Have you ever stood in front of your closet, full of clothes staring you back in the face, but still felt like you had nothing to wear?
AGHHHH! No fun, right?
Besides it being frustrating to feel like you have nothing to wear, it can also stir up other feelings, like guilt for having so many clothes but still feeling dissatisfied, or defeat for not being able to get this wardrobe thing right.
In light of Simply Put Together opening (my online course on style foundations), today I want to offer 5 reasons you might feel like you have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear. See if any of these help you identify what you might need to troubleshoot to move forward with your closet and style!
1. You don’t have enough clothes that fit your lifestyle.
Getting a handle on your lifestyle is key to having a wardrobe that works for you. Your lifestyle determines what kinds of clothes you need. For example, I was a director at an organization for many years, and while the dress code was very casual, I dressed up a bit in order to command some authority with those I led. Nothing fancy–usually a pair of jeans and a nice blouse. Later, I hit a period where I transitioned out of that organization and began working fully for myself at home. Plus, I started taking care of my newly born second baby. I was working from home more than ever and in the throes of newborn life. Suddenly, all of those nice blouses I acquired during my former job weren’t cutting it. I couldn’t breastfeed in them, for one. I couldn’t move around as easily in them to constantly hold a baby either. So, even though I had tons of clothes in my closet, I felt like I had nothing to wear because what was in my closet was not serving my new lifestyle.
If your clothes don’t fit your lifestyle, you could easily end up with a closet full of clothes that you don’t want to wear, no matter how fantastic those clothes are.
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2. The clothes don’t fit your body properly.
Stacy and Clinton from What Not to Wear always used to say, “If you don’t have fit, you don’t have style.” If clothes don’t fit you well, like if anything squeezes you, doesn’t quite fit over your hips, or you have to keep adjusting it through out the day, you’ll find it annoying or cumbersome to wear. You’ll end up avoiding it and subconsciously ruling it out as something you don’t want to wear. If you have a closet full of ill-fitting pieces, you could easily look into a full closet and feel like you have nothing to wear. Work hard to make sure your clothes fit, and if needed, take the time to get them altered so that you have perfectly fitting clothes that make you happy!
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3. The clothes aren’t the right shapes for your body.
I’ve mentioned in 6 Myths About What It Takes to Have Great Style how our bodies are all created in unique shapes, how clothing pieces are all created in different shapes, and how sometimes those shapes don’t match up. You could have pieces in your closet that technically fit you well, but they may not be the right shape for your body, resulting in you not feeling your best when you wear it. If those are hanging in our closets, we tend to avoid those too, leaving us feeling like we have nothing to wear. Finding clothes that are the right shape for your body is necessary in crafting a wardrobe you love!
P.S. The first step to knowing what works for your body is to truly understand your body shape with measurements–NOT guessing. Download our free 5 Body Shapes and Beyond Workbook to get started!
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4. You don’t have a full, well-built wardrobe.
I hear from women, “I have this top that I like a lot, but I have nothing to wear it with.” When you have a lot of pieces like that, you end up with a closet full of clothes that you can’t actually wear because you don’t have the right pieces to create outfits. Conversely, I also hear women say their closet is boring, so they don’t want to wear anything in there. I believe a great wardrobe requires a healthy mix of basics and interesting pieces. If you have too many interesting pieces and not enough basics, you won’t have the basic building blocks needed to make an outfit with the interesting pieces. If you have too many basics and not enough interesting pieces, you’ll be bored with your wardrobe. You need a healthy mix of both. Otherwise, you’ll either have a wardrobe you’re bored of, or you’ll have a wardrobe that you can’t wear.
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5. You’re not sure how to put together outfits with what’s in your closet.
Last week I talked about the importance of combining pieces well. I see this happening in two major ways: 1) aesthetically–colors and designs and vibes that go well together, and 2) the right clothing shape combinations. You could have a closet that totally fits your lifestyle, fits you well, works for your body shape, and has the right pieces, but if you don’t know what to do with them, you’ll still feel like you have nothing to wear.
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Those are 5 most common reasons I’ve seen! Do any of them resonate with why you might have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear? Which ones? Comment below and let me know!
P.S. Want help fixing these issues? Consider joining Simply Put Together when it opens again! It’s designed to address all of these problems so that you ACTUALLY LOVE your closet, and it teaches you the style foundations you need to be effortlessly put together. Women come out L-O-V-I-N-G their closets!
Here’s what a few Simply Put Together students have to say:
“Through Simply Put Together, I realized that I was always trying to copy Audrey’s style rather than find what worked for myself; by seeking out pieces for my body shape and lifestyle, it really helped my confidence. It’s also improved my feelings of myself, no matter my weight – I feel like I am “put together” and looking good, even if I just go out for a quick walk or run an errand. It helps me feel stylish no matter what I am doing. I’ve also gotten a lot of compliments and can easily sort out what I want to purchase when I’m shopping!” – Krista
“I have felt so much better about getting dressed each morning. I love having only clothes in my closet that fit and flatter. My husband said, “You’ve always looked good, but I think you’ve really found your style.” I love hearing his compliments and feel much more put together!” – Sarah
“One of the best and biggest takeaways from Simply Put Together is a newly developed appreciation for my body. Its so easy to focus on (what I feel) are physical flaws when you are not dressing for your body shape, not dressing according to the right style I had in mind for myself, and when I feel I am not dressed appropriately for the occasion. Instead of recognizing this is a result of an ill-fitting wardrobe I would internalize this into something wrong with my shape and my body. I learned through this program that I am an hour glass with a smaller bust (and not the pear shaped I always assumed I was), that I prefer a Classic Style with a Touch of Glam, and require a Dressy Casual Lifestyle. By designing a wardrobe that fits these needs I can now appreciate my curves because my wardrobe is built around them.” – Nina
If you want to LOVE your closet and feel amazing about your style, click HERE to get notified when Simply Put Together opens.
FREE Body Shape Workbook!
I’ve said that style can be learned and that one of the first steps to dressing well is to know your body shape. I’ve created a free workbook to help you identify your body shape!
In my upcoming online course on style, we’ll go deeper into how to dress your body shape to its fullest potential. For now, this workbook will help you get a head start by helping you understand your body shape with measurements.
Download your copy instantly by filling out the form below! If you can’t see the form, click HERE.
