It's a problem we ladies deal with all the time. The closet is stuffed, but there's nothing there. "Can't you just throw something on?" guys may wonder. Ah, if it was only that easy...
So take heart in knowing you're not alone. None of us have anything to wear, especially not Cathy Cox, eDiets' Testimonial Manager. Watch her video blog below as she takes "nothing to wear" to a whole new level...
Have you been there before? Tell us about it by adding a comment!
Comment: Tuesday, June 24, 2008 4:13:00 AM - 
said...
Hey Cathy! It sounds to me like you need to "do" your closet. Twice a year I set aside a block of time when I can (hopefully) be alone in the house for a few hours. I then try on everything and decide what fits and what doesn't. Fitting includes whether or not I like it on me and think I would actually wear it; like if it has big shoulder pads and looks stupid that doesn't "fit." Because I have trouble getting rid of things, I have another closet (I call this my purgatory closet) to put stuff in--if it's in there for a year or two and I haven't pulled it back out again, I give it away to charity. I take a big load of stuff out of the purgatory closet and give it away as part of this process. This will leave you with an edited closet with items you actually want to wear, plus you can identify items you need (like if you need black pants or more short-sleeved tops or something). The other thing I do is I rotate stuff like work jackets--if a jacket comes up in the rotation and my heart sinks at the prospect of wearing it, off to purgatory it goes.
I don't do this but I know some people will actually pull together outfits on hangers. But I'm more of a mix-and-match person, plus there are seasonal issues with that sometimes. Anyway, I hope this helps!
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 7:01:00 AM - said...
Every Fall and Spring I go through my closet and throw out anything that hasn't been wore in the past year or anything that doesn't fit right. If you haven't worn it in a year, then there is probably a good reason! Also, if you can't remember the last time you wore it...just throw out! That helps me know what I need to buy and weeds out the closet to make it easier to find something to wear! Good Luck!!
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 8:33:00 AM - said...
Cathy, Seems like you should buy 1 new item and then have a mix/match time and throw out at least 10 items each time you get something new! Be sure you like it before you buy it! Have fun!
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 8:45:00 AM - said...
I use to have the same problem as Cathy. My soulution, besides editing my closet, annually, was to organize all my clothes... into skits, trousers, jackets, casual tops, formal dresses etc. This way I was able to see all my clothes at a glance. I beleive knowing what you have in the closet helps us to decide better, what we should wear. If you have a closet full of clothes that all jumbled togethee, then it's difficult to make that decision.
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 8:55:00 AM - said...
Cathy, I do the exact same thing. I have three closets and still have to do the seasonal change to put away winter clothes and bring up summer clothes. It is such a hassle. I disagree with the notion of throwing it out if you have not worn it for a year. I know that is hard to do, but some items are just not easy to part with.
You do need to do try-on and discard session and get rid of some things. Your local Goodwill will be very appreciative. I give gowns, formal dresses and unique items to our high school for their theater closet. They love it.
Also, I do my "fashion show" at night so I won't have any surprises in the morning which would delay me. That is when I have my pile on the bed, etc.
I am sure there are more women like you and me than care to admit. If nothing else, organize it into items, colors or something.
Cute blog.
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 9:03:00 AM - said...
In this age of living "green" I am frustrated at the people who just "throw out" clothing that is in good to excellent condition, and literally mean "throw it out." I generally go through my closet and dresser to find clothing that is not wearable for me. The things that are irrepairable or in poor condition are cut up for the rag pile (True, some fabrics make terrible rags), but the items that are still wearable will go to several different places: a garage sale, a general clothing drive, my local internet "free cycle" site, or a local shelter that donates clothes to people who are struggling to get their life back together. I only donate my clothes and things to Good Will or Salvation Army if the above places have not worked since Good Will and Salvation Army actually charge people in need and those people not in need go there looking for bargains. Also, if Salvation Army (at least our local donation sites)doesn't think the item will sell or move quickly, they put it in their dumpster for the trash. I know this because my oldest son dumpster dives and has found wonderful things in the local Salvation Army dumpsters. By all means, go through your stuff at least once a year, but trash any stuff as a last resort.
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 9:12:00 AM - 
Iamanotr said...
Hi, Catthy, Oh my God we must be related. I am also overwhelmed with the same closet...I just wanted you to know you are not alone. I just recently tried to purge the closet...I am still working on it. It helped that I went to a wedding recently and saw a lady in a nice dress. It was rather dated only because I knew I bought one just like it before my 18 year old daugher was born. It made me think even if I could get back into it... would I want to wear it? Someone else bought some of these thing many years ago too. Good luck
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 9:15:00 AM - said...
