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Nothing to Wear?: A Five-Step Cure for the Common Closet
A pair of lifestyle consultants outlines a five-step program for working with outdated apparel and accessories for fashionable results, in a reference that explains how readers can identify one's fashion personality and de-clutter a closet. 40,000 first printing.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published March 2, 2006
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63 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
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August 19, 2008Do I have a style? Can I get one?
An informative, mildly entertaining book. I wish there were more pictures - it seems lacking in visual representation, even though that is precisely what they are preaching about - the effect of our appearance! A good library borrow.
An informative, mildly entertaining book. I wish there were more pictures - it seems lacking in visual representation, even though that is precisely what they are preaching about - the effect of our appearance! A good library borrow.
April 29, 2013
Probably a magazine article more than a book was needed here: you fall into one (or two)of five fashion categories with one of four lifestyle choices (as you can imagine, I didn't feel like I fit - there is no sporty/modern category, and I'm somewhere between "vacation in Biarritz" "needs another powersuit" and "stay at home mom" in lifestyle choice... probably nowhere near any of those choices, actually.
Throw out things that don't fit your body or your lifestyle. You don't need a ton of clothes to have a wardrobe. Try to look put-together every day. These aren't hard lessons, and you don't need to buy a mobile clothes rack to accomplish them.
Throw out things that don't fit your body or your lifestyle. You don't need a ton of clothes to have a wardrobe. Try to look put-together every day. These aren't hard lessons, and you don't need to buy a mobile clothes rack to accomplish them.
May 29, 2009
I liked the way the authors encourage you to pare down to the basics of your closet and work out from there. I felt the overall appeal of the book is geared more toward the 20-35+ year old window, which is why I (as a mature 50+ woman) would take this book along with Christopher Hopkins for a full closet/wardrobe overhaul. Hopkins is more specific for the older woman's needs and challenges. They both contribute good insights ("feel-good talk" notwithstanding) and genuinely helpful advice for the project. Thanks for sharing, Claire!
May 23, 2017
My mom picked this up for me (at a garage sale I presume) and she read it first before giving it to me. A lot of the info in this book I've come across and shared with my mom in blogs and forums. Considering this book is over ten years old and touches on capsule wardrobes, I'm surprised by how long it has taken for the info to start becoming mainstream in the blogosphere. Anywho, I've already paired down my closet quite a bit, so this book was most useful for helping me pinpoint my personal style (Chic/Classic). Though if you're still in the "I have nothing to wear" stage, this book walks you through the process of cleansing your closet. My mom, for example, is now motivated to clean her closet out and sort what's left by occasion summer, dressy, casual, etc. and I'm happy to help her! Now if only the book covered more ethical clothing brands...
December 27, 2024
Helpful: I love their light-hearted tone, reality-check pep talks, emphasis on living in the present, (e.g. no waiting for the "perfect" body), and 3 Q's (questions) for whether to keep or eliminate clothes from the wardrobe.
Not helpful: Their suggested designers are not size-inclusive; in fact, Garza and Lupo never substantially address petite and plus-sized women. Their suggestions also aren't *budget*-inclusive or mindful of low-to-middle income women who may also desire a fashion pick-me-up but can't afford consultants and designer labels.
Also, through no fault of the authors, times have changed. Had they written this book after the advent of Pinterest, their style-boarding suggestions would look a lot different. (That said, style boarding as a whole is an awesome idea to keep focused while shopping). Moreover, clothing is a lot lower in quality these days, online ordering is pushed more heavily than ever, and most department stores have been enshittified by private equity firms taking over them, making helpful sales people with an eye for fashion a thing of the past, at least in my mid-sized city. With these considerations, I'd love to see a revised edition of this book.
Not helpful: Their suggested designers are not size-inclusive; in fact, Garza and Lupo never substantially address petite and plus-sized women. Their suggestions also aren't *budget*-inclusive or mindful of low-to-middle income women who may also desire a fashion pick-me-up but can't afford consultants and designer labels.
Also, through no fault of the authors, times have changed. Had they written this book after the advent of Pinterest, their style-boarding suggestions would look a lot different. (That said, style boarding as a whole is an awesome idea to keep focused while shopping). Moreover, clothing is a lot lower in quality these days, online ordering is pushed more heavily than ever, and most department stores have been enshittified by private equity firms taking over them, making helpful sales people with an eye for fashion a thing of the past, at least in my mid-sized city. With these considerations, I'd love to see a revised edition of this book.
December 13, 2022
I had this on my to-read list for ages after seeing it on a library shelf many years ago and finally felt inspired to give it a go. I soon realized I was clearly not the target audience of the book, but decided to see what I could learn anyway. Even though I am not a woman, I believe a lot of the advice was interesting and useful and the whole Visual Therapy method could be adapted to anyone. I think it would be fun to see an updated version of this book that could also apply to a wider audience including non-binary and other LGBTQ+ folks. I found the paragraph about why men don't have problems with fashion and dressing to be non-applicable in today's day and age.
September 10, 2019
To much into the buying thing. Some interesting tips, but you could tell they were to designer-centric. More for someone in NY than in KY.
November 20, 2008
The whole finding your style archetype and sticking to it didn't really work for me and several of the people who panned the book on Amazon. But several things they wrote actually resonated with me.
Most women think they are one to two sizes larger than their "ideal" size. They will make do with the clothes they have now and go shopping again when they are their ideal size. We shouldn't wait years--or a whole lifetime. We should always have clothes that fit and are appropriate for the life we live.
Once I culled the things that I will never fit into again, and set aside the stuff I might fit into after hitting the gym more frequently (5 pounds down, another 5 to go. Yay!), I realized why I wear the same things over and over again.
