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.

No, unfortunately times haven’t been great, I haven’t bought anything other than work clothes (retail and we wear all black) in years. Good starting point though so thank you!

Ps op I’m in Ireland too and the last funeral I wore all black and my mum asked me had I gone back to the 90s, she said nobody bar the family wear all black and last night I passed a queue into a removal and nobody was anyway dressed up- all jeans/ trousers and rain coats/ informal coats. I couldn’t wear that to pay respects

Yes to all of those , but possibly not all would fit me now , I have way too many clothes 🙈 . Some of them would double up though , formal dress for funerals that I push wear for work etc . I have wellies and walking boots for dog walking .

My mum was Irish and when her family came over they all wore smart black clothes!

Last funeral I was at was direct family so all black but everyone also wore a shade of blue as a nod to close family and the persons fave colour like the sons/grandsons wore blue ties and daughters and grandaugters a blue scarf or something. The one before that was a friends parent and like that the close family wore a small item with a shade of colour but mainly black for family and close friends and anyone who just wanted to pay respects at the church could wear what they wanted really.

I have to say I do find the last minute rushes to buy a wedding outfit or be in any way preppared for an upcoming wedding as the save the dates and invites do not usually go around just the day before. In saying that I have been to a few weddings the past few years so all i have to do is shower and style hair and face and put one of the outfits on but thats the reason i keep them!

Yes to all of them but I’d probably buy a new outfit anyway 😂

The only one I would struggle with is a gig. That is because I’ve never been good at picking the right clothes for that sort of event. It’s entirely possible there is something in my closet that works, but I have no idea.

I’m sure they knew that the dress code was different.
Also they were family mourners (presumably?) and they would tend to dress more formally in Ireland too as pp mentioned.

I have tons of clothes and something for every occasion including those that are unlikely to ever arise 😆 I also have loads of summer clothes. I do err towards casual rather than smart though, which I am happy with.

Gig going is very easy. Jeans and black top. Dressier bar, meal.out etc? Yes all similar - skirt or dress or wide trousers. I have a zillion pairs of boots and trainers.

1. A funeral--Yes, black suit and whatever shirt

1. A formal work presentation / meeting Yes, I work from home so would just need a smart top or shirt

1. A party in a fancy bar or similar-- Yes, I have plenty of frocks and catsuits

1. Dinner & drinks where its dressier than jeans Yes, as above or I have pairs of satin shorts that I'd wear with tights, heels and a dressy top.

1. A gig Yes, biker boots, tights, skirt or shorts, comfortable top/layers

1. A walk in the countryside / forest etc Yes, depending on weather but if today while It's pissing it down not fine I would wear walking boots, waterproof trousers over jeans, a decent top I feel good in and a padded jacket over the top-top and jeans are because I often seem to find myself in a pub if I venture out for walks!

1. A date where you'd like to impress / make an effort Yes-probably same as dinner and drinks

1. Regular work from home or office day that's not pjs or gym gear Yes, I tend to wear comfortable warm clothes, I have fleece lined leggings for this weather, oodie, comfortable jumper.

BUT I LOVE clothes and am famous among friends/family for having far too many of them. So there's that.

Yes, I really don't understand the difficulty re going to a gig. It's surely no different from going to a pub? Other than at standing gigs I'd avoid wearing anything I don't want spoiled by someone else's spilt beer.

If "gig" includes classical concerts - then whatever I'm wearing during the day. Same with the theatre. I'd probably change into a nice day dress for an opera or ballet.

Most important things for a gig are good boots, the right T-shirt and a small crossbody bag imo

My rule is to wear a band T-shirt but not of the band playing

That list made me think. All day !!

About all I could muster is a walk in the Forest, Jeans, a few blouses and a couple of decent coats.

Your list is now tagged in my phone and I plan on spending a few nights filling in some of the gaps 🤣😂

Yes to all of them but I have a ridiculous amount of clothes...

@Azurearransea oh god, i don't want to be responsible for you going off the deep end in an online shopping splurge 🙀

Having said that it's also allowed me to consider where i have gaps in my own wardrobe

I see people on here, day after day, makning panicked pleas & rushed purchases because they need to attend some sort of an event / occassion & they have nothing suitable..

I personally hate searching for 'the right thing' when i'm up against it. Its not enjoyable

I love buying as i come acoss a great find & then the reassurance of knowing its there waiting for me when i need it

Surely you have jeans or leggings and T-shirts? Gigs don’t require a particular dress code IME- you just need to be comfortable!

Yes I do.

I think I could cover most events.
Although I did buy a 60s style plain black pinafore dress from Joanie at the end of last year as i realised i had plenty of patterned, colourful dresses but nothing that was work/funeral/court appropriate. So that, with various blouses, covers alot of ground!
Only gap for me is something very posh or sparkly so I couldn't dress for a ball!

My ex best friend was a master at this, so eg for a casual lunch but trendy she’d wear:-

All Saints ankle boots
All Saints black leather javket
white blouse or skirt
jeans

Or to a pub in a London village (Blackheath) she wore:-

checked country jacket
flat tweed cap
jeans
Hunter boots or knee high leather riding boots

She did buy quality items though.

The silly thing is that I used to have a comprehensive wardrobe and could deal with most events.

Then I went a bit crazy decluttering and decided that all I needed was a capsule wardrobe.

I sold or gave away practically everything I had and now have nothing 🤣😂

Yes - all of these, most with multiple options too (& different sizes!!!)

A funeral - Yes, probably a choice of two dresses

A formal work presentation / meeting - I always dress pretty smart in dresses, although probably not formal enough for court. I have never been called to court so far in my career, but it's possible. I would probably go with the black dress suitable for a funeral.

A party in a fancy bar or similar - Yes, lots of dresses

Dinner & drinks where its dressier than jeans - Yes, lot of dresses

A gig - I own a pair of jeans, that could go with a top. Might wear a dress/skirt depending on venue

A walk in the countryside / forest etc - Yes, I have about 10 pairs of walking trousers to cover different options e.g. summer weight quick drying, fleece lined winter ones. Waterproof. Multiple base/mid layers. Hiking wellies, walking boots and two pairs of walking shoes. I walk and travel a lot

A date where you'd like to impress / make an effort - Yes multiple dresses

Regular work from home or office day that's not pjs or gym gear - Yes, have lots of options, such as non gym leggings and long tops/wooly jumpers

I also have a range of suitable gym gear - different lululemon leggings and tops for pilates/yoga Vs body pump

I have a triple wardrobe and a large chest of drawers. Out of season clothes go into the built in wardrobe in the spare room and get swapped around in summer/winter.

I have multiple coats for different conditions summer/winter/waterproof/long/nice (not for outdoor pursuits)

I do spend a lot of time traveling away for a week or two at a time, even up to 17 nights away on walking holidays so that does account for a lot of the range of gear. I go to the gym 4 times a week.

Although I own loads of walking trousers, I don't have any 'normal' trousers as I wear dresses to work and when going out. I do own two pairs of jeans, but they must be about 10-15 years old and I never wear them.

Funeral would depend a bit on the weather and the specifics. I never have to be super-formal for my work, and anything I had to attend as a one-off work event would just have to put up with my current most formal look. Everything else would be fine.