4 Reasons You Have Nothing To Wear

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How many times have you opened your closet and drawers full of clothes and said ‘I have nothing to wear’? Obviously we have clothes to wear but we either don’t want to wear them or they don’t fit. This typically leads us to purge our closets and purchase new clothes only to have the same feeling in another few weeks or months. In this post, I’m outlining some of the reasons we say we have nothing to wear and ways to break the cycle of buy, toss, buy, toss. So keep reading to find out why we say this to ourselves and the best ways to answer the question of “What should I wear?”

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1. You Have Nothing To Wear Because You Don’t Have Core Pieces

If you open your closet and it’s full of bright colors and trendy patterns and you have no idea how to mix and match them, then you are suffering from a lack of core clothing pieces. I, too, used to have this problem. I thought I needed to have colors and patterns to be stylish but if you look at fashion icons, many of them wear basic pieces that fit them well. They’re the pieces that form the basis of your style and you will wear for years to come, long after those tassel earrings go out of style. If you want to know which closet basics you should have, I wrote about them here.

Need help finding your personal style? Check out my blog post where I talk about how I found mine during the COVID lockdown.

Having core wardrobe pieces doesn’t mean you can’t wear colors and patterns, it means that you use the core items to help the colors stand out. I like the word ‘core’ because it means just that, these are the basic pieces that you start with and you can branch out from there. It’s a lot easier to pair a bright pink scarf with a black top than trying to match it with another colored top. And the neutral color will make the bright color pop!

Amazon fashion brands are a great source for core wardrobe essentials. I like their Daily Ritual and Lark & Ro brands plus their Essentials line. Old Navy has great basics, too.

2. Guilt Causes You To Feel Bad About Your Clothes

Clothes shouldn’t make you feel guilty, but they can. Maybe it’s guilt because you spent a lot on something that isn’t you anymore. Or guilt because you don’t want to spend money on yourself. Or someone gave you clothes and you feel obligated to keep them. I’m giving you permission to let go of that guilt.

Try to sell that expensive item, or, give it to someone you know will love it. Or just donate it, it will find a new home.

Would you tell someone else not to spend money on themselves? No! So why would you tell yourself that? I’m telling you that it’s ok to spend money on clothes for yourself. I’m not saying to go overboard and buy a bunch of high-end brands, but buying clothes you actually like and will wear is not a luxury.

Now that we’re all adults, can we agree to stop buying clothes for each other? Unless someone asks for a specific item, a gift card is a better choice. Yes, I know gift cards are impersonal, but so is a clothing item that the recipient only keeps out of guilt.

3. You Literally Have Nothing To Wear Because Nothing Fits

Your jeans don’t stay put, your jacket is too tight, your sleeves are too short. If your clothes don’t fit, you won’t want to wear them, or you won’t feel confident in them. There are many reasons why we keep clothes that don’t fit but here are a few:

• You’re keeping those smaller jeans because you might fit in to them next year.
• You never go to a tailor.
• You don’t know how your clothes are supposed to fit.

It can be difficult to part with clothes that we used to fit into and we have aspirations of fitting into again but it’s not a healthy way to view your closet. Every time you see those pieces you feel bad about yourself, and who wants that? My recommendation is to get them out of your closet. If you are truly working hard to lose weight (you don’t have to for me, you’re beautiful the way you are) then put those smaller clothes in box and hide them.

We all have different bodies and it’s very rare to have a closet full of items that fit off the rack. I have bigger thighs and a smaller waist and I have a really hard time finding pants that fit. Once I realized that I could have a tailor take in the waist, my world changed! No longer do I have to try on hundreds of pants to find my Cinderella, now I can buy pants that fit my hips and thighs but not worry about the waist. Sometimes you can get away with rolling or cuffing your sleeves and pants. This not only adds visual interest to your outfit but it could solve the ill-fitting problem.

I have found a few pairs of jeans that fit me well without being tailored. Wit & Wisdom ab-solution skinny jeans, Old Navy high-waisted straight leg jeans, and Kut From the Kloth Natalie High Waist Bootcut Jeans.

4. You Have Too Many Clothes Because Shopping Is Your Hobby

Had a bad day? Go shopping. Had a good day? Go shopping. Celebrating? Go Shopping. Bored? Go shopping. Sound familiar? This is the opposite of never spending money on yourself but it can still lead to a closet full of clothes you never wear. Here are a few tips to cut down on your shopping hobby:

• Read my 12 ways to stop wasting money on clothes post.
• Make a list. You wouldn’t grocery shop without a list, don’t clothes shop without one, either.
• Don’t buy the first thing you see because it looks good on the model. Ask yourself if you could make 3 outfits with it using pieces from your closet. Could you make 3 outfits without jeans? Check out my 4 ways to wear series: blue gingham top, olive pants, and black turtleneck.
• Wait 2-3 days before you click purchase. Even better, wait 30 days!
• Don’t drink and shop, you can’t afford it! (maybe only Pennsylvanians will get that joke)
• Don’t shop when you’re bored, instead, explore your other interests. I enjoy reading a book or watching a new TV show (but don’t open your shopping apps while watching TV!)
• Unsubscribe from marketing emails. Use a site like shoptagr or shopstyle to track the items you want so you know when they go on sale.
• Try a capsule wardrobe or Project 333 for a few months to get a better idea of what is in your closet and what you actually wear.

Bonus Reasons You Have Nothing To Wear:

A few bonus reasons why you have nothing to wear:

• Your closet is too full and you can’t see all of your clothes. Do a closet detox and get rid of anything you don’t love.
• Your closet is too dark and you literally can’t see anything. Install lighting. It doesn’t have to be fancy, I have cheap stick-on lights, but it helps in those dark mornings.
• You don’t know how to create an outfit. Check out my 4 easy fall outfits post for ideas.
• You think fashion is trivial. Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, it is. But that doesn’t stop people from making judgments based on your clothing. I’m not saying it’s right, but it’s true. If you don’t feel confident in your clothing people can see that. Focus on finding good-fitting basic pieces that never go out of style.
• You don’t know how to style the pieces you already own. Check out my easy style tips post to elevate your current outfits and how to style a minimalist wardrobe.

If you made it this far, thank you! My hope is that at least one of these reasons resonates with you and you can start making changes in your closet so you can dress confidently every day.

While you’re here, check out some of my other posts

• Striped Shirt Styled 4 Ways
• Fall Wardrobe Essentials for An Everyday Style
• Nordstrom Anniversary Sale 2021
• Dress For Your Lifestyle – Wardrobe Revamp Part 2
• Summer Wedding Guest Outfit for Outdoor Wedding

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