'I style women every week. These are the gaps I see in every wardrobe.'

I vividly remember the morning meltdowns before I became a personal stylist. I'd stand in front of my wardrobe, staring blankly at a sea of clothes, surrounded by chaos piles on the floor. Zero inspiration, full frustration.

At the time, I was working in a corporate job. I had a few "go to work" outfits that felt fine, but outside of that? Not much. My everyday wardrobe was painfully average. And don't even get me started on dressing for casual lunches or dinners or low-key weekend plans.

Watch: Leigh Campbell shows how to use the Style Maths Method. Post continues below.

Meanwhile, what I did have plenty of was event-wear. Statement pieces like a plethora of event dresses (think sparkles, sequins, bold colours… you get me) and a few 11cm heels I couldn't actually walk in but had bought "just in case." Great for the rare formal event, useless for my real life.

Back then, I couldn't figure out why I felt like I had so many clothes... and yet absolutely nothing to wear.

Years later, after becoming a personal stylist and stepping into hundreds of wardrobes, I realised: this wasn't just me. It's many women.

The 'full wardrobe, nothing to wear' problem.

On the Nothing to Wear podcast, Leigh Campbell famously says we wear 10 per cent of our wardrobe 90 per cent of the time and honestly, she's not wrong. Most of us are stuck in a style loop, wearing the same few outfits on repeat while the rest of our wardrobe just hangs there.

It's like putting your CD on repeat (yes, I'm a millennial and yes, I still remember those) on repeat and getting stuck on track three. You know there's a full album, but the other songs don't quite work, so you keep defaulting to what's easy.

Now that I style women every week, I see the same thing over and over and no, the problem is not a lack of clothes. Most wardrobes I walk into are packed. The real issue is there is no clear plan.

We shop in moments, grabbing shiny things, trendy pieces and panic buys when we've got "nothing to wear." But what's usually missing is the glue that holds everything together: the practical, versatile, and well-considered pieces.

What is your wardrobe missing? Most likely it's those versatile and well-considered pieces. Image: Supplied.

It's the classic "add to cart" energy with no strategy. And then we wonder why we have 17 pairs of similar jeans and nothing to wear with them. This isn't about shame or judgement — I've been there too. It's just the cycle so many of us end up in when we don't have a plan. So I'd love to share some of my top tips to help you start filling those much-needed wardrobe gaps.

What do 'wardrobe gaps' actually look like?

When I talk about wardrobe gaps, I'm not just talking about missing a pair of black jeans.

I mean the missing links; the specific pieces that stop your wardrobe from functioning properly. The ones that actually make outfits work, that bring flexibility and ease to getting dressed. And while the exact gaps are different for everyone, there are patterns I see all the time:

Tops that actually work with your bottoms.

Most people own a plethora of pants and jeans, but barely any tops that feel versatile. Trend tops are fun, but if they're hard to pair, or only work with one specific piece, they create more stress than style. What you need are those in-between tops, silhouettes that work for your natural shape, are easy to layer and great for repeat combinations. I'm talking about the likes of a basic white tee. You wouldn't believe how many outfits you can create with this one piece.

The 'casual but considered' pieces.

This one comes up constantly. A client has 20 "nice" dresses for events… but nothing for a Saturday coffee or watching kids' sport. What's missing are those elevated basics, like relaxed pants, a great knit, outerwear that grounds your look, and sneakers that aren't gym shoes.

The middle ground shoes.

You've got heels. You've got your athletic sneakers. But where are the stylish flats or walkable block heels? These are the shoes that make outfits feel finished without tipping too far into formal or activewear. They're often the difference between five "almost" outfits and five easy yeses.

Layering pieces that aren't an afterthought.

A denim jacket that's too cropped. A blazer that's stiff. A coat that doesn't fit over your knit. Sound familiar?

Most people buy outerwear in a seasonal panic. One well-chosen outwear piece (in the right fit, colour, and cut) can unlock a whole section of your wardrobe.

Outfit anchors.

These are the MVPs you didn't know you needed: the perfect belt, the right neutral boot, or a tee that works under a blazer without bunching. They're not just "basics"; they're the glue. When you've got them, you can build outfits on autopilot. And without them, everything feels off.

Here's the thing, when you're missing these pieces, it's not just a wardrobe issue, it's a confidence issue. You start wondering if your style sense has disappeared, or if you're just bad at dressing yourself. But in reality? You just never had the right tools to make it all work.

The good news is that you can always turn it around. Trust me, I was my first styling client and now I get to help hundreds of women feel more confident in their style.

Listen: Leigh Campbell shares how to elevate a boring outfit on a budget on the Nothing To Wear podcast. Post continues below.

How do you build the perfect wardrobe?

Here's the same system I walk every client through:

1. Start with your style vision.

Before we shop or edit anything, get clear on how you want to show up. Use tools like Pinterest. Pin full outfits. Look for themes, shilouttes, fabrics, and colours that feel like you. This gives you a roadmap before you build or rebuild your wardrobe.

2. Build outfits, don't just buy pieces.

If you love the idea of a blazer, ask: "What am I actually wearing it with?" Jeans, a tee, sneakers? Great, do you own those?

If not, that's the real gap. Style isn't just about owning great items, it's about having the full outfit ready to go.

3. Prioritise foundation pieces.

Think of these as your concrete slab. They're not the flashiest pieces, but they carry the most weight. Without them, everything falls apart. But with them? Getting dressed becomes easy. These are things like a dark wash blue denim jean, black tailored trousers, and a white tee.

4. Shop your own wardrobe first.

I can't count how many times a client has already owned the perfect piece, but just didn't have the right thing to pair it with. One simple addition can turn a "maybe" item into a new go-to.

The takeaway.

In the wise (paraphrased) words of the '90s Pantene commercials, wardrobe clarity doesn't happen overnight, but it will happen if you have a clear plan.

Once you learn to identify the right gaps — instead of buying another version of the same top — everything changes. Shopping becomes intentional. Getting dressed becomes fun again.

And you stop staring at a wardrobe full of clothes thinking, "I've got 15 dresses and still nothing to wear."

Feature image: Supplied.