Last updated:
“Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.” – Epictetus
Have you ever asked yourself, “How many clothes do I need?” or “How many shirts should I own?”
If you’ve asked either of those questions before, consider just for a moment how your life would look if you owned a minimalist wardrobe of fewer clothes:
- You would have more disposable income.
- You would have more time to live your life.
- Mornings would feature less stress.
- Your closets would be well-organized and uncluttered.
- Packing for trips/vacations would take less time.
- Laundry days would be easier (not necessarily less, but definitely easier).
Unfortunately, instead of enjoying the benefits of a minimalist wardrobe, most of us buy into the lie that more is better. And because we do, we accumulate more and more clothing each season. We are convinced that new clothes will make us more joyful, more fashionable, and more popular. Unfortunately, they just end up getting in the way.
Consider going a different route with your life. Try owning fewer clothes and creating a capsule wardrobe. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy the freedom that a minimalist closet brings.
Whether you are hoping to minimize your wardrobe to the absolute minimum or just trying to pare down some of the excesses in your closet, you will find these 10 steps practical and applicable. They are the same steps that we have used in our home to create our own minimalist wardrobes.
How to Create a Minimalist Wardrobe and Closet
1. Admit that you own too much clothing. That’s all you really need to get started.
2. Wear fewer colors. Most of us already have a few favorite colors that we wear most often anyway – usually because we like the way we look in them. Choosing to intentionally wear fewer colors means fewer accessories (shoes, belts, jewelry, handbags, etc.). It also makes too much sense not to try.
3. Embrace the idea of one. When one can be enough, embrace it – one black dress, one swimsuit, one winter coat, one black belt, one pair of black shoes, one pair of sneakers, one handbag… insert your own based on your occupation, lifestyle, or climate.
4. Donate, sell, recycle, discard. Depending on the size of one’s existing wardrobe, an initial paring down won’t take long. Make a few piles – donate, sell, or recycle. Start with the clothes that you no longer wear. You’ll be surprised how much you can remove and just how close you are to owning a minimalist closet once you build momentum.
5. Donate, sell, discard some more. Removing the clothes you no longer wear is easy. Removing the clothes that you don’t really need can be a tougher choice. Turn around all the hangers in your closet. After wearing an item, return the hanger facing the normal direction. After the season, remove every article of clothing that wasn’t worn. That should help get you started on a second round of paring down. See this article for more creative tips on decluttering.
6. Impose an arbitrary moratorium on shopping. For many, clothes shopping is just a habit – and habit always takes over for inattention. To begin breaking the cycle of purchasing and discarding (the average American throws away 68 lbs. of textiles each year), set a self-imposed buying freeze. I recommend 90 days. If given enough time, this simple exercise in self-discipline will change your view of your clothing and the stores that produce, market, and sell them.
7. Set a monthly spending limit. Pick a low number and stick to it.
8. Purchase quality over quantity. Only buy minimalist clothing that you truly love – even if it costs more. If you stock your closet full of things you love, you will have less desire to add to it, which will make maintaining a minimalist closet a lot easier.
9. Avoid the sale racks. Sales can (and should) be used to help you get a better price on something you need. Unfortunately, most sale racks are designed to convince us to purchase something we don’t.
10. Impress with your character, not your clothes. Lee Mildon once said, “People seldom notice old clothes if you wear a big smile.”
With those tips above, you should have no problem creating a more minimalist wardrobe and answering “How many clothes do I need?”
To see how owning less in other areas of life can bring even more life-giving benefits, check out my book: The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
Rosa says
As a brand new wannabe minimalist, I have decided to start with my clothing. Your post really helped me! I have realized that not only do I buy too many clothes, I often buy clothes with the intention of altering them! For example, I’ll buy 3 pairs of jeans to take the legs in. As a result, I’ve got piles of clothes that I can’t wear until I sew or dye them! I am going to follow your steps and get started right away! Thanks!
eric says
one outfit forever!!!!
Michele says
It’s been a journey, but I’ve found that taking a good bit of time to think about my clothes and accessories really helped me attack my wardrobe. When I got fed up with my small closet and dresser, I sat down with a pen and paper and wrote out what I thought I truly needed. Something like, “One warm weather formal outfit, one cool weather formal outfit; one pair of brown heels, one pair of black heels.” Once I had a plan, it was much easier to thin things out. And, when I headed to the store, it was because I knew I had a genuine need. I could name it. That gave me power.
Another trick I’ve learned is to buy multiples of something I really, really like. When I realized all of my everyday shirts were threadbare, I shopped until I found one shirt I fell in love with. I bought it in the color I liked the most and wore it the next day. It passed the, “I wish I could wear this shirt every day!” test, so I went back and bought three more in different colors. The old shirts went out and the new shirts went it, a one-to-one exchange. Identical shirts also make it easier to keep fewer pants, too. My favorite part is that no one realizes it’s the same shirt unless I tell them. How do I know for sure? I’ll get compliments on my outfits a few days in a row!
And, since I already have a strategy in place, it makes it easier to reassess everything later. Do I really need two purses or can I make due with one, good sized black and white purse?
Kay says
I LOVE this! Now if I can just convince my 17 year old daughter of her need to minimalize! Of course, I really shouldn’t expect to do that until I practice a little restraint myself…
sue says
Thanks for introducing me to the idea of “one”. I have a really bad habit of purchasing my clothing in multiples, and then only wearing one of them. Like, I need a new black turtleneck, I go and buy one, but since I love it so much, I buy 2, and then I throw in a few more in various colors. After a few days, I realize I have no desire to wear the pink, red or blue ones, nor have I even worn the second black one. I have learned to save the receipts and leave the tags on so that I can return them after this realization sets in. However, after reading your blog, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I could so easily manage with just ONE of the necessary items and save myself the trip to return the other stuff. Simple, yet, WHAT A CONCEPT! So, I am off to weed thru my closet full of multiples and eliminate the physical and mental clutter they are causing.
Mike says
I FINALLY did it! Over the weekend I took the time to purge my wardrobe. I ended up getting rid of 4 HUGE garbage bags full of clothes and one small garbage bag of shoes. I donated all of the clothing and now everything fits neatly in 4 drawers, one shoe rack and my area of the closet. It felt amazing and will hopefully be the first step in this journey to SIMPLIFY!
EB says
I’m inspired to purge again! Great article, especially the hanger tip. I’ll implement that today. I mostly shop 2nd hand. I search for quality, well-made articles at the smallest price, and they’re stuff I like and fit my body type. On laundry, most of the time, an article doesn’t need washing as often as we wash. Just hanging it outside to air out is sufficient is most cases, or Nick’s suggestion of wearing the clothes in the shower for a cleaning. For throwing things out, if I didn’t realize it existed after 6 months, it needs to go. From a lady’s perspective, the notion of not buying even if you really don’t need it, is difficult, especially if the price is “right”. A good habit that’s worked for 10 years and counting is to only use cash for clothing. If you don’t have enough, you can’t get the article of clothing. It limits you and helps control your focus. Like what you wear and show of your confidence and good spirit more so than the clothing on your body (thanks Heather). I also agree that it’s SO easy to pack when you don’t have many clothes to choose from. I went on a week vacation twice this year with only a backpack which included shoes and toiletries. Recycling amongst your pals or reworking favored garments into new useful items are smart moves. You’re still getting the new you desire, but you’re also conserving on a larger scale. Be you, not your clothing.
Tiffany says
I’ve recently been going through all of my posessions and ruthlessly paring down to the essentials. I’ve gotten to the clothes, and have done pretty well. I could still do more, though. What I realized in going through my clothes is that the difficulty in ridding my closet of items I literally NEVER wear is the sense of security they bring. A lightbulb went on in my head and I realized…I don’t even like this shirt. I like the security of knowing that I could wear it if I wanted to, even if I don’t. I like knowing that I could be this smart, sophisticated woman who wears a sheer green dress shirt to work…but I’m not. I’m not that woman. I’m a nurse. I wear scrubs. And on the weekends I wear jeans and t-shirts…Because I like to. Because THAT is who I am.
After that flash realization, going through everything in my house (including clothes) has been so much easier. It’s like I’m ripping up this giant security blanket I never even knew I needed.
It feels good. I also just took a trip, and packing was SO easy! I took the smallest suitcase ever!
sue says
Tiffany,
I know exactly what you mean. I have bought so many clothes over the years to fit an image that I like to think I COULD be……but I’m not. I may try the outfits once or twice and realize they really, really do not fit my personality, and then I’m back to my daily “uniform” of Levi’s, a black sweater or white blouse/tshirt and black shoes. That’s who I am, and all the stylish clothes in the mall won’ t change it. I do wish I had all that wasted money back though…..
jennifer wallington says
Love this comment, I am guilty of this, thinking that I should be smart and sophisiticated because that is what all themakeover programmes tell you when I mainly wear running gear and PJ’s, and jeans a T-shirt and UGGS or flip flops (depending on the weather) if I have time or can be bothered to have a shower before the school run pick up !
I wear a uniform/scrubs to work also so don’t need smart work clothes
I used to panic if I had to go to a wedding or a black tie do but recently I borrow a dress and shoes from a friend with full wardrobes in exchange for help de-junkning or babysitting.
You can also hire formal clothes, which you don’t have to then store in your wardrobe for the entire year annoying you at the cost every time you look at them
Sandra says
I have a closet full of clothes, that I’ve “Not” worn for years.I have gained lots of weight, my health in the crapper & the meds.I’m on has really packed the pounds on.I have clothes I bought way,way back still with price tags on.I was much thinner then.But when all happend to me,the beautiful new clothes just stayed in my closet.After reading all many wrote,has inspired me to get out my big plastic bags and get emptying my closet.Same goes with my shoes,I have many, but haven’t worn them in?? I know when my hubby comes home from wk.one night,& he goes into the closet to get/set up his clothes for wk.he hehe. He will really think I’ve flipped when he see, my side of our walk in,with next to nothing hanging in our walk in.:) Thanks again, for all who posted nice to know I’m not in this alone.
Heather says
We lost everything in a fire, I recall about a dozen brand new recently purchased winter boots new in boxes. Of course I had lots of other clothing, mostly expensive and anyway its a lot easier to live more simply when you realize those type things dont matter in the grand scheme of things and if you are confident and feel you are beautiful wheather on the inside, out or both you can make anything look good, items from goodwill, thrift stores or designer it just all takes a little planning and good taste in choosing. I mostly enjoy black, a couple designer jeans and mix and matching is key. I get my tops at good will and have True religion jeans. I dont waste money on shirts I have little kids they ruin everything! I love designer jeans and would rather have a couple pair then 20 I dont like. Just feel lovely and dress for yourself or your mate. Women get caught up in dressing for other women and trying to impress. Honestly its a lot more fun to dress for yourself or just dont dress at all to impress someone you love generaly that doesnt require to much clothing heheheheh