Hey Cathy you are not alone! I have three closets that look like yours and I can't find anything. I also do the trying different things on and throwing them on the bed thing. I redid my room though and love it and want to keep it looking nice, so I hang things back up right away now instead of at the end of the day. I also pick out my outfit the day before and have it ready to throw on in the morning. It still is the same process only it happens before I go to bed. I also purge and give to charity when I know that I am running out of room in the closet and that there are items in there that I know I will not ever wear again. I also have sisters that go through my closets and can wear what I no longer want. Good luck!
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 9:35:00 AM - said...
I seem to be plagued by the same problem. Fashion just makes a circle, whats old is new. Lately they have not been meshing for the older crowd. Men like to see us in the latest fashion, but they are not willing to pay the price. So they retort with statements like, "honey you look good in anything to me, or nothing at all. But when they take you out, their eye's are on the women in the latest fashion, thereby making you feel old and outdated...What to do, what to do???
Xzavier D. Williams
Jax, Fl
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 9:55:00 AM - said...
Hi Cathy: You really need to take a weekend or two and do some serious trying on and give the rejects to charity. Good Will, Salvation Army, Value Village or church organization. You might feel quite virtuous after such a closet purge and someone else might really like it. If you are rejecting the outfit first thing in the morning then you really need to get rid of it. For a time (as a student) I really had to be up early and out the door in order to be on time and I used to arrange on Sunday night what I was going to wear for the five days coming up. That was complete outfits, washed, ironed and ready to go. Remember the rule, if you haven't worn it for a year get rid of it. Good luck.
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 10:18:00 AM - said...
I could easily have your problem and to some extent I do. Lots and lots of clothes, shoes, and accessories and to make matters worse I hate to give away stuff whether it fits me or not. You could call me a "collector". What has made my life somewhat organized is for example, at present the weather is warm, so I have taken out all my summery shoes and put the others in a big box. My light colored pants, skirts, and tops are within reach out of the closet on hangers. This is working pretty well.
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 11:07:00 AM - said...
Cathy, every Saturday while doing laundry I go to the Weather Channel and make a little chart on a 3 x 5 sticky note that goes inside my bathroom mirror. I put the 5 days of the work week across the long edge/top and HI LO & R (for rain/snow?) down the left side. I fill this in from the TV (or weather.com).
Then I look at the bottoms that will feel comfy at each day's temp & try to find tops that will "go with." Wash, sew over the weekend any ones needing it.
I add shoes, bag, jewelry with small notes on the chart, by days.
When each day of the week comes up, I wear what I wrote and suffer if need be. If it's looking to be much colder/hotter than forecast, I throw a warmer/cooler top in the same color in the back seat of my car. (Fortunately, I can easily get to my car from work office.) Lately I've been keeping one black cap-sleeve V-neck tee in the car always for days when the AC breaks and the top I chose turns out to be too hot. (I can wear black with anything.)
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 11:09:00 AM - said...
Rotating work jackets and sorting clothes by category are both great ideas. I sort not only by category - pants, tops, jackets, dresses, skirts - but I sort by color also. Put all red tops/blouses together, all black pants together etc. I have been able to create some amazing new mix and match outfits that I would never have thought of otherwise, thus expanding my wardrobe with fewer pieces. Cathy, there will STILL be some days when you have nothing to wear, but this system helps a LOT! Good luck!
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 11:37:00 AM - said...
I can completely relate! I actually kicked my husband out of our closet, his clothes are now in another room! I know how ridiculous this is, so I decided to change the situation. I have 2 big bags, one for clothes to donate, and one for really good condition clothes to get $ from resale shops. These bags are hanging up in the closet, so every time I try something on and it doesn't fit properly, or it's beyond stylish, I put in one of the bags. I find myself putting items in one of the bags daily. It has really helped. I've been doing this for about 2 months now, and it's looking like my closet is ready for husband's clothes to move back in. Good luck, you are certainly NOT a loan!
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 12:08:00 PM - said...
Cathy, I do the exact same thing. You should see all the clothes on my bed! That is, when I don't plan. I find that if I make time on Sunday to plan out what I'm going to wear for the week, or even the day before, I don't struggle as much with what to wear. I always have a back up outfit for those bloated days too. I also agree with the other comments to purge your stock. Good Luck! Tammy in Tennessee
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 3:20:00 PM - said...
HEY CATHY...YES BEEN THERE DONE THAT...WHEN SHOPPING: 1. BUY THE WHOLE OUTFIT...2. DON'T BUY JUST BECAUSE IT'S ON SALE...3. BUY CLOTHES THAT FIT BEAUTIFULLY...HAVE SKIRTS AND SLACKS OR ENTIRE SUITS IN BROWN, BLACK, NAVY. HAVE SHOES IN BROWN, BLACK AND NAVY...HAVE PURSES IN BROWN BLACK AND NAVY. THEN BUY BEAUTIFUL BLOUSES. DON'T BUY CLOTHES UNLESS YOU ABSOLUTELY LOVE THEM...GOOD LUCK
Comment: Friday, July 04, 2008 3:22:00 PM - Pamela Lynn said...
