What is Minimalism?
Minimalism is the practice of only owning things that add value to your life. The minimalist movement has gained tremendous popularity as more and more people have found peace in living with less.
What is a Minimalist Wardrobe?
A minimalist wardrobe is curated with the ‘less is more’ philosophy in mind. Instead of having a wardrobe that is a revolving door for the latest trends, a minimalist wardrobe is put together to stand the test of time. Trendy items are replaced with practical pieces that can be loved for years regardless of what models are wearing on the runway or on social media. ‘What if’ items that are saved for a special occasion are replaced with items that will actually be worn every day.
As someone who is inspired by funky fashion, I definitely didn’t want to limit myself to wearing the same white t-shirt and blue jeans that I was seeing other minimalists wear. When putting together my minimalist closet, I wanted to prove to myself that I could still wear unique outfits without having to own a lot of different pieces. I also wanted to make sure that I felt inspired by the clothing that I owned and didn’t feel the need to add more to my closet after cleaning it out.
Here are the steps that I took to curate my dream minimalist closet and maintain it over the years:
Step 1: Set Your Intentions
Setting your intentions before you start your closet declutter is very important. There is nothing worse than being overzealous when it comes to getting rid of stuff, just to need to rebuy the things that were thrown out.
Before you reach for the donation bin, think about why you want to live a more minimal life. Are you looking for more financial freedom? Are you overwhelmed by clutter? Does it take you too much time to get ready in the morning because you have too many clothing options?
Whatever the reason for your declutter is, get those things down on paper to ensure that you aren’t getting rid of things for the wrong reasons.
Taking a step back to think about what your goals are is a great way to ensure you don’t backslide after you’ve decluttered everything.
Step 2: Do a Trial Run
From the articles I’ve read about creating a minimalist closet, most people recommend jumping straight into organizing. I took a different approach. It definitely wasn’t as satisfying and took more time, but since I’ve cleaned out my closet I haven’t regretted a single thing that I got rid of.
My approach was to do a week-long ‘trial run’ to figure out exactly what I was and was not wearing before getting rid of anything. I cleared a spot in my closet and would hang the items that I had a chance to wear instead of putting them back where they were originally stored. Although there were plenty of things I didn’t have a chance to wear throughout the week because they weren’t in season, it did give me a good idea as to what pieces of clothing I wore the most.
The trial run also proved what I already knew to be true. I was wearing the same thing pretty much every day. Any opportunity I had to wear jeans, I was gravitating towards the same pair. Same goes with my favorite t-shirt, pair of sneakers, etc.
Knowing what pieces I was and wasn’t wearing in my wardrobe, made it very easy to get rid of the right things.
Step 3: Clean Out Your Closet (Finally!)
Here comes the fun part!
The first step of a closet clean-out is to take everything out of your closet and dump it on your bed. I chose to keep the things that I wore throughout the week separate since I decided I wasn’t going to get rid of things that I was actively wearing. My goal was never to live with as little as possible, only to live with less. I was more concerned with getting rid of things I wasn’t wearing than getting rid of as much as possible.
After all of my clothes were piled on my bed, I started sorting everything into three piles. Yes, no and maybe. The ‘no’ pile was for the pieces that either didn’t fit me or I knew I hadn’t worn in ages. The ‘yes’ pile was for the things that I didn’t have a chance to wear throughout the week but I knew I wore a lot during other seasons or for specific activities that I didn’t do that week. The ‘maybe’ pile was for everything else.
Instead of donating the things in the ‘maybe’ pile straight away, I kept them folded in a box under my bed for a while to see if I would get the urge to wear them.
How Do You Maintain Your Minimalist Closet?
Getting rid of stuff is often the easy part. The hard part is resisting the urge to fill the now empty space, with more things.
Below are some tips for maintaining a minimalist closet.
- I like to follow the one in, one out rule. It’s pretty simple. I can only add a new piece to my closet if I get rid of something in its place. This rule has helped me shop less since I truly love everything I already have in my closet and don’t want to get rid of anything to make space for something new.
- Only buy things when you need them, not just in case you will. Basically, don’t buy things preemptively. For example, if you live in a dry climate, don’t buy rain boots just in case you find yourself in a rainy city one day. Only buy them the moment you need them. This will keep you from accumulating things you don’t actually use.
- Have clothes swap parties with friends! I often find myself wanting to switch up my look and wear something new. An easy way to scratch that itch without actually buying anything new is to do clothes swaps with friends.
- Try not to buy things that are on sale. This is a pretty popular piece of advice when it comes to minimalism and I find it very helpful. Sale purchases are typically impulsive purchases. People usually buy things on sale that they wouldn’t buy at full price. It’s very easy to accumulate things you don’t need when you start letting the shops decide what you buy and when.
- Reorganize your closet every couple of months. I like to do this to rediscover pieces that I may have been neglecting because they were hiding in the back of my closet. Rediscovering new pieces in your existing wardrobe can keep you from feeling the urge to shop!
- Stop shopping impulsively! Need some tips on how to do this? This blog post will give you 22 frugal tips to help you stop spending frivolously!
In Conclusion
Choosing to have a minimalist closet shouldn’t be an impulsive decision. It should take a great deal of planning and intention if you want it to be something that is sustainable. If done correctly, it can be incredibly liberating. Your future self that is scrambling to get ready in the morning and your wallet will thank you.
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