When I first decided to become minimalist, I can remember looking in my closet and seeing 100, maybe 120 different articles of clothing.
I cut my wardrobe in half to 60 items. But then I discovered Project 333 started by Courtney Carver. After trying it, I cut my closet in half again.
Nowadays, I own about 33 to 35 articles of clothing. Somewhere during that process, I started wearing basically the same thing every day: a V-neck t-shirt, pants, and black shoes.
I have come to love wearing the same thing each day. And I’m not alone. A lot of people are doing the same thing.
Here are some of the reasons why I wear the same thing every day:
1. Fewer decisions. This is by far the most popular reason why people decide to adopt a streamlined capsule wardrobe.
Decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision making. Wearing the same outfit each day removes picking out clothes as a decision to be made.
The truth of the matter is, you have more important decisions to make than what you’re going to wear each morning.
2. Less time and energy wasted. When you wear the same thing every day, you save time deciding what you’re going to wear each morning. And you save significant energy over the course of the week.
Just think about how much time goes into maintaining, and organizing, and taking care of your clothes. Laundry, for example. When you decide to wear the same thing every day, all of that becomes easier. You save time in the morning and energy over the course of a week.
3. Less stress. As a result of fewer decisions and more time, wearing the same thing means you have less stress in the morning.
It also means you experience less stress over the course of the day. I don’t ever have to think about, “Oh man, am I wearing the right thing today? I wish I would’ve worn x instead.” I wear the same thing, and it works perfect for almost every occasion. I love it. You will too.
4. Save money. The average American family spends $2000 a year on clothing—despite already having closets full of clothes.
For some reason, we just keep buying more and more and more. A lot of this expense is wasted on clothes that are never worn—trial and error fashion that ends up wasting time, energy, and money.
5. Feeling put together. Every moment of every day my clothes fit, match, and just so happen to be my favorites. All day long, I feel like I’m wearing something I enjoy and look good wearing.
6. Less waste. The average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing every year. Deciding to wear the same thing is good for the planet, it’s good for you, and it’s good for everyone else as well.
7. An iconic look. Wearing the same thing every day is the quickest way to become famous. You become known for your particular style, you look put together, you look classy, you look comfortable, and you look confident. Because you’re not constantly chasing the newest fashions, you’ll communicate confidence in who you are and how you look.
I love wearing the same thing every day. You will too.
If you’re looking for help to get started on this in your own life, let me suggest: The Minimalist Wardrobe: A Practical Guide to Owning Fewer Clothes.
Adapted from: 6 Reasons I Wear The Same Thing Every Day.
Dana says
As a middle school teacher, my students *absolutely* notice what I wear, so I don’t wear exactly the same thing every day ;) But as someone else mentioned, even just limiting yourself to a few colors makes it SO much easier to get dressed. Combine that with just flat-out ditching things that don’t look amazing or aren’t comfortable, and even though it may not be technically a “capsule wardrobe,” I now wear and use everything in my closet on the regular. Never going back!
Kathy says
One reason I love wearing scrubs M-Th. No decisions there! And last week we sold our house and moved into our motorhome for the next 19 months (9 months until I retire and then 10 months of traveling around the US, mostly visiting national parks). My closet rod is 19” wide, perfect for a minimalist approach.
Paige Cassandra Flamm says
I totally agree! Even from a female perspective, I’ve simplified my wardrobe so much in the last year, and it’s so freeing!
Paige
Judy says
Great article! I recently donated half of what I owned to charity— and I couldn’t be happier. I like the idea of having a minimalistic wardrobe. I live in a four season climate— and yes— t-shirts do work. Chilly? Put on a sweater ;)
Carol Carter says
When I was in the military I loved wearing the same uniform everyday. After shift I mostly stayed with it on . It was comfortable. When I was off I wore jeans and tee shirt. On occasion a blouse.
I’m not a fashionable person. In the civilian world it was challenging to create outfits for work. I had some jobs that issued you shirts to wear when working, that was nice. I’m not working now, so I have closet full of casual work clothes to disperse of. I basically wear capris or jeans and tee shirts. I’m comfy. I do have dress pants and some nice blouses for when the occasion arises.
P. Gilroy says
While I don’t wear the SAME thing every day, I have a week’s worth of summer dresses for warm weather, one cardigan, a week’s worth of tunics and leggings for cooler weather, and two coats (they are both cotton and must be hung to dry, so I have a backup when I wash one) and this WORKS for ME. I’ve wasted quite a bit of money on clothing over the years, so now I typically purchase quality clothing on clearance and second hand and keep it to a minimum. I agree with reducing fatigue and stress from decision making.
Cynthe Grey says
Anyone watch the Rachel Maddox Show on MSNBC? She wears the same outfit every show. You don’t really notice it. I thinks it’s a great idea!!
Christina says
So, serious question…when “wearing same thing every day” does that mean you have like 5 or so of same items?
Or its literally the exact same items & it gets washed more often?
( did I miss that detail?)
joshua becker says
I own multiples of the same article.
Julie Williams says
I have 7 dresses that are all blue or black solids or prints. They are my favorite colors. So your multiples can be different according to what you love to wear.
Fran Razmus says
I truly get what you’re saying. Steve Jobs was well known for black turtlenecks and blue jeans. I called it his uniform and I loved that look. Many times when we’re traveling overseas and the weather is a bit cooler I will take only black turtlenecks and khaki shorts or long pants. Wear the same athletic shoes every day (when we’re traveling). When we’re home I tend to drift to short sleeve black polo shirts or an Hawaii print shirt and very fitted black shorts. I may not make the pages of Glamour Magazine but it makes my like easier. (incidentally I am retired). Several years ago we did a 52 day cruise and my minimalist dressing allowed me to bring just one bag that weighed 30 pounds. I secretly laughed at all the other women who were struggling with 3 or 4 large bags. When I questioned folks on the ship, no one could recall what I wore the previous day. One of my favorite news hosts is Rachel Maddow and she is quite well known for wearing a black blazer every night. It works for her and her clothing is not distracting as she goes about presenting the news.
Laura says
I love the “but” posts of seasons and jobs like that’s an excuse for having a full closet.
Anyway, I’m a caregiver so I can wear what I want, and I’ve worn the same thing for over 3 years–a t-shirt picked up on our car trips, black Duluth Trading Noga pants and black sneakers.