Help! I Have Nothing To Wear: 15 Legit "Whys" + Conquering Them!

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Don’t let the ‘I Have Nothing to Wear’ blues get you down!

Let’s accept girls – we all have said this at least once in our lives. Kicking off your day with an “I have nothing to wear” mindset can definitely ruin your mood and make you feel frustrated as hell.

I know how bad it feels standing in front of an overflowing wardrobe and still not finding even a single outfit that suits your body and mind perfectly.

If you are plagued by this “I have nothing to wear” syndrome of late and have started to splurge unnecessarily on shopping, then babe, you need to hold your horses now!

Here’s the truth! 90% of the time, it is just you and NOT your closet.

And in that case, buying clothes like crazy won’t solve your issue. No matter how hard you hit the “Order now” button during online shopping, you will always feel that you have nothing to wear for your special date, meeting, college and family gatherings.

Since you are here, I am assuming that you are fed up with endless “I have nothing to wear” moments. Don’t worry; your girl is here to help you realize the real reasons why you always feel short of clothes.

Also, read on to get a bonus at the end!

15 Freakin’ Reasons You Keep Telling Yourselves- “I Have Nothing to Wear!”

Babe, first of all, you need to stop telling yourself that you have nothing to wear. I mean, just look at your wardrobe that is ready to spill any time! You just need to find out what’s causing the so-called scarcity and then sort it out.

Here are the top reasons why you get hit by the “I have nothing to wear” syndrome just before an important event:

1. You have not decluttered your wardrobe – since forever!

When was the last time you organized your closet? I bet you don’t even remember.

A disorganized closet is no less than a nightmare. Rummaging through a cluttered wardrobe feels like walking through a dark tunnel with no light at the end, lol.

You cannot see your outfits properly. Heck, you don’t even find clothes to wear. So, most of the time, you give up wondering why you don’t have enough clothes to wear.

A messy closet can irk you out completely and ruin your mood. You will be left with no good options, and making a choice in such a situation gets extremely difficult.

Just imagine staring at a cluttered, purged wardrobe before getting ready for that 10 am presentation at the office!

2. You do not have a well-defined personal style.

Most women are unaware of their personal style. We often follow our favorite celebs, influencers and that stylish neighbor when it comes to fashion styles. But what we often tend to ignore is the difference that sets them apart from us.

For instance, just because you are a die-hard fan of Scarlett Johanson, this does not mean that whatever she adorns will suit you as well. After all, she has a whole entourage of fashion stylists, makeup artists, hair stylists, fashion designers etc., who guide her for even an Insta story shoot.

Do you have an expert at your disposal?

Blindly following others for their fashion style will bring no good to you. The same dress that looks good on your bestie won’t look good on you if you have different body types and personalities.

And in the end, you will feel that you have nothing to wear at all. Instead, try to find your personal style, and rock it like a boss!

3. There are minimal wardrobe staples in those piles of clothes.

Do you have enough staple pieces in your wardrobe?

By staple pieces, I mean those clothes that stand the test of time. A denim jacket, satin shirts, a little black dress, floral scarves- all these come under the category of wardrobe staples.

If you do not have them, you will often run out of outfit ideas. Not having enough wardrobe staples prevents you from creating multiple styles using the same outfit again and again.

This will force you to believe that you don’t have enough clothes to wear.

4. You have this bad habit of comparing your outfits with others.

Are you jealous of that cute classmate who manages to garner all the attention because of her appalling fashion sense?

Babe, do you feel intimidated by your colleague who never repeats her clothes throughout the entire week?

Do you often find yourself comparing your clothes to that of others?

First of all, a constant comparison will constantly keep you under pressure. You will feel bad about yourself. You will pity yourself and have that victim mindset. And of course, this will make you feel that you do not have as fancy clothes as that person does.

5. You do not have clothes for different occasions and events.

Closet Catastrophe: Why Do You Always Feel "I Have Nothing to Wear" + How to Deal With It?

Sometimes we tend to focus on one specific aspect of our life. And that can hamper the rest of the things in our lives.

For instance, I remember during my college days, I used to buy loads of casual outfits. Cargos, crop tops, distressed denim, funky caps – I have ’em all. But one fine day, I needed to go to a walk-in interview. Wham! I was clueless about what to wear as I had no work outfits.

What I want to stress here is the fact that you need a balance of everything in your wardrobe. If you are an office goer who just has formal attires in her closet, then babe, you will definitely have nothing to wear when it comes to a casual coffee date, a marriage ceremony, or maybe a family get-together.

6. Most of the clothes do not fit you.

Have you all of a sudden lost or gained weight out of the blue?
Do some of your outfits seem tight at the belly?
Does that pair of jeans feel too tight at the waist?

Well, we all have so many “will wear that when I gain/loose weight someday,” outfits tucked carefully inside our wardrobes. They take up a lot of space. But at the same time, you do not have enough outfits that match your current body size.