They also mention buying too much "frosting" and not enough "cake". That is, many people buy pretty things that attract them, and don't pay attention to the backbones of their wardrobes. I actually have plenty of cake in my wardrobe, but they don't fit the body I have today. For instance, I had no belts that fit my post-baby waist.
Read the rest of the review at:
http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/200...
Most women think they are one to two sizes larger than their "ideal" size. They will make do with the clothes they have now and go shopping again when they are their ideal size. We shouldn't wait years--or a whole lifetime. We should always have clothes that fit and are appropriate for the life we live.
Once I culled the things that I will never fit into again, and set aside the stuff I might fit into after hitting the gym more frequently (5 pounds down, another 5 to go. Yay!), I realized why I wear the same things over and over again.
They also mention buying too much "frosting" and not enough "cake". That is, many people buy pretty things that attract them, and don't pay attention to the backbones of their wardrobes. I actually have plenty of cake in my wardrobe, but they don't fit the body I have today. For instance, I had no belts that fit my post-baby waist.
Read the rest of the review at:
http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/200...
February 27, 2010
I picked this book up at random at my local library. The title completely caught my eye. It is a quick read (although not so quick if you complete the steps as you go along). It had some useful tips that I found helpful in being more ruthless in weeding out my closet and focusing in on my personal style. And apparently I'm a Classic/Bohemian, although I'd like to move in the Chic direction (see quiz from book).
My main issue with the book, though, is that it didn't differentiate between 'need to do' and 'like to do' as far as setting up and maintaining your style. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to get a personal shopper - I shop for myself about twice a year. And I'm not going to have a tailor on call. I probably won't even update a style file regularly - I flat out just don't want to spend that much time on my clothes. So I liked the tips that will help me spend less time and spend money more wisely on my clothes and help me get a style I want, but everything else is just wishful thinking on their part.
My main issue with the book, though, is that it didn't differentiate between 'need to do' and 'like to do' as far as setting up and maintaining your style. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to get a personal shopper - I shop for myself about twice a year. And I'm not going to have a tailor on call. I probably won't even update a style file regularly - I flat out just don't want to spend that much time on my clothes. So I liked the tips that will help me spend less time and spend money more wisely on my clothes and help me get a style I want, but everything else is just wishful thinking on their part.
March 31, 2009
Who knew there was a method to the madness? I often find myself at a store buying whatever my emotions desire at that moment. This book - although expensive and very light reading with some obvious gaps in content - taught me to approach shopping with discipline. This hobby I call shopping can take over my spare time, my spare money, money I don't yet have and still I am left feeling like I have nothing to wear. With the 'visual therapy' from this book I have cleaned my closet; literally kicked out about 75% of my clothes, bought five pieces at Ann Taylor Loft and feel like I'm OK on clothes until the fall. Everything in this book may be intuitive and natural to some people but it was news to me. You don't know what you don't know until you know. Note to the editors/authors: what is with the "Style Statement"? It is not a statement at all. It is a list of data points - not a style statement! The book really could have used some more attention in that chapter.
July 17, 2016
While not every piece of advice in this book applied to me (I certainly can't afford to shop at many of those places, nor could I afford the set up that they wish you to do to complete the editing task), I found many gems that really helped. I ended up jotting down the big ideas I COULD work with as I read, and then went from there. Now, I have a well-organized closet, and some great tips to avoid impulse-buying, and what to look for to stock my closet with pieces I actually need.
June 20, 2008
Nothing to Wear? A 5-Step Cure for the Common Closet by Jesse Garza and Joe Lupo was an interesting book to me. I tend to wear the same color over and over again: Black. It’s not because I’m obsessed with the color, but more because...
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January 27, 2011
A very helpful approach to determining how to edit your closet and your image of yourself.
I found the advise to be sound, easy to follow, not "cutesy" or too trendy.
Not all the illustrations, of course, fit every person. But there is something in this book for everyone.
A good, solid bit of advice on how to establish a core wardrobe that fits your lifestyle, whatever it may be.
I found the advise to be sound, easy to follow, not "cutesy" or too trendy.
Not all the illustrations, of course, fit every person. But there is something in this book for everyone.
A good, solid bit of advice on how to establish a core wardrobe that fits your lifestyle, whatever it may be.
August 13, 2013
A good book to get me excited to revamp my wardrobe. The steps seem straight-forward enough. I read through it, but haven't started following the process yet. This was greatly skewed toward working women, and didn't really say much about a casual wardrobe. Nevertheless, I want to take the things I learned and apply them.
June 12, 2008
The information is quite useful although it requires a lot of leg work. They recommend you purchase a polaroid camera and to photograph different looks for various aspects of your life. It seems like a lot of work at first but this makes picking a look much more easier.
June 7, 2011
If you have never read another book on style, shopping or wardrobe planning, then this has some helpful suggestions. But why waste your time when there are so many other bigger and better books out there.
April 3, 2008
This is one of those fix your wardrobe books. Made me want to go out and shop until I dropped. :)
July 21, 2008
Clean out your closet! I actually use some of the ideas in this book, but obviously, I need to take it step further.
October 18, 2008
Very helpful and practical approach to cleaning out the closet and building a wardrobe that suits your real life! Beautiful fashion illustrations a bonus.
May 19, 2011
Outline of how to find your style and build a wardrobe for it. Not any particularly new ideas.
January 12, 2013
Useful. Probably the best presented of this type of book.
October 20, 2013
Just a fun way to look at your closet and your clothes to de-clutter and define your style.
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September 16, 2009Bookmooch
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews