The Real Reason Getting Dressed Feels Harder Than It Used To
The Real Reason Getting Dressed Feels Harder Than It Used To
If getting dressed used to feel easy and now feels weirdly exhausting, you’re not broken. Your closet isn’t either.
What’s actually happening is this: your life changed and your wardrobe didn’t.
And no, the solution is not another pair of “better” jeans, a new neutral sweater, or finally cracking the capsule wardrobe code.
This is a wardrobe strategy problem, not a shopping problem.
You’re Not Bad at Getting Dressed. Your System Is Outdated.
Most women I work with say some version of this:
“I have good taste. I just can’t seem to put outfits together anymore.”
That sentence tells me everything.
Getting dressed didn’t suddenly get harder. The context around your life changed.
Your days are more layered. Your roles are more complex. Your standards are higher. Your tolerance for discomfort is lower.
But your closet?
It’s for a past version of you.
A wardrobe strategy accounts for the life you’re actually living now, not the one your clothes were bought for.
Why “Just Buy Better Basics” Keeps Letting You Down
If basics were the answer, this wouldn’t still be an issue.
Most women already own:
Black pants that are technically fine
Tops that worked for a specific job, body, or phase
Shoes that make sense on paper but not on an actual Tuesday
The problem isn’t quality. It’s alignment.
Without a wardrobe strategy, every purchase is made in isolation. You’re hoping it works with the rest of your closet instead of knowing it will.
That’s why closets get fuller while getting dressed still feels annoying.
The Invisible Shift No One Prepares You For
This usually starts quietly.
A career change. A hybrid schedule. A body shift you didn’t plan for. Being social again after years of not really needing “real outfits.”
Nothing dramatic. Just enough change to break your old outfit formulas.
Your clothes aren’t wrong. They’re just answering old questions.
A wardrobe strategy updates the questions.
What a Wardrobe Strategy Actually Is
A wardrobe strategy is not a capsule wardrobe. It’s not a color palette. It’s not a checklist.
It’s a decision-making framework.
It clarifies things like:
What do I actually need my clothes to do for me right now?
Where do I really go during a normal week?
What feels like me now, not five years ago?
What kinds of outfits remove friction instead of adding it?
Once those answers are clear, everything else gets easier. Shopping is faster. Editing your closet makes sense. Getting dressed stops feeling like a negotiation.
That’s why strategy comes before shopping.
Why This Is Hitting So Many Women at Once
A lot of women are dealing with this at the same time, and it’s not a coincidence.
Post-pandemic life blurred categories that used to be clear. Work clothes and weekend clothes overlap. Comfort matters more. Presentation still matters.
Add in NYC realities like walking everywhere, unpredictable schedules, and wanting clothes that can hold up for real days, and the old rules fall apart fast.
A wardrobe strategy builds a closet that can flex without collapsing.
What Changes When You Have a Strategy
When your wardrobe has a strategy, you stop:
Panic-buying for specific events
Second-guessing every purchase
Rotating the same three outfits that are “good enough”
Instead, you start:
Knowing what’s missing before you shop
Buying fewer pieces that work harder
Getting dressed faster with less mental noise
This isn’t about being stylish. It’s about reducing friction in your daily life.
The Bottom Line
If getting dressed feels harder than it used to, it’s not because you lost your touch.
It’s because your life evolved and your wardrobe strategy didn’t keep up.
Once the strategy changes, everything else follows.
If you’re nodding along and want help building a wardrobe that actually matches your real life now, that’s exactly what I do.
If you’re in NYC or anywhere else and want hands-on support, working with me can shortcut this entire process.