NOTHING to wear?

There is a meme doing the rounds that says “why, if i spend all my money on food and clothes am i always hungry and have nothing to wear?” while I don’t spend all my money on clothes because life, bills, kids, I can relate. Who hasn’t said the words “I have nothing to wear” whilst staring at a rail filled with clothes?

But why, why does this happen? and how can we limit the number of times it happens? I won’t claim I can prevent  it, the female psyche is a complicated web and there will be times that rationale won’t prevail, but how about we start with looking at the biggest reasons we feel we have nothing to wear and how we can fix it. 

Let’s start with exceptions, if the occasion we are getting dressed for requires specific clothing, such as going skiing, a black tie event or a religious wedding, even the most carefully curated capsule wardrobes would struggle to cover all the bases. 

By this time in the year you know there is absolutely no chance at all that we will get an unseasonably warm day that might require you to reach for something from your summer wardrobe, pack or move your high summer away from your winter clothes, it serves no purpose other than to confuse things further. 

Basics, these include, t-shirts, short and long sleeve, tanks, polo-necks, plus plain knitwear & sweatshirts, don’t neglect them or leave them festering in the ironing pile because they aren’t exciting, these pieces are the glue that pull outfits together, make sure they are visible and easy to reach, if you don’t have a good selection of basics then they should be top of your shopping list. 

80% of your wardrobe should match how you spend 80% of your time, is your wardrobe filled with party dresses, sequins & high heels when your lifestyle is very low key? If you reach for casual clothes 80% of the time, next time you go shopping this is where your budget should go. 

Lastly, play dress up, best to do this when you are not in a rush, pull your clothes out onto the bed and remove anything that doesn’t fit you well on any given day. What’s left try on, ever worn that pencil skirt with a belted blazer over the top? Do those grey work trousers work with trainers and a hoodie? New combinations of the same pieces equal lots of new outfits. 

Ask yourself why you don’t wear things, are your jeans too long and you only wear flats? have them altered, can you wear a polo neck under that sleeveless dress and wear it to work? 

Do all of this and tell me you still have “nothing to wear”