Why Don't I Have Anything to Wear?: Spend Less. Shop Smarter. Revolutionise Your Wardrobe

by Andrea Cheong

Have you ever opened your wardrobe, filled with clothes, and felt you had nothing to wear? Have you ever bought a jumper that only lasted about 5 washes? Have you ever seen images of landfills filled with clothes and wondered how you could make your clothes last as long as possible? Why Don't I Have Anything to Wear? holds the easy solutions to these questions. In her five-step programme, Andrea Cheong will teach you how to break free from damaging shopping patterns, helping you to save money, shop smarter and create a wardrobe that works effectively for you. This simple guide will give you the tools and knowledge to confidently assess whether a garment you want to buy is value for money or a rip off. Filled with fun interactive quizzes, checklists and decision trees, Why Don't I Have Anything to Wear? will help you learn: * How retailers play mind games * The difference between sustainable buys vs sustainable brands * The second-hand and rental market * The different types of materials * How to shop less to shop better, and so much more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Fashion

291 pages, Hardcover

Published August 3, 2023

Reviews

[Joanna Kempsmith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Andrea, girl, your editors did you dirty. I hate to say it, because I'm a fan of Andrea, but wow oh wow was this a torturous read. The entire book felt like a first draft written on a notes app that someone at Lagom skim-read, chopped out some bits they didn't like and sent to publish. It's such a shame because Andrea is clearly super passionate and knowledgeable about fashion, but the -at times- nonsensical writing just made me question her authority. Like, I'm going to be wary about taking advice from someone who hyphenates 'whatever', ya know?

One of the worst offenders was the 'sentence': "For many, when it comes to spending too much." That's it, that's the whole sentence. The following sentence doesn't even follow on from it, so it's not like it's just a rogue full stop, rather I suspect someone chopped and changed some paragraph or other and never sense-checked it. Just dire editing all round.

It's particularly frustrating when such a huge argument Andrea makes throughout the book (and on her social channels) is the importance of quality. The mistakes, the poor photographs, the general rushed nature of the book had me, honestly, feeling pretty duped, like I'd bought the book equivalent of a polyester H&M cardigan that Andrea scathingly reviews.

Typos aside, the content itself was mostly okay. Personally I had hoped the book would largely be focused on quality and materials as that's the content that interests me the most from Andrea's insta. So I was a bit disappointed that there were lots of chapters like 'money and mental health' that didn't say anything new or groundbreaking imo. Some of these chapters, like 'fashion goals' felt somewhat lifeless, and I couldn't help but wonder if Andrea had originally pitched to write a book focussing more on the quality and materials element of her work but had been talked into creating something a bit more generic....just a theory!

Finally, can someone please tell me what in the hell the Mindful Monday Method is?! It gets mentioned every other page and was literally never explained. I felt like I was going mad until I read other reviews saying the same. Like, what's the method, and why is it on Monday?! Is it a cult?? Feels like it could be a cult.

TLDR; poorly edited, some useful content but probably better examples out there. And wtf is the mindful Monday method.

[Annikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like what Andrea Cheong does (I follow her on IG) and agree with most things she says in this book. The majority of it isn’t new, but there are some great insights and the kind of insider knowledge that I find interesting. I often get annoyed with people who criticise fashion industry without understanding it, which is definitely not the case here.

Unfortunately, all this is undermined by outrageously bad editing, both structurally and line-by-line. You can almost see where things have been cut or moved around, so that the text no longer makes sense, not to mention the repetition and grammar and other issues that the editor should have caught (‘pay-off’ is used instead of ‘trade-off’ not once, but twice!). The author’s method of mindful shopping is constantly referred to, but never properly explained, which makes everything rather aimless. I get the sense that the author and the editor(s) wanted a very different book to begin with.

It is still interesting, but if you are sensitive to issues I mentioned above, proceed with caution.

[Frida von K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an excellent framework for shopping, not just for clothes but for anything in your life. It is the antidote to mindless and wasteful consumerism. It is not a formula to follow but instead encourages a shift in thinking. This is why I support Andrea's work so much and hope that it gains more traction. We all need to think more about what we are buying, and what environmental and social impact every one of our purchases may have.

I really appreciated the amount of research that went into the book, from details about materials and their manufacturing processes to quotes from businesses trying to operate more sustainably within the fashion world. The charts showing perceived quality using her method versus price were enlightening (although some detailed information on how she quantified "quality" would have been nice!). I definitely learned something new reading it, even though I've been following Andrea's content on social media for a while. I also found the book written in a very engaging way, and I definitely enjoy Andrea's sense of humour. Also, the illustrations in the book, all done by Andrea are beautiful and add to the reading experience.

It would not be a complete review without covering the negative points of the book. There are not many but here are a couple:
- I personally found the quizzes and decision trees a bit gimmicky and not particularly insightful. Still, it may be useful to those that are struggling to understand or pinpoint their particular quirks or behaviours.
- Nothing to do with the book's content but I found it a shame that the cover is made of a material that doesn't seem to be very durable. There has been a lot of colour transfer and rubbing off of the green to expose the white cardboard underneath. It's just been a week since purchasing the book and it already looks quite worn (and note I am quite a careful reader and try to take care of my possessions!) I have a feeling the cover won't pass Andrea's strict quality control (!)

[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed. The author keeps going on about the 'Mindful Monday Method' and despite almost having finished the book, I am still none the wiser to what exactly this method entails.

Apart from this, a lot of the information in the book was nothing new. Disappointing.

[Giulia Citrolo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting read on our everyday approach to shopping. I don't enjoy shopping as a hobby, so I may not be the n.1 target, but I still enjoyed Cheong analysis of the fashion industry and how it affects our spending habits. We live in a fast world, and we definitely need to stop and take some time to be more mindful. That said, this book could have used some good editing. There was some repetition, and sometimes, the author lost her track. As someone has already remarked, what's the Mindful Monday Method? It's never been properly explained...

[Jai · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to force myself to finish this and skimmed it towards the end. I thought this would be way more informative on actual materials and how clothes are created.

Thought it was edited quite badly too. The book felt haphazardly put together. Didn’t enjoy the quizzes and decision trees either - felt like a Cosmo mag.

The illustrations were cute though and bought a nice feel to the book. Appreciate the research that went into this but the fluff at the beginning detracted from that.

[Benedict · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered Andrea Cheong on Instagram, posting her TikTok videos about identifying well-made (or more often, poorly made) clothing on the high street. Her aim is to teach people how to be discerning about their shopping habits, and how to think more sustainably about fashion. This book outlines her principles on this topic.

Ok, up top, I have to talk about this. Online, Cheong is famous for her 'Mindful Monday Method' of clothes shopping, which she details in this book. Cool, what's the Mindful Monday Method? I have no idea. I read the whole book and I still closed it at the end and had to Google "what actually IS the Mindful Monday Method". It is mentioned constantly from page 1 through to page 280, about how useful it is and how it can be used to think better about consuming habits, but uh, for such a snappy title, I couldn't for the life of me find any summary of what it entails. If I take the book chapter names, we go 1) Wardrobe Audit, 2) Money & Mental Health, 3) Fashion Goals, 4) Materials, 5) Quality. Is... Is THAT the method? I'm not kidding, I genuinely don't know. If that's the method, why's it on a Monday? Do I have to do a wardrobe audit every week? I know I'm being dumb, but I genuinely can't get my head around what the Mindful Monday Method actually is, which would be fine if it wasn't referenced every few pages.

The stuff in here is good. It's well-researched and well-intended, with good advice on thinking more sustainably about fashion consumerism. It has good advice for how to think about fashion, how to curb a spending habit, and how to try and make sustainable choices.

Good book, good ideas, but absolutely lost on what its core 'method' actually means.

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this book. I bought the kindle version and will also buy the physical book, as it has really useful information i want to go back to every time I shop.
The only issue I had was, that the Mindful Monday Method is never really explained. If you didn’t know Andrea before reading the book you might be left with questions in the end. But nothing a bit of googling and watching her videos can’t solve!

[Risha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting look into the fashion industry. It slso doubles as a great guide in u derstanding fabrics and makes of clothing, jewellery and foorwear. Andrea Chrong also writes succinctly and makes for an easy read, which is SO nice in a non fiction book. I plan on doing a wardrobe audit these holidays 🥹🥹.

