Standing in front of my closet, thumbing through dress after dress nothing sparking my fancy. A wash of sadness and frustration came over me. The clothes before me were uninspiring and I was tired of looking at them, let alone wearing them, day in and day out. My denim was dull, my frocks a failure and shoes a bore. My wardrobe is more tired than a no good, cheating man, lost my dog, country anthem. It’s clear I have the “Nothing to Wear” blues.
Fashion Gone Rogue
Not those Jeans Again!
We’ve all been there. Our wardrobe has lost its luster. Every item of clothing feels outdated and frankly you feel stylishly uninspired. You’re reaching for the same jeans day in and day out and you’re feeling the urge to go out and drop some hard-earned cash on new duds because you’re convinced that everything in your closet is tragically unwearable.
As we change and our style evolves, we outgrow items of clothing that we once loved. Compound that with living in a society where mass consumption is celebrated and you have a recipe for a constant feeling of the “Nothing to Wear” blues.
Before you go out and buy more clothes that you’ll be tired of in 6 months time, take some time to think about what you want your style to say. With a little examination and ingenuity you can unearth those hidden gems lurking behind that moldy t shirt you wore 3 times this week (I won’t judge).
How to beat the Nothing to Wear Blues
Assess Your Wardrobe
Before you decide to scrap the lot of your closet and donate it to Goodwill, take an inventory of what you own. So often great items get pushed to the back of our closets (and our minds) and we forget about that amazing cashmere sweater you only wore once. Taking a day to clean out your closet, organize clothes into various categories and try things you haven’t worn in awhile can rekindle your love affair with your clothes.
*Take note of holes in your wardrobe. If you’re a denim lover and only have 2 pairs of jeans you may need to invest in a few more pairs for variety.
Remix your Outfits
While your getting busy playing dressup, mix items that you wouldn’t normally wear together. By mixing and matching pieces you already own, you’ll create new looks that can serve to rejuvenate your wardrobe without spending a dime. Additionally, knowing what works ahead of time will save you from the dreaded morning dress mad dash.
Rethink your Style
Sometimes the Nothing to Wear Blues is less about the clothes you own and more about your own insecurity with your style. If you’re uncertain about your style or developing your look, it may feel like what you own doesn’t mesh with who you are. To avoid having a wardrobe of clothes that you can’t relate to over time, avoid buying tons of trendy pieces. Stock up for well suited basics that you can build any look off of as your style develops.
Do Selective Shopping
Once you’ve examined your wardrobe and have given your clothes a second chance, you can shop selectively, buying items that fit and work with your existing pieces and build a wardrobe full of stuff you love as opposed to pieces that leave you feeling like you have nothing to wear.
If you have not just described me and how I am feeling then I don’t know who! I am not even blogging because of it, thank you for this post. I will follow your suggestions and rethink my options. Now that we are at the change of a new season, this is definitely in order.
The new season should definitely breath new life into our wardrobe! Thanks for the comment!
I recently posted about feeling like this. I think most fashion lovers are experiencing summer fatigue and are ready for fall. Having said that, your advice is spot on. I’ve been trying to remix some of my items and pull out stuff I’ve been avoiding. I really want to avoid buying a bunch of stuff that I won’t like after a few months!
It definitely is summer fatigue. I think we’re all longing for Fall colors and are just restless with the heat and limited options of summer!
Fantastic post! So inspiring! Thank you!
[...] Beating the Nothing to Wear Blues, from Stylish Thought. Self-explanatory! [...]
I tried to take pictures of everything I owned so that I could see everything a little more easily and pick out more things that I don’t wear, but I couldn’t find a good way to sort it all out. Does anyone know of any good database programs for this sort of thing? I don’t think Access or OpenOffice Base support photos.
Faith, I don’t know of any software, but My Style Diary is an photosharing site and you could upload your pictures there to organize them. Thanks for the comment!
THIS IS THE EPITOME OF HOW IM FEELING RITE NOW!! I really think we owe it to ourselves to asses the inner self and not the outter shell all the time cus 10/10 its eternal. Thanks for the post chek out my blog at NMYSISTERSCLOSET.BLOGSPOT.COM
Sha, I couldn’t agree more! Thanks for the comment
Idk if u know this but u prob do but ur link was featured on collegefashion net so happy found ur blog u r such a skilled writer and awesome at covering relatable topix. I’m a 22 year old pr student n hav startd a blog any advice about getn it runin? I hav posted sum stuff but not to much any advice wud b mos def apperciated. Nmysisterscloset.blogspot.com chek me out pleez
[...] Beating the Nothing to Wear Blues, from Stylish Thought. Self-explanatory! [...]