With all of the talk on minimalism and consuming less these days, the topic surrounding why we feel as though we never have anything to wear comes up as loosely tied. This is mainly due to the fact that overconsumption contributes to feelings of lack rather than abundance, and begins this vicious circle of excessive spending all the while feeling as though we still have nothing. While shooting my outfit of the day in my classic white turtleneck (a staple in my seasonal capsule wardrobe), the temptation to write about this topic rather than my usual simple outfit description grew stronger, and I simply could not resist but to talk about it on the blog!
As I stated in this post, although this website mainly features what I'm wearing and what I put on my face, I do want to dabble in topics that actually matter on occasion, and the truth is that overconsumption in the realm of fashion is a real problem worth addressing! Although I absolutely love having the BEST things as the BEST prices as much as the next person does, there exists a fine line between staying on-trend and simply having too much. If your closet is as big as your guest room, you might have yourself a problem. So to combat the issue of overconsumption (and save the planet while doing it - world peace, haha), I think that the simplest thing to do is get to the root of what ultimately propels us to buy more - the feeling/thought that we have nothing to wear.
Below I am listing some of the reasons that we might find ourselves thinking that we have nothing to wear. Getting to the bottom of this issue will truly help you save money, save the planet, feel completely satisfied and at peace with all the items in your wardrobe. As a result you will find yourself in a "happy place", where you only purchase items that you genuinely love and will be able to wear them on repeat without feeling as though you still need more.
Disclaimer: This article is written from my perspective and I do not claim to be an expert.
You are too matchy-matchy
I used to be incredibly guilty of this one! If my outfit wasn't color coordinated, the anxiety I felt was all too real! I used to believe that in order to look "put together", all of my items needed to match in some way or else my outfit would look cheap. In reality this couldn't be further from the truth. Adding different colors and textures to an outfit can really elevate ones overall look and personal style. A benefit to this is that when you adopt this mindset, you will feel increasingly comfortable experimenting with different items in your wardrobe, and will therefore wear a greater portion of it. You will also diminish the desire to continuously purchase new items in order to fit into a certain mold.
You don't have a budget
It doesn't matter if you have a lot of money to spend on clothing or not, you need to set yourself a limit. I find that this is best done if you allocate a certain monthly percentage of whichever income you have coming in and dedicate that toward your designated clothing money. I let myself spend 20%. This is high for most people, and some might be comfortable with something lower like 10 or 5%, however considering I run a fashion blog (mostly) and I also don't have many other expensive hobbies, this is the number that works for me. When we are careful with how we allocate our money, we tend to appreciate what we own, are more likely to use it all, and in the case of clothing, are more likely to wear it all.
You don't feel good in your own skin
Just like most women, I have a little extra fluff here and there, cellulite and a few fine lines. In order to feel good in our own skin, it is important that we realize that this is completely normal. The truth is that when we don't feel good about our bodies, we often look to the outside world for validation, which can manifest in the form of a bad relationships, a drinking problem, and potential overconsumption through shopping. Shopping addiction is a real problem that often stems through feelings of inadequacy about ones own self. Due to this insecurity, we might find ourselves continuously feeling as though we have nothing to wear, which ultimately leads us to continuous large purchases of new items as a way to fill some sort of "void". The truth is that that a new pair of jeans isn't going to make you feel better about the size of your thighs in comparison to the practice of self-love. Incorporating small self-care actions on the regular, telling yourself (out loud) that you are "enough" (I know it sounds silly, but trust me), seeking professional help if necessary (no shame), in addition to incorporating small forms of exercise, are excellent ways to help raise your body-image self-esteem. When we feel good we look good in almost any clothing that we choose!
Your closet is too big
Now, I don't want to sound hypocritical here since I am having my husband knock down some walls in our new house to build me a walk-in closet, but I find that today's mentality of "bigger is better" is fundamentally flawed and guides many individuals into enormous amounts of debt and ultimately, despair and unhappiness. Nowadays, its hard to deny that almost everyone feels as though they are entitled to a McMansion, a luxury car, and of course, an enormous closet. The truth is that although all of these things are wonderful, they are only meant for certain situations (such as those who are personal stylists, performers etc. with reference to the closet for example, or those who have 5 kids, with reference to the house for example). The problem with massive closets is that they need to be filled to the brim or else they look awkward, and having an exuberant amount of things is known to cultivate indecisiveness. Now don't get me wrong I love a beautiful closet, however my belief is that a high-quality custom closet can be created without having to be excessively large. The point is that this can lead us to feel as though we have nothing to wear due to the fact that the sheer amount of clothing that we have is so mentally overwhelming that we just "give up", which can often look like only wearing a few key items in our wardrobe, purchasing something new and/or purchasing multiples without realizing it. Even if you already have a large closet, changing your mindset to the belief that bigger is not necessarily better, beginning to value quality over quantity and adopting the simple notion that it shouldn't be about what you can buy but about what you should buy, can change your spending habits for the better and help you find something to wear in what you already own. These beliefs will definitely change your life with regard to your spending habits and eliminate that feeling of having "nothing to wear".
You don't know your personal color palette
Your favorite color might be yellow, but do you really know the colors that truly compliment your skin tone, style and personal aesthetic? They don't necessarily have to be different for each season, but I would definitely say that this is the most important step (saving the best for last) in curating a wardrobe that you love and the secret to always feeling as though you have something to wear. Whether or not you want to build yourself a minimalist capsule wardrobe or larger, knowing this piece of information is key. Take a good look at your most worn items while considering the colors, all the while also taking into account the colors that look best on you.
I hope that these tips help you find something to wear and also help you build the wardrobe of your dreams. There are many more suggestions that I could provide, but will have to wait for another time since this post is long enough! I'd love to hear some of your tips!
What do you think are some of the reasons that we often can't find anything to wear?