[Emma Thede · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide to shopping more mindfully and rethinking the purpose of fashion in our lives.

[Charlotte]

while this book is great, i don't think i'm the target audience: i haven't bought any new clothes in 6 months

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear? by Andrea Cheong is a book about making smarter choices when shopping for clothes. What sets Cheong’s approach apart from others is that she does not simply focus on making smarter aesthetic choices, nor does she only look at the environmental factors of the fashion industry. Her definition of sustainability follows a holistic approach that aims to identify your personal goals, both shopping-wise and financially, and sensitize you to the (often deceptive) marketing strategies of the fashion industry. Ultimately, it guides you towards shopping habits that serve your wallet, the planet, and your mental health. She argues that by shopping in a way that makes you feel in control, eliminating impulse buys and the resulting regret, and by not letting clothes define you, you will end up buying less. As a result, saving the planet almost becomes an unavoidable by-product of your sustainable shopping habits.

To do so, the author created the Mindful Monday Method. A 5-step program that takes all the aforementioned aspects and helps the reader create a personal guideline to shopping. Starting with a Wardrobe Audit to clean out your closet and evaluate your current habits, you will move on to understand how clothes and, by extension, your financial situation make you feel and how it potentially impacts your mental health negatively. With that in mind, you will set your Fashion Goals depending on what you want to achieve and what sustainability means to you. The last two steps, Materials and Quality, have you look at what clothes are made of and how they are made, to further help you make smarter decisions when looking at product labels and clothes in-store.

Why Don’t I Have Anything To Wear? is a great starting point for everyone who feels unhappy about their own shopping habits, be it for the toll it might take on their mental health, or because they care about the environment, or both. It is full of quizzes, questions to ask yourself, decision trees, and tips to find out what’s most important to you and how to fulfill those goals when it comes to shopping. There are also a few mentions of multiple organizations that focus on and, in part, certify sustainability efforts, and a couple of innovative brands to look out for (although, of course, each garment needs to be evaluated individually).

I bought this book because I follow Cheong’s work on social media and appreciate that her approach does not end at having to either spend copious amounts of money to buy sustainably or never to buy anything ever again. I especially enjoyed the detailed description of different fabrics and materials.
Although the idea of including pictures to show faulty manufacturing was good, unfortunately, the images being black and white made it hard to discern any details. I have also seen confusion in other reviews as to what the Mindful Monday Method, that gets mentioned a lot in the book, actually is. The problem here is that this method is described and explained in utmost detail, but the fact that the five chapters that this book is made up of correspond to the five steps of the MMM is not introduced as such. This leaves the reader with detailed knowledge of the MMM without ever knowing that it is the MMM. Only after “consulting” TikTok did I find out that I had just read 250+ pages on the MMM. The book also contains a few spelling and grammar mistakes, and at times seems a bit rambly. But personally, I enjoyed reading about Cheong’s mental health journey, as I can relate quite a bit. Moreover, I will definitely think about the contents of the book next time I shop. And if it deters me from buying something I will regret later, it has done its job well.

[Willow Rankin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this through fairly quickly - being 278ish pages, its not exactly a long read.
I felt this book tried to do too much and didn't expand enough.
From the introduction I expected more of a workbook - learn about clothes that I wanted to buy including quality, price point, style etc and then move onto learning about those different aspects. And in part this is what the book tried to do. However, I felt the book was rushed, and lacked sufficient detail on how to shop smarter.
Sure looking at quality and sustainability are important, but not all of us want to look the same - and if everyone started wearing cashmere sweaters from places like Uniqlo - then surely we would have a cashmere problem, let alone the unsustainability of said purchasing.
However, I felt this book is a compendium to Lucy Seigel's book "To Die For".
Overall, a good read, am glad I picked it up and the chapter on quality was good - however, if you are looking for a book on how to identify your style, this isn't going to be doing that.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

instagram recommended andrea's profile to me one day and i liked how she'd go into stores and evaluate the quality/composition/prices of their clothes. i do feel like after following her i've made a more conscious effort to consider the fabric composition of clothes before making a purchase decision and that's stopped me from buying a whole bunch of unnecessary things so hey the mindful monday method (whatever that really is?) works. my fave parts of this book were the educational bits like understanding different materials - where they come from, what they're used for, how to judge quality, price points - but other than that this type of content works best on the audiovisual platforms she's been using. the little pictures she drew throughout were so cute but the writing/structure were alas not so good.. feel like i've learned more about the publishing industry along with fashion lol

