How To Put Together A Minimalist Wardrobe
A minimalist wardrobe is not as complicated as it appears. Switching over to a simpler closet will not only save you space but time and money. Here are a couple of ways to help you on your way to a clean and well put together wardrobe.
1. Clean Every Three Months
Making sure your minimalist wardrobe has a rotating door is an easy tip to keep your closet tidy. A great timeline to keep to is cleaning out your wardrobe every three months, or the end of a season. This way you can get rid of things you never wore (everything should be used in a minimalist’s closet) and see if you need to donate any pieces.
2. Every Piece Counts
Everyone has that one piece of clothing that they really want to work on them, but for whatever reason every time you put it on and look in the mirror it just doesn’t work and you end up hanging it back up. These are the pieces that need to be sent on for someone else because it literally is just taking up space in your life. You should get to the point where you use every piece of clothing in your closet.
3. Your Style
You don’t necessarily have to stick to that other minimalist’s closet that is only neutral colors and dark washed jeans. Establish your own style; the one that you feel comfortable in. A minimalists wardrobe should be your taste with the intention of having less. If you love bright colorful patterns, make sure your wardrobe reflects that.
4. Matching
Your minimalist wardrobe should be focused only on your style, but also pairing well with each other. You should be able to make a weeks worth of work clothes easily out of your closet. You should be able to mix and match your pieces easily, wearing some pieces a couple a times a week as long as they remain relatively clean.
5. Quality Over Quantity
As your minimalist wardrobe evolves and takes shape, the quality of clothes should start to become better. Look for pieces that will last a couple of years easily rather than the cheaper clothes that fall apart after a season. Try to invest in these clothes so your turn over isn’t as frequent, which reduces waste.
6. 20-40 Pieces Of Clothing
This is not an exact number, but your minimalist wardrobe should hit around this amount. Everyone’s wardrobe is going to look different and depending on your lifestyle, you perhaps will have more or less. Don’t start throwing out buckets of clothes because you exceed the number, but this is a type of guideline to shoot for as you start to change your wardrobe and downsize.
8. Store Out Of Season
When it’s summer time, you won’t need your winter coats taking up closet hanging space. At the end of the season try and take the out of season clothes that you know you will not need in the off season and store them in tubs or in space bags that shrink small to save you space. This keeps your closet nice and tidy.
7. Start With Basics
Start with your basics that you will need in your normal week, such as work outfits and workout clothes. Again, this will look different for everyone depending on your lifestyle. The idea is to build a basic wardrobe and add your own personal taste to make it a wardrobe you are proud of. Here are the ‘basics’ for the average closet. Feel free to tweak it as necessary to fit into your personal preferences. For example I wouldn’t be caught dead in a skirt so I would switch those into more pant options. It’s your closet, make it your own!
basic list: four pairs of shoes, two bags, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of trousers, two blazers, three dresses, two skirts, two T-shirts, three blouses, one button-down, two coats and three sweaters.