7. Your outfits are not cohesive.

No matter how many individual pieces you have in the closet, if they are not cohesive, you won’t be able to put them together and create a well-balanced look.

For instance, you have that lavender satin shirt that makes you look like a million bucks. However, you do not have any trousers or accessories to go with it. So you cannot wear it to any event or occasion.

And once again, you will end up feeling hopeless that you have nothing to wear.

8. You prefer buying clothes for one-time use only.

What are your recent outfit purchases?
How often did you wear them?
Were they for one-time use only? Or were you planning something long-term?

A lot of women commit the mistake of investing in one-time outfits only. For instance, think of that glitzy and shimmery cocktail dress that you wore 5 years back at your bestie’s wedding.

And since then, it has been sitting there locked inside your closet. And I believe you are not gonna wear it any time soon again.

If you continue to splurge your hard-earned money on such one-time outfit pieces, babe, you will never have enough clothes to wear.

9. You buy only dirt cheap pieces on sale.

I understand that branded clothes and statement pieces often come with hefty price tags. However, if you purchase only dirt-cheap pieces and build your entire closet with thrift pieces, then you will often run out of clothes that make you look well put.

Off-the-rack clothes are mostly of poor quality and do not offer that elegant and aesthetic look. These discounted outfits are generally good for casual occasions and last really for a short time.

So, when you need something grand or iconic for an important occasion, you will again run short of outfits.

10. You have a bad habit of impulsive buying.

Is retail therapy your go-to thing to relieve stress? Then it is highly likely that you are an impulsive buyer. Those end-of-the-season sales give you major FOMO. And when things are not going well, you end up giving in to your temptation of impulsive buying.

Hitting that ” Pay now” button gives you a sense of accomplishment which results in an unnecessary mess in your closet as well as your bank balance.

Impulsive purchases are often made in haste, and you forget to read between the lines. You often ignore the minutest details and end up spending on a dress that either does not compliment your body type, does not match your style, or worse, makes you uncomfortable.

Impulsive purchases not just bring down your savings but also reduces the actual number of outfits that you actually can wear without any second thoughts.

11. You hate to throw away or donate your outfits.

Do you still have those skinny jeans that you used to wear to impress your high school crush?

If yes, then babe, you are a clothes hoarder. And you are in dire need of clothes detox. Yes, you heard me right!

When you keep hoarding clothes, your closet runs out of space. And in the end, you have nothing to wear at all.

12. There’s no variety when it comes to your closet.

Do you always end up buying just one type of outfit? For instance, many women simply refuse to come out of their comfort zone and experiment with other styles and pieces.

I mean, it is okay to be a baggy t-shirt and boyfriend jeans type of girl. But you cannot wear this at your workplace, a family function, or even at your bestie’s birthday bash!

You need a wide variety of outfits to match different events. If you end up buying similar outfits every time, eventually, you will run out of clothes for different occasions.

13. Your clothes need your care and attention.

Do you forget your outfits as soon as you take them off?
Do your existing clothes are dying a slow death inside your closet? (Dramatic much!)

If you do not pay attention to your outfits, then they will get damaged eventually. There will be stains, holes, lint, etc., that will make your outfits look shabby.

Using them roughly, not following wash instructions as well as not storing them appropriately are some of the biggest mistakes that leave you with nothing to wear.

14. You have body image issues.

Many women suffer from body image issues, and this hinders their sense of styling. They always feel demotivated when it comes to flaunting any outfit.

Flabby arms, jiggly belly fat, disproportionate body shapes, stretch marks etc., often make them insecure. And thus, they feel that they barely have clothes that make them look good.

15. You barely have any time for self-care and grooming.

If you are always busy with work, study or other stuff, and ignore self-care and grooming sessions, then it is only normal that you end up feeling bad about whatever you wear.

Due to a lack of self-care and grooming, no matter how many outfits you have stacked, nothing will make you look appealing and good enough. So, you will end up complaining that you do not have enough clothing to support your lifestyle.

How to Fix This “Nothing to Wear” Issue?

Bub, now that you actually know whom to blame for your never-ending scarcity of clothes, let me help you focus on the solutions. Here’s what you should do to turn your wardrobe from drab to fab!

Build a capsule wardrobe.
Invest in timeless pieces.
Develop a personal style and adhere to it.
Declutter your wardrobe once in a while.
Get rid of clothes that do not serve your purpose anymore.
Overcome your body image issues.
Self-grooming is a complete non-negotiable.
Start taking care of your existing clothes.

Final Thoughts on I have nothing to wear

If you think that you have nothing to wear, then it is high time you rethink your shopping strategy and give a makeover to your closet.

Also, a complete mindset shift is needed to make that pivot from “I have got nothing” to ” I have enough to look like a million bucks.”

I hope now it is clear to you why you have been always raising hue and cry about not having enough clothes in your closet.

Just follow the bonus tips to fix this issue, and you will never run out of clothes ever, pinky promise!

Need more such content pieces on fashion styling? Stay tuned to this place! Toodles, xo