[Louisa Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book needed to pick a lane - I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a guide for methods of shopping better, but after chapters around the authors' personal journey and finding 'fashion goals', I came away a bit confused on what the aim of the book was (what is the Mindful Monday Method?). I have previously read 'The Curated Closet', which I found more digestible as practical guidance. I was expecting a similar guide here, but perhaps I approached this with the wrong expectations of what the book is about?

The sections on garment quality / materials were interesting, and useful as guidance for better shopping. This could easily have been the whole book. The author is clearly very knowledgeable on these areas and I would have liked to learn more on those areas.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not the type of book I usually enjoy, but I have to say it was entertaining and informative at the same time. I share the feeling other reviewers pointed out that some more work could have gone into structuring the concept of "mindful Monday method". It's there, in the book, but it's not well defined. Is it about doing a wardrobe audit and shopping more mindfully? I think it is, but when you call it a method I expect some more structured steps. This is maybe more of a framework, maybe.
This complaint doesn't take much away from the book: I learned a lot reading it, and will consult it again from time to time.

[Nga · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sick of my clothes falling apart so quickly. I was puzzled on why it was so hard to buy clothes that fit right and would last. So I picked up the book.

The chapters on clothes quality and textiles are helpful. However, I wish the book has more examples and pictures of bad quality clothes. I actually watched the her Tiktok reviews of poor quality clothes as well. Only reading the book would have been too confusing.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great stuff, particularly when Cheong gets into the nitty gritty of what to look for when it comes to materials and quality. I would have liked more of this because I felt like that was what set this book apart from others I'd read about sustainable fashion in the past. I liked the sections on jewellery and shoes towards the end and would love to have seen some more breakdowns of other product categories - outerwear or bags for example.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. An excellent handbook if you want to change your approach to clothing and be more considered about quality and sustainability. The chapter on fabric types was the best for me - extremely informative, as was the comparison charts of different retailers. Found myself wishing Cheong had stretched to a similar systematic deep dive on the craft of clothing construction. When to hold out for a lining, examining seams and stitching, pros and cons of various sleeve/necklines… that sort of thing, but to her credit she isn’t a dressmaker!.” Not five stars from me because I found the chapter on money/spending and mental health didn’t say anything new, but I’m middle aged and have worked my way through those issues - would have likely found it super helpful 20 years ago.

[Madeline Prebble · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a long term follower of Andrea on Instagram, and her posts about materials have genuinely revolutionised the way I shop for clothes. I rarely if ever buy anything synthetic now, first hand, second hand, whatever.

But, this book needed another serious edit down. It was a tad meandering and didn’t quite get to the core of what the ‘Mindful Monday’ method was

[Charlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea around this book but found it a bit long winded and completely forgot what exactly the Monday mindful method was by the end of the book.
That may be because I took longer than I should have to finish.
Despite this there are still some good takeaways about what and how we choose to consume. The impact our clothing choices have in ourselves and our environment.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

No consumption is sustainable. But by buying less, buying better, buying 2hand and always look for quality we can at least try to consume intentionally. And this is a great book, guide, introduction, to that thinking.

[Suzanna Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this a refreshing read and was challenged by her insights on sustainability and choosing clothes and materials carefully. I. Ve been particularly captured by Mindful My ndays and actually choosing not to shop or spend money on a Monday generally.
A good learning goal for me.

[Jemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read regarding “sustainable” fashion. Highly recommend

[Simon]

This book is a great extension of Andrea's content on TikTok

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as well written as I’d hoped, but I think most people could find something useful/interesting in the information and exercises. A really good conversation starter

[Aisshers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a well researched and useful background into sustainably buying clothew.

[Louise Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greater indepth information on all things clothing! Loved it

[Alison Wong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like a school project but super useful for diagnosing my shopping habits!

[zita · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this mainly to try & learn more about quality and different fabrics but ended up gaining some other great insights too