Having a minimalist closet is a philosophy of life. It consists of surrounding yourself with pieces that add value to you, garments that you love to wear and that every time you put them on you get a feeling of "I can't go home yet, cuz enough people ain't seen my outfit! Wonderful theory, isn't it?
Having a minimalist closet is a long road. It requires self-knowledge and creativity to get the best out of it. It's a process of discovering what is essential for you.
In our wardrobe we tend to have too many clothes. We don't wear them all, or in many cases, we only wear them once. This is because we don't know clearly which is our personal style and we feel a huge pressure to follow those cool trends... And this only makes our closet grow while our bank account goes down.
Don't worry, having a minimalist wardrobe is possible!
With these tips you can take the autonomy of your style and get a closet full of garments you love to wear as many times as you want (without getting bored of them, that's the idea!).
1. TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
This is one of the most funny and painful (but mostly funny) parts. Empty your wardrobe, EVERYTHING. Leave all the clothes in sight and start separating. At this point the important thing is to show no mercy. We should only keep the pieces that make us happy.
Our favourite pieces are usually in the most visible part of the wardrobe. On the other hand, the ones that we like the least or that we hardly ever wear, tend to be on the sides of the wardrobe or in those places that are difficult to access. So, we can start here to try to detect which garments should leave our wardrobe. These clothes can be donated or sold, it's up to you.
2. KEEP IT SIMPLE
Sometimes we think that by having more clothes, we will have more variety of outfits and in many cases, it is the opposite. At this point, the most important thing is to be very conscious of which garments we let into our wardrobe and how to be combined with each other, creating at least three different outfits. This will save us a lot of energy and time, because we won't have to think so much about what we wear and you will see that you can wear each piece in many different ways, creating more outfits than before.
3. DEFINE YOUR STYLE
In order to evaluate our wardrobe it is important to be clear about our style. These questions will help us to get a general idea about the pieces that need to be in our wardrobe:
- What do I want my clothes to say about me?
- What fabrics do I feel most comfortable in?
- What shoes do I wear the most and which ones are the most comfortable for me and my lifestyle?
- What colours, patterns and accessories fit best with my personality?
Now that we are clear about what needs to be in our minimalist wardrobe, let's assess whether we need to add new pieces.
IN CASE YOU NEED MORE CLOTHES
Check out different wardrobes
Explore your grandparents' wardrobes or meet up with friends to swap clothes. The idea is that before you buy you should be aware that you can get clothes in different ways.
Remember, the most sustainable product is the one that already exists!
Second-hand shops
We can find real wonders in second-hand clothes shops. But let's go one step further, let's be curious and investigate new places, neighbourhood markets, antique shops, antique dealers' markets, out-of-season shops... There are endless alternatives that can undoubtedly provide us with exquisite pieces that will make a difference in our personal style.
SUSTAINABLE CLOTHING
In case we need a particular piece and we have not found it in any of the above options, is to buy sustainable clothing.
We understand sustainable fashion as a philosophy. It is not about creating endless pieces of organic fabrics, it is about creating a business model based on conserving natural resources, taking care of the planet and all the living beings that inhabit it, that the materials used are of quality, that they have an ecological impact and that they can join the recycling chain once their long, long life is over. And last but not least, respect for the economic and working conditions of the workers. If you want to know more about sustainable fashion, click here.
JOSHUA FIELDS MILLBURN: "Minimalism has never been about deprivation. Rather, minimalism is about getting rid of life's excess in favour of the essential."