For many of us, our wardrobe can be the first place that gets cluttered and out of control. With the rise of fast fashion that is readily available for cheap prices, it’s no wonder that many people buy lots of clothes and accessories to add to their wardrobes. However, this has caused wardrobes to get cluttered and have too many fashion items. Plus, many people tend to hold onto clothing items even if they don’t fit as we forget what we have.
If you are overwhelmed with your wardrobe and want to organize and reduce this, then trying minimalist fashion is ideal. This focuses on having minimal clothes in your wardrobe that feel right for you and bring you joy. Discover everything you need to know about minimalist fashion and how to incorporate it into your daily life, as well as some staple minimalist fashion items you need below.
What is minimalist fashion?
Minimalism is all about stripping back the unnecessary and only leaving the things that have real value. It also includes items that bring you happiness or that are sentimental as these have a purpose. Minimalist fashion is the same concept but with clothes and accessories. This focuses on having minimal clothes and accessories in your wardrobe that work for you. In essence, you need to keep your wardrobe full of items that best suit you and that bring you joy. This means having items that suit who you are today, show your personality, elevate your style, and that fit you.
It is also the opposite of the modern consumerist narrative which aims for you to consume more and more. Minimalist fashion puts a stop to this by intentionally having less, giving you less debt and daily stress. Plus, you can have long-lasting items that you need instead of constantly replacing them and consuming items you don’t need.
Rejecting fast fashion
Fast fashion consumes today’s world due to the ease of access and low price. However, it has many disadvantages in the world, such as widespread water pollution through the use of cheap and toxic dyes. It also brings huge amounts of textile waste, an over-use of fossil fuel materials like polyester, and pressure on cotton farmers. Minimalist fashion rejects all this and everything to do with fast fashion.
Fast fashion is also constantly advertised which leads to the pressure of keeping up with trends, feeling stressed, and anxiety. If you feel overwhelmed by the pressure of keeping up with the latest fashion trends, then you can reject this too via minimalism. Doing this can lead to a decrease in stress and anxiety, as well as better financial health and more sustainable choices.
How to keep a minimalist wardrobe
To keep a minimalist wardrobe, you can partake in slow fashion instead. This is a niche minimalist subculture that allows you to have only what you need. Slow fashion prevents you from shopping constantly to keep up with trends which is exhausting and wasteful. The ethos of this subculture is all about buying less, choosing well, and making it last.
To keep your minimalist wardrobe, it is best to go through every item of clothing and accessories and either donate, throw away, or keep them. Try to be strict with yourself and cut down your wardrobe immensely, getting rid of at least 60-70% of what you own. Doing this can liberate you and help you to de-stress as the chaos you face every day will be gone and the constant feeling to keep up with trends will disappear. Instead, seek quality, more sustainable, or even thrifted items over quantity.
If you want to bring something new into your life, then ensure that it has a purpose and that you love it. The clothing or accessory has to suit who you are as a person, fit you, and bring you joy before you purchase it and bring it into your wardrobe.
How to start minimalist fashion
If you want to start minimalist fashion but don’t know how, then don’t worry as below is an outline of how you can begin your minimalism journey.
Before you get started, it is important to remember these handy rules for minimalist fashion:
- Minimalism is about fine-tuning your style. The only rule is to get rid of any excess items.
- There isn’t a number of clothing items or accessories to achieve a minimalist wardrobe.
- Don’t send all your unwanted items to landfill. Instead, donate, sell, or gift them first. Only trash the tattered and broken items.
- Minimalist fashion isn’t boring or monotone. Keep your wardrobe authentically you and have colorful options in a variety of styles.
Now to delve into creating a minimalist wardrobe, follow these tips to get started:
- Be comfortable with repeating outfits: This doesn’t mean wearing the same things every day but curating a few go-to styles that you love to rotate every day.
- Pay attention to your fabrics: This is all about feeling good in your items. If they don’t feel good against your skin or don’t suit you, then you will always choose something else to wear.
- Borrow instead of buying: Borrow clothes that you know you only need for a short period of time. This could be a dress or suit for a formal occasion that usually never gets worn again.
- Have a tailor: With ready-to-wear fashion available everywhere, it’s hard to stay clear of it. Fast fashion can struggle to fit various body shapes as everyone is different. Get a tailor to change measurements instead of throwing essential items away, especially if you struggle to find staple items that fit you.
- Take care of your favorite clothes: Having fewer clothes requires more maintenance and care. Ensure to wash your clothes less often and try airing out your clothes. Also, avoid the dryer as air drying is gentler on your clothes, and read the care instructions for every item carefully.
Top minimalist clothing and accessories
There are many staple items you need to have a useful minimalist wardrobe where you can curate a few looks that can be rotated daily. These are:
- A quality coat: Having a quality coat that lasts and provides warmth and protection from the weather is essential. Find a coat that never goes out of style and that can go with every look.
- A warm sweater: An oversized and warm sweater is great for the colder months. You can have a couple in different colors and styles, especially if you live in a freezing area. Chunky warm sweaters are sophisticated and minimal.
- T-shirts: Having a variety of colored t-shirts in different styles is a staple item you need. Have 3-4 high-quality t-shirts that can be used all year round and that suit you.
- Jeans & pants: Having a couple of jeans and trousers are necessary. Ensuring you have a variety of styles for different occasions is vital. Jeans and sweatpants are more casual looks while smart trousers and cargos can be dressed up or formal.
- One formal attire: This could be a formal dress or a suit to wear for special events. Many of us don’t have lots of events to attend so can buy formal attire and get rid of it after one wear which is wasteful. Having one item of formal attire ensures you can use it for every event you attend. No one will know either if your events are months or years apart!
- Staple & simple accessories: Having one of each staple jewelry and accessories is a great way to keep a minimalist wardrobe. Having one ring, one pair of earrings, and one necklace in your favorite metal is perfect. You could give a choice if you wear jewelry often by having a couple of each. This means you can have a couple of necklaces for men and women, rings, and earrings to choose from. With this, have one belt and winter warming accessories such as a hat and gloves.
- Shoes: Aim to have only a few pairs of shoes for different occasions and looks. This could be formal shoes for formal attire, winter boots to keep warm, trainers for a casual look, and wellies for bad weather.
Use this guide on how to incorporate minimalist fashion to achieve a minimalist wardrobe and stray away from fast fashion and the chaos of clutter. Ensure you keep what you love and what serves a purpose for you and get rid of everything else. Be strict when emptying your wardrobe and try to sell on and donate to others instead of trashing every piece you no longer need.
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