And you can’t see what you have when it’s hidden beneath clutter, and if you can’t see what you have you’re not utilizing everything.

If your closet is overrun with stuff, this is your very first step. Take some time to edit your wardrobe and only keep what you love. 

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 at The Container Store, in fact, you might have everything you need in other rooms of your home.

Be sure to create a category for everything you have create a space you can easily access. If you can’t see what you have you won’t wear it. 

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.

Here are some of my favorite, affordable items to organize your closet no matter how big or small. 

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, “I just don’t have any style.” 

But that was rarely the case. 

With few exceptions, most women have style but can’t articulate it well or notice it when they see it. 

For me, personal style is an ever-changing process. My style in my 20s is wildly different from my 40s, as it should be.

Both reflect who I was and what I loved in that chapter of life. And as I’ve aged, my style has become more fine-tuned, consistent, and confident.

Once you identify your style, editing your wardrobe and shopping becomes much more manageable. 

If you’re not already on Pinterest, I recommend setting up 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, repeat it and edit it to only your favorite.

You’ll start to see common themes throughout. 

For example, do you prefer pants to skirts? If you didn’t save any skirt outfits, stop buying them. 

Are you attracted to neutrals or bold prints and patterns? Have a board filled with neutrals; avoid bold prints when purchasing. 

You’ll start to see what you like, which will help you curate your wardrobe in the future.