DO NOT just throw stuff into the landfills, please!
use freecycle.org, craigslist, and see if your trash pickup always/sometimes will accept fabric recyclables (mine does, if your unwanted clothing is placed in clear plastic bags). all 3 of those methods do NOT involve schlepping your old clothing to salvation army or goodwill yourself, too...just out your door!
reduce by letting others reuse your stuff! the karmic benefits are fairly high, too.
Comment: Saturday, July 05, 2008 9:46:00 PM - said...
hey cathy,
i just went through my closet. here is how mine is set up, just so you get an idea first. on one side i have all the long pants, skirts, capris and dresses. on the other side, i have an upper hanging area and a lower hanging area. the top area closest to the closet opening are work tops or going out tops, then towards the middle are all my "winter" clothing. i put "winter" in quotes because i live in south florida so i don't need as many nice sweaters and such, and then the back of the top hanging side are all my holiday shirts and sweatshirts and vests.
then i have the lower side, the whole beginning part of that are what i used to wear as workout shirts or clean around the house shirts, then i have my t-shirts that i wear now, then in the middle are most of the size L and some XL that do not fit at this moment hanging there, and then in the back are all my sweatshirts and jackets i have. so that is the layout of my closet.
i went to visit my parents last weekend and decided i needed to give my mom some clothes to sell in her garage sale. so i went through all hte t-shirts i used to wear to the gym. i realized most of them hadn't been worn in probably 2 years, they all went in a pile. if they were old dance shirts, i put them in a box because i don't want to part with them quite yet. so all of those shirts went to my mom's house for a garage sale and if she doesn't sell them, she will donate them or use them at her middle school she works at for kids to wear if they don't have the proper attire on.
as for what to wear in the morning, i go through the same problem, there is a chair in the middle of my closet that i lay or hang clothes on that i have decided are not what i want to wear. so at least they are not on my bed, but in the closet and by the end of the week, i try to work on hanging them back up. so i don't know if this helps, but i do clean out my closet every couple of months when i have gone through things and they are jsut arent' fitting anymore.
Comment: Monday, July 07, 2008 10:36:00 AM - said...
Hi Cathy! I think we're related somehow, but there's no way I'm putting a picture of my closet on the web...I have FOUR TIMES the mess and the clothes!! I'm so glad you came up with this blog, because now I don't feel so alone with my packrat tendencies...though I MUST do something about it soon! I'm approaching 50 years old, and 1/2 of the clothes in my closet are size 4s, which would be great if I still wore size 4! It's been 3 or 4 years since I was in my smaller size, and I'm wearing a size 8 now... but I can't decided if my constant dieting and hoping that I'll fit back into them is a blessing or a curse! I find that I also have too many "trendy" clothes for my age. I need to start looking for more conservative, yet cute, clothes... But, wow!!!...some of these ideas for getting organized are great and I hope to start weeding through my piles and piles of clothes soon!
Comment: Tuesday, July 08, 2008 11:04:00 AM - said...
Wow - you guys have some awesome pointers to share! I am notoriously bad at cleaning out what doesn't fit or what is out of style - the worst part is that I just moved! Twice! Twice in the past 2 years. So what you see now IS relatively ummm...sorted and cleaned out. Hah! I will do it again, and re-organize and see if that helps...
Picking stuff out the night before though..that has historically never helped, because it can be lovely the night before and the nicest/best outfit I've ever owned, but if it's going to be "one of those days," then it won't matter :)
Comment: Monday, July 14, 2008 12:44:00 AM - said...
There are some really good tips here for weeding out and organizing clothes! I, too, have trouble with my weight now that I'm over 50, and have wardrobes for at least two different sizes. My latest idea is to pack away my smaller size until I lose weight again. What do you think?
As far as organization goes, the best thing for me has been a closet organizer with rods for hanging clothes and shelves for T-shirts, sweaters, everyday pants & jeans, and workout clothes. I hang everything else by COLOR, no matter what it is. It has helped me make new outfits - and besides, it looks prettier!
Comment: Monday, August 18, 2008 12:21:00 PM - said...
Cathy, you have a very refreshing style.
I keep special dresses ready - sounds like a luxury.
Organization is the key.
I only have one style of jeans I love which I keep two pairs rolled up on the shelf.
I keep all my black items in a rubbermaid storage container-camisoles, sweaters, etc.
