You know the picture: a woman standing in front of an open closet, her brows all furrowed from the nervous frown. “I’ve got nothing to wear,” she sighs as she glances at her 35 dresses, 17 pairs of pants, and approximately 200 various tops, blouses, and shirts. “Nope, nothing at all,” she says just as the box with her 53 rolled up belts topples down and falls beside her. “Man, I should really go shopping,” she decides finally just as her closet shelves start breaking from the sheer weight of her 314 pairs of shoes.
Yes, okay, we know that “nothing to wear” isn’t really true. We know, we’re not insane. But also… we’ve just got nothing to wear! Everything in our closet looks uninspiring, and that feeling of rising panic as we realize we’re going to be very late unless we pick something out right now is very familiar to us all. So, how do we solve it? We’ve got a few tips.
Be wary of sales
Just because that pair of purple tights was on a major discount doesn’t mean that they will be useful to you, and buying an item because it’s trendy despite you kind of hating the trend isn’t a good idea. Don’t go to sales “just to check out what’s out there.” Go to sales to get a deal on something you were already planning to buy, and don’t get anything that you aren’t completely satisfied with.
Think of outfits when you shop
It’s not just about an individual garment, it’s about the whole outfit. When you are trying on an item, start imagining outfits that you could pair it with. Can you imagine yourself wearing it on more than two or three different occasions? If not, then you might want to move on to something else.
Fit and comfort is everything
Is something too tight or too loose on you? Does it chafe somewhere? Can you lift your arms up and squat down without any tugging? If the seams are screaming at you as you stretch them out, you don’t need that garment. If the fit is off, the whole outfit is going to look off, and you’re going to see that every time you wear it.
Pick out your clothes on time
If you have twenty minutes to get ready, that is not the time to pick out what you want to wear. Put your outfit together the evening before, otherwise, you’ll just get nervous and anxious, and the pressure is going to make you feel like everything looks bad even though it doesn’t.
Get more staples
Those velvet pants might have been trendy at one point, but when you wear them now you just look really weird. Is your wardrobe filled with more trendy pieces than staples? Then you’re going to have a tough time putting together good outfits. Having staples such as black slacks, well-fitted blazers, straight-leg jeans, cardigans, little black dresses, Oxford shoes, denim jackets, white blouses, and plain tees might sound boring, but it actually offers you huge versatility. Besides, you can absolutely mix in your plain clothes with your trendy pieces and you’ll look stylish as hell.
Throw out or repurpose old items
Go through your closet and get rid of everything you don’t need to free up space and avoid a cluttered mess. You could also repurpose some of your old items if you are crafty, so check out this tutorial to get ideas.
Ask yourself whether the garment fits your lifestyle
When picking out a garment, you do need pay attention to your lifestyle and the kind of items you need the most. Do you work in a very professional environment? Then you might want to invest in some good pantsuits. Are you rocker chick at heart and have a wardrobe filled with leather jackets, flannel shirts, and band shirts? Then the pink cardigan might be a little difficult to pair with something. However, there’s another point related to this that you need to keep in mind.
Challenge yourself
Finding things that fit your lifestyle doesn’t mean you have to be boring. You absolutely should challenge yourself and push the boundaries of your style, but we recommend that you rely on a plan, rather than an impulse buy. Go to Pinterest and look for cute outfits. Make a board of the things you like, and then start really thinking about what you’d like to try, and how you’d like to look.
And hey, remember this: fashion is fun. Organize a party and invite all your fashion-loving friends. Go through your closet together and model the garments for each other. We bet you’ll get inspired and find a million more uses and ideas for your old clothes. Get creative, and enjoy it.
