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“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
LA says
I found this blog today and when I got home I went through my clothes and got rid of MORE items. I have definitly been heading toward a more minimalist life style with STUFF and getting rid of as much as I can – it is very simple really I hate to clean and dust – the less STUFF I have the less I have to clean!
My mother thinks I am crazy, my 5 year old isn’t ready to give up any of his toys yet and my husband thinks it is GREAT – so glad we are on the same page with the clean out! Hoping we can convince my son to feel the same way soon!
The one thing I am having trouble with is shoes/boots – we have a ton of them – seasonal and for all weather, hiking, walking, dress up etc – what do we do about all of those??????
Jenny says
I just finished a huge closet purge, and am now down to a total of just 60 items of clothing – including things like coats and blazers.
I have just 2 pairs of jeans, 8 t-shirts, 1 pair of black pants, etc.
It was difficult, I worked at a vintage clothing store, and so, built up quite the wardrobe. However it came to a point, where it was too much, and I just wasn’t wearing 80% of clothing I apperently “LOVED!”
It was time to pass it on, and my I just adore my new-found simplistic wardrobe. :)
Thanks for the tips!
Golden says
My Dh and I just recently had a weekend away. After getting the kids to my sister’s to go camping, I accidentally left our bag of clothes at home. All we needed was underwear and something to sleep in. It was refreshingly, just fine.
Amber says
I am on right on the verge of dumping just about everything in my closet. Hence the google search “I have too many clothes, how do I minimize?” and alas, this blog post is awesome. Thank you.
I have this one pair of gray pants. They are the best. They are a lightweight material and you can zip the legs off so they can become capri’s when it’s hot. They are also semi-water resistant. During the winter in Nebraska with wet snowy days, I would wear a pair of thick long-johns underneath, and would be warmer than if I were to wear a pair of jeans and boots. They are the perfect most versatile pants I own. They match everything I own. During the winter walking back and forth across campus, I wore them about 3 times a week.
Now I need to find some shirts like that !?!?!
Johanna says
After losing a lot of weight i went crazy shopping and filled my closet with crazy clothes i could never wear when i was heavy. One day i caught myself in a store mirror and realized how stupid and old i looked , like i was trying to keep up with teenages when i had a preteen myself. since then i only buy clothes that fit me flatting and are timeless. I rather have three $90 jeans that made me feel proud of my body than 25 cheap ones from a teen store at the mall. It really helped me to purge out my closet, now i don’t feel bad when when buy quality clothes because i look at then as investment pieces that i rely on for many years to come. If i feel i want to change it up i buy or make trendy jewely instead!
Edilma says
Hello there, great article. I have a few questions: How did you move away from thinking: “What if I need this later on?” or having the fear of “scarcity” in the future. Did you ever look back and thought you should have held on to something you gave away? I am wondering because my parents have drawers of clothes and wear the same ones over and over again. They won’t wear something else until the current ones go in the trash, literally. Thanks..
Roda says
Edilma, I know what you mean. If you cover your casual/business/dressy-formal basics, (in tops and bottoms) the best thing to do is remind yourself you will always find something! It’s true! It’s easy mentally to invision scarcity (our minds usually come up with the worst-case scenario no matter what.) Remind yourself you will always find something and it will always look different thanks to accessorizing. (i.e, scarves, necklaces, etc.)
BRENT says
ALL OF THIS LESS IS BETTER IS A TON OF CRAP I ENJOY BUYING STUFF FOR ME THAT BENFITS ME BECAUSE IN THE LONG RUN ITS ALL ABOUT ME,MYSELF AND I THATS THE WAY IN IS I AM ALL FOR THAT
BDE says
I’m not exactly a minimalist, but I DO work from a wardrobe list. After I quit working, I had to really think about what I needed to have…no more suits, or, maybe, just one black pantsuit. More casual clothes, but not too many. I keep a set number of items in each category, and I limit my clothing colors to neutrals plus turquoise, coral and eggplant. I have a fairly full closet, but not overloaded, and I’m prepared for anything at anytime, from a day at the beach to a black-tie wedding. It took a long time, but it was worth it. I think the key is figuring out what types of clothing you need, then making a couple of smart selections in each category. The good news is that if you limit the number of items you buy in each category, you can probably afford nicer quality.
RoTimi Waddy says
I found this article and most of the comments posted here to be quite interesting. While I would personally never be labeled a clothing minimalist (probably the complete opposite) due to my love for options and for fashion in general, I still feel like there is something that can be gained by anyone and everyone here.
Regards,
RoTimi W.
Shane Maloney says
Growing up I was educated at a Christian Brothers College and was recently contemplating their attire – black trousers and a white shirt (with crosses on the collar). It occurred to me how much freedom these men have as a result of being liberated from the daily dilemma of “what to wear”? At first glance people assume it is the opposite of freedom in that one is not presented with choices. However, choices themselves represent a kind of false freedom as they can consume you. Like most commenters, I am slowly shedding the wardrobe and the feeling is amazing. Every time I throw something away it feels like a weight off my shoulders (even if it isn’t a jacket) and now I find myself consciously looking for what to throw out next. I may not have reached the “single outfit”, but I’m definitely following the path that leads in that direction. Thank you Josh for such a great blog. It’s funny that we have to refer to a sustainable and rich way of life as “minimalist”. In many respects we are talking about “abundance”. But I’m sure everyone here knows that already.