A Wardrobe Full Of Clothes But Nothing To Wear

by Jenn
(Quezon City)

No matter how full my closet is with clothes, there's still nothing to wear!

That's always been my dilemma since I started my teen years!

What should I do??


Dear Jenn,

I know how frustrating it is to stand in front of your own closet packed with clothes and thinking: 'I have nothing to wear'. Your closet is full and you've spent so much money on all those clothes that you rarely or never wear!

You might not believe this but most women only wear 20% of their wardrobe 80% of the time. So you are not alone :-)

If your wardrobe is brimming of clothes but you feel that you never have anything to wear, then it simply means that it's time to re-organize your wardrobe. I think the problem here is that you are not able to see all of your clothes - they're out of sight, which makes it a problem to know what to wear.

Here are some tips on what to do with a full, but dysfunctional closet:

How to Revive Your Wardrobe

Clean out your closet

Needless to say, the perfect outfit (-s) is hiding in there somewhere but you just don't see it. And with the hundreds (am I exaggerating..?) of garments in your closet, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

This is how you do it:

• 
  How to Organize Your Closet Step by Step
• List of Questions to Help You Decide What Clothes to Keep and What to Toss

After gathering what you don't need in one pile, do not give it away yet because you need it for evaluation when creating a shopping list. I'll get back to that further down this page.

Organize your closet strategically

After cleaning out your closet, tossing items that don't serve you anymore and keeping what you need, you now have a pile full of clothes that are fit and presentable. It's time to organize your closet so that all the jackets hang together in one section; all the skirts in another, etc.

I would personally suggest that you group each season by item and then finally by color (however since you live in warm climate (Philippines?)) you'll only have clothes for only warmer season).

I think this strategy is the most effective system to build and maintain, and that's because it is the best way to keep an overview of your closet inventory. In this way you can take follow of what you wear the most and what's getting worn out.

You don't have to divide your closet into everyday and evening wear because it limits your closet's potential of creating multiple outfits. A basic tank top can look good with a dressy skirt.

Make sure to check out the main Guide to Closet Organizing for more ideas on how to organize your clothes and accessories, as well as a step-by-step guideline to objectively keep and toss the contents of your wardrobe.


Create a list of what you need

Now that you have a very clear picture of what's inside your closet, it's time to stand in front of your open closet with a piece of paper and a pen, and take a note of what you need (according to your lifestyle) which will guide you to what to buy the next time you shop. And remember, if you can't combine an item into ATLEAST 3 outfits, then pass it on, or else it will be a waste of money.

This is how you do it:

• 
  List of wardrobe essentials for the style-savvy woman (just ignore the items that don't apply to your country's climate)
• 
  Spring and Summer Fashion Trends Closet Essentials

And now let's work on the toss-pile: See any re-occurring patterns? Do you have several of the same clothing? Look at each garment and take a note of what you shouldn't buy the next time you shop. This will be your reminder of what you don't need.

It's completely fine to buy fun items now and then but you just have to fill in the gaps in your newly-organized wardrobe with the essentials before you add the trends.