Today we live in a consumer culture where we always need to be buying more. We continuously fill our lives to the brim with items we think we need. But do we really need all this excess?
An area in our life we do this is our wardrobe. How many items in your closet have been sitting untouched for months? How many were never even worn? We have all this excess stuff that doesn’t serve a purpose in our life. As cute as the plaid mini is that you’ve never worn, all it’s doing is weighing you down. We are so busy buying what is new, that we ignore what is actually necessary. Vivienne Westwood has been known to say, “Buy less-choose well.” So how does one go about creating a minimalist wardrobe?
Know Your Style
To have a minimalist wardrobe doesn’t mean you must now have a love of neutrals (though that’s not a bad thing). A minimalist aesthetic is supposed to reflect your own style. Before you start clear out your closet you need to know your style. What type of garments do you use more often, what colors? Do you prefer certain silhouettes and do you like to wear prints? These are questions you have to start asking yourself. Then start to look at your wardrobe a whole to figure out what you like most and areas could use some work. Figure what you want out of your wardrobe. Whether you need it to transition to day-to-night or be made up of easily cared for items, it’s important to figure out what your closet needs to do for you.
Get Rid of the Clutter
For some, this may be the most difficult part of the process. Especially for some of you that have been hoarding that top you’ve had since your 8th grade graduation. Because once you’ve figured out your style, it’s time to start
The process is a simple. Pull out every item from your closet and begin to sort them into piles; Yes, No, Needs Repairs. After items from the Repairs pile have had the necessary alterations, you can add them to the Yes pile. All of the No pile should donated/sold. You may have some items that can’t let go of quite yet. No biggie! Just box these pieces up for a period of time and see if you’ve change mind at all.
Assemble Your Collection
Creating your minimalist collection doesn’t mean you have to start over. It’s more about shopping smart and thinking about the bigger picture. Now that closet has been cleared of the excess, you are able to look at what is left hanging to determine what you need. Make a list of items you’ll need based on your lifestyle. Start with basic collection items you need to go through every day life. This could be: three blouses, two blazers, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of jeans, three t-shirts, and four pairs of shoes. Then begin to build around, paying attention to the needs of you lifestyle (climate, work, ). As you shop, remember that your closet has to coordinate. So when you find something you like; ask yourself if the same girl who would wear this item, would wear your wardrobe. You want to only be buying that will get their fair share of wear. And before you go crazy buying this list of items, prioritize what you needs that most at the moment and budget.