I keep all of my white and pink tops together b/c I am a pink afficionado.
If something just isn't doing anything for my shape - I do get rid of it.
How about some jewelry organizing tips or what happens with all those single earrings.
Comment: Thursday, August 21, 2008 8:20:00 AM - said...
it has to do with how much you love yourself... it's a psychological thing, not a wardrobe matter. No advice about organizing things will help... unless you put your own feelings in order.... I mean become settled... the reason behind the disaster is your own mind... which wants more, out of yourself, that is where the indecision comes from...without being sure is ready to handle more...that's where headaches are originating... it has a name... codependency... it has a solution... loving yourself and appreciating yourself more, seeing yourself in a positive light, regardless of what you wear... You must not please others, you should please yourself... that is why you have so many clothes... so you could fit into any shoe... LOL... tell me, is it possible?
Comment: Sunday, August 24, 2008 10:40:00 AM - said...
Of course you are not alone! We are all teenage girls with crows feet and a rear that has shifted to an area closer to our knees than we would like...my closet is very organized with all my clothes separated into like colors (to easily satisfy, say, a green mood) camis together, short little shrugs keeping each other company and so on...so easy and yet I still have many days when I am closing the door to my bedroom and leaving for work that I know I will have to have a glass of wine that evening before being able to face the fact that a bomb went off in my bedroom throwing clothes and jewelry and shoes all over the place and the only maid that is going to come in and clean it up looks just like me...we're just girls!
Comment: Monday, September 01, 2008 9:35:00 PM - said...
Hey Kathy I go through the same thing everyday. The night before thing doesn't work. I try on 3-10 outfits everyday until I finally settle on something. The night before doesn't work, organizing doesn't work and downsizing my 3 closets full of clothes doesn't work. First of all the night before may promise to be sunny and warm and then it turns hot to be rainy and cool, also it depends on my mood my mood reflects in the choice of colors I wear as well as if I want to look dressy, or casual etc.I just resigned mtyself to being a "hopeless case" a go through the torture everyday. But I agree with a previous post IT is a pyschological thing, not a wardrobe thing, but knowing it doesn't make it just go away. Anyway good luck and I will think of you in the mornings as I too toss my clothes all over the place trying to find the right thing to wear.
Comment: Friday, September 05, 2008 11:35:00 PM - said...
Hello Cathy, I had the same problem. I tried choosing my outfit for the next day at night, but I find that by morning, I am not in the mood to wear what I chose the night before!!!!
I have one suggestion for you that helps me when I change my mind, that is to categorize my clothes by type: skirts, pants, tops, dresses, suits. That way you can quickly put another outfit together in a snap. Another thing that I find helpful is not to hang in the closet clothes that need ironing, mending or cleaning (this will cause you to waste time if you come up with another outfit only to find buttons missing or unironed article of clothing which is perfect with your chosen suit or whatever else.)
Comment: Saturday, September 06, 2008 10:57:00 AM - said...
Hey Cathy!
You are not alone. I have a 13 year old daughter that does the same thing. My daughter is overweight-in the process of dieting and hates everything she wears. By the time she leaves for school her room looks like a tornado hit. I think that it ties in with self-esteem. If you feel good about yourself and accepting of your body image, getting dressed is a breeze. It is when you don't feel comfortable in your own skin that putting on another layer is uncomfortable.
Comment: Monday, September 08, 2008 8:05:00 AM - wonderjoy said...
Cathy I usually pick out a different set of five outfits for the entire week and make sure it is something that I can fit and looks nice on me. Then I wear that for the week and if I change my mind about one thing during that week I have at least other things already picked out. So I won't be late or have a pile of clothes laying all over the place. when I return home. This saves me time and money.
Comment: Monday, September 08, 2008 4:43:00 PM - cabooses said...
Cathy, Wear what feels good for the day for you, and what ever the dress code is for your work place, work it up or down in good taste, yours. Have a great day, You are what you wear. Smile. Cabooses
Comment: Friday, September 12, 2008 3:25:00 PM - said...
Hi Cathy,
Remember that if you look good you'll feel good so the key is THROW AWAY, GIVE AWAY, YOU DON'T NEED THIS, YOU DON'T NEED THAT...
and of course ORGANISE.....
one skirt on each hanger, seperate hanger for tops, jackets etc...
it will make your life MUUUUUUCH
easier!!!!
Comment: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 9:09:00 AM - Erin Sowards said...
Okay...I started doing this for my three kids to make getting ready for them easier in the morning and now I have also done it in my closet. I organize everything into "outfits." I try things on, choose the best matching outfit and organize 10-15 outfits according to the season on the shelf or on hangers. Now, in the morning, I throw it on, I know it looks great together and on me, and I go!
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