Do you have clothes in your wardrobe right now for these events?

[2026IsMyYear]

I'm always struck by posts from people who don't seem to have a range of clothes to carry them through a variety of life events. I get that people dress mostly for the day to day stuff but i always assumed that you also had other, lesser worn perhaps, clothes in the wardrobe to be used as needed.

I reckon i could dress for most eventualities if pushed

With no notice could you dress for:

1. A funeral

1. A formal work presentation / meeting

1. A party in a fancy bar or similar

1. Dinner & drinks where its dressier than jeans

1. A gig

1. A walk in the countryside / forest etc

1. A date where you'd like to impress / make an effort

1. Regular work from home or office day that's not pjs or gym gear

I'm curious - i don't have gym gear & or wellies & i need new walking shoes / boots as mine are old & worn out.

These are my gaps but i could dress for the rest in the morning if i had to.

Actually I do have this unicorn dress! It’s above the knee, black, sleeveless, with a deep V front and back. With nothing underneath, the right shoes, and accessories it can be worn to a fancy work event, cocktail party, etc. I’ve worn it to work with opaque tights, and a shirt underneath. Luckily I haven’t had to go to a funeral recently, but I could wear it with a fine knit jumper underneath, jacket, opaque tights. It’s such a great dress I hunted another out on Vinted when I lost weight and it got too big!

Yes to all, hut I never do work presentations that require any level.of formal dress.

I wear a lot of black and gray and other gloomy colours, and I just mix and match to suit the occasion.

I guess there is a correlation between rarely having been to a funeral and not having any friends though.

what an odd thing to say! I’ve only been to 5 funerals in my life, two of which were my parents. I’m quite old, but so far only one of my friends has died. The one friend who did die died decades ago - he was only in his forties.

I’m not sure my formal work dress does up comfortably as it’s over 20 years old but I could squeeze into it for a one off meeting. I also have a skirt and blazer (that also goes with the dress) but no longer have the blouses so would need to buy one of those if I chose the skirt.

Yes to all. Several choices for each.

This must be a phase of life thing, but I go to far more weddings than funerals… by a 4:1 ratio last year and closer to a 15:1 ratio over the last 5 years!

No to the office/formal meeting needing a suit. I'd have tailored trousers and a smart shirt ready to go if that worked. I'm retired (medically in my 40s, now mid 50s), so I'll never need that.
The rest I'd be fine with no notice.
I spend a lot of time walking in the countryside/woodland with the dogs. Not a humble brag but I hate hiking boots and only wear wellies if absolutely necessary. I have a couple of pairs of Dubarry Galway boots, one pair is at least ten years old and still going strong. The other pair are fairly new. They're not cheap but wear for wear they're great value.
I don't think I worry too much what anyone else thinks and I'll never be a style icon, so I'd also wear them to go into town or the pub in winter, pretty much anywhere I can get away with.
With decent boots and a great coat (I like long ones in a classic design, some of which still look amazing after twenty years), I don't think too hard about what I'm wearing underneath. It's usually thermal legging that go inside the boots and thin layers on top.
One thing you didn't mention that I may have that many don't is lots of formal dresses and ball gowns. I don't go out much socially these days, usually it's meals in a country pub or a family friendly restaurant. I do still attend several 'posh' dos (they're really not) a year with DH and I've amassed a huge collection, at least 30+.
Due to illness, I'm tiny now (size 4 and thanks to osteoporosis I'm also shrinking, 5'4"). I can buy clothes (trousers are often half price or less. In M&S I'm aged 13) in children's departments or very cheaply in the sales if they stock a size 2 or 4, usually online or shops such as such as TKMax often have tiny sizes.

All of them several times over and in every size from 12-16 hahaa

Yes.

Do you live a very quiet life? These things are all perfectly normal and would happen in my life several times a year. Apart from maybe the walk 😂

So yes, I could dress for them OP.

I’m sure my eyes see what people are wearing. But my brain doesn’t notice. If someone is wearing something highly unusual, my brain might take note but otherwise, I’m utterly unobservant and would make a terrible eye witness. I’m not interested in clothes so I just don’t really notice them. I do notice voices and accents though, presumably because I find those interesting.

Do it! I love setting myself challenges like that. Like no black for a month. Or different shoes every day, or no trousers for a month or whatever.

Also I have stopped keeping new things “for best”. Wear it, enjoy it!

I have clothes (and shoes) for all of those occasions with at least 3 or 4 options for each. At least.

I also have loads of gym gear. I don’t wear it to wfh or out and about though I wear it to the gym.

Yes, but it's the same outfit for all events :D

There is quite a few no's from me -

Funeral, I would struggle with and have been thinking I need something.

Smart work - we ditched the workwear during Covid and have never gone back so all smart work clothes have gone.

Smart party/Bar - again I might struggle with this, I certainly don't own any 'smart' dresses.

I am realising I have an awful lot of clothes but they are basically varying degrees of smartness of jeans (I own 30+ pairs) and something.

I have recently added walking boots and sensible coat to my wardrobe so I am all good for a walk in the forest now.

1. A funeral - Maybe, if my dark navy pinstriped dress still fits me...I'm 90% sure it would. Oh! I also have a nice black jersey dress, so YES.
2. A formal work presentation / meeting - Yes, but only if nice, dark wash jeans are acceptable with a smart top/blouse. So...probably not.
3. A party in a fancy bar or similar - Yes; I have three dresses that would work for that.
4. Dinner & drinks where its dressier than jeans - Only if I wore one of my three dresses.
5. A gig - Yes, definitely.
6. A walk in the countryside / forest etc - Yes, although my walking trainers are a bit cheap and flimsy, really.
7. A date where you'd like to impress / make an effort - Yes, I think so. But luckily I'm married so don't have to.
8. Regular work from home or office day that's not pjs or gym gear - Yes.

My biggest issue is shoes, however - I have smart high heeled ankle boots, army surplus combat boots, very cheap black flats, and cheap trainers, and that's it 😅

1. A funeral - almost all of my wardrobe is black so yes
2. A formal work presentation / meeting - plenty of dresses, black trousers and black jackets
3. A party in a fancy bar or similar - several nice dresses
4. Dinner & drinks where its dressier than jeans - as above
5. A gig - yes: band T-shirts, satin skirt, denim skirt etc
6. A walk in the countryside / forest etc - yes
7. A date where you'd like to impress / make an effort - this one would be more difficult but I’ve got a couple of nice dresses as above
8. Regular work from home or office day that's not pjs or gym gear - loads

Yes, when I was in my late 20s I was going to several weddings a year and a very occasional funeral. Now in my 50s I haven't been to a wedding for several years (the younger generation in my family haven't started marrying yet) but I do go to at least one funeral a year.

This has reminded me that I really must get some walking boots though.

Oh and I haven’t got a coat that’s suitable for a funeral.

No, I have a lot of gym gear, jeans and casual
tops, a pair of black trousers and a few dresses for work and outdoor gear. I don’t even know what you’d wear to a gig?!? Definitely don’t have a funeral
frock or anything fancy for parties.

Yes, I could with a bit of thought.

For a funeral I have black trousers and a black blazer. I don't have really formal work wear as my workplace is quite casual but I suppose that outfit would also work if I wore a different top for either work or funeral.

The rest I could sort very easily.

No but you are right I need to acquire some!

Yes! I also have all the shoes and bags and accessories to match😄

I’ve got everything except formal party wear at the moment. I lost a lot of weight and focused on building up from scratch and decided that I was going to really focus on day to day wear rather than formal event clothes that seldom get worn. But I do need 1 or 2 things I can wear to weddings, parties etc now.