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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
About Joshua Becker
I have a feeling that the environmental impact of constantly running a washing machine, and, unfortunately, a drier, would be fairly disastrous compared to simply owning a practical amount of clothing and doing a full load once a week.
We do our laundry once/week. Yup.
You only wash the clothes you wear either way. Does it matter how many choices you had as to which outfits those were? In the end, there are I my 7ndays in a week…
*only 7 days in a week
@ Su, You only wash the clothes you wear either way. Does it matter how many choices you had as to which outfits those were? In the end, there are only 7days in a week…
Maybe I misunderstood your comment(?(
Here in the southern part of the Philippines, we don’t have some sort of charities where we can donate our stuff. Unless people will post ads after some calamities, etc. What we do with our excess, we give them to the garbage collector, informing them that these are clothes that people can still wear. So just in case, there are people who are doing dumpster diving, they can give the clothes to them directly. This is sort of rampant here in the Philippines.
Regarding our journey to minimalism, we are practicing (1) Project333, (2) 1 in, 1 out, and (3) create a uniform for work, or for trail running and mountain climbing activities.
I have been on this minimalist journey since last year. I have been slowly purging my house of things that I don’t need or use. I donate them to Salvation Army. I recently tackled my closet. I have found that I need a lot less clothing than I thought. I have a washer and dryer at home, so I can wash my clothing as many times as I need to. I have pared down my work clothes to two dresses for work. They are both dark colors. I have 5 or 6 pairs of leggings to wear under my dresses. I have 5 t-shirts, 4 long sleeve shirts, and two pairs of jeans. This only works because I have a washer and dryer though. Not everyone can pare down that far. My shoes are minimal as well. I have a pair of work shoes, and a backup pair in my desk at work. I have a pair of tennis shoes plus two backup pairs in case one pair gets wet or wears out. That is all. And I have one purse. I only need one.
Why do minimalist articles always feel like they are directed at folks that are nowhere close to living as an actual minimalist. I am constantly trying to own only exactly what I can carry a decent distance at once. This seems directed at people that couldn’t do that with just their shoes!
To help them get there. There are a lot of people tossing justifications around like a baseball because they want to do this but have their cake too. Minimalism was natural to me as I had started studying Buddhism to help me to let go of an abusive past. I learned through reading the Dhammapadda that ALL attachment meant suffering, that’s why we grieve, but that suffering can be controlled through practicing letting go PURPOSELY of things, even things of value. Most people don’t have that pre-education to help them past the attachment. They are struggling to let go.
Why would being free of all attachment be a good thing, though? If you don’t mind me saying, that does not sound like a route to a meaningful life, but a hardly-lived one. All good things – like love, family, community – they’re all hard, and they require attachment, but they’re worth the risk. I get what you’re saying in terms of possessions, but that doesn’t sound like a nice way to be thinking about life in general.
Interesting, The Bible also speaks to us about possessions and finding our worth and letting go of past and looking forward to the future. We are all created special and unique. I would recommend starting reading in Proverbs in the Bible.
I feel so blessed that God led me to this article before this 2019year ends. That means I’ll be able to start living an abundant life with less in 2020 and so on.
Thank you for your writings. It truly helps a lot of people.
God bless you endlessly.
From: Philippines
Thanks for your tip about imposing a 90-day rule of not buying clothes to minimize expenses and possible discards. Christmas is near, and the present I chose to give to people is statement shirts. Since I don’t have enough time to change my plans anymore, I’ll see to it to buy sustainable packaging for the shirts and check the fabric that was used.
Are you pushing EXTREME minimalism? You should say so. Mostly terrible advise here – no surprise coming from a man. First of all, there is no reason to avoid color. That’s for insecure people who default to the “trusted black, beige, grey monochromatic”. My 4 “dress” pants are white, navy, khaki, and PINK. ONE handbag? ONE winter coat? In what universe? I’m a professional dog walker/pet sitter. I can just see me carrying around my Chanel bag and wearing my $300 coat on jobs.
You obviously don’t even know about “exercise”. You CANNOT wear the same shoes and clothing because of many reasons. In my case, walking in the Florida rain and having muddy dogs stomp on my $145 work shoes would last one day with your theories.
I’m not commenting more because I have an Extreme Minimalist policy with my time – I don’t waste it on silliness.
BTW, even Fumio Sasaki has five shoes. Primarily because he knows the dangers of athlete’s foot, fungus, and quickly destroying expensive shoes with overuse and weather elements. A human being who truly NEEDS “athletic wear” because of athletics needs at least two sets because we do not throw our high quality crap in a washer and dryer between DAILY (and some times 2x daily) uses.
Hey Joshua,
Nice post. Personally, I’m transitioning into a minimalist, not yet. But, I’ve noticed over the past 3-4 yrs, I’ve hardly used only 4-7 shirts & maybe 3 pants. For my tracking, I’ve kept rest of my wardrobe in the ceiling. And, I hardly have time to assess the ceiling OR grab those extra clothes up there !
I’m just managing with 1 pair of sandals for over 4 yrs (Just my old minimalist sandals which I thought were indestructible were damaged by rats !) I don’t wear shoes, but I did wear shoes on just 2-3 ocassions over the past 2-3 yrs.
As most folks agree, it’s a matter of choice on Minimalism. Personally, I don’t care much for clothes anyways, and I don’t care much for fashion either. And I neither have the time/money/effort/space in my life to waste myself at malls !
Life is all too easy for me. My wife I’m a minimalist. Only I haven’t started on minimalism yet & I’m interested to go down the rabbit hole soon !
I would say that this is directed at people who are not ‘extreme’ enough. If I can pare down in the extreme north of Canada then you surely can walking in the Florida rain.
We live near Chicago. We get four seasons. I wear gray, navy, black, and whatever T shirts people give me. I have piles of things for Goodwill when it reopens. I was given many sets of dishes and kept the salad plates or dessert bowls. They are nice gifts when filled with good candy or dried fruit. I gave the big plates and cups and saucers away.
Get over yourself
Exactly! I’ve recently retired as a teacher…obviously I won’t NEED as many clothes for DAILY dressing up but I buy clothes as art! I love color and style…but not necessarily “fashion”.
Many of these minimalist ideas/suggestions are “guilting” I.e. ‘look what works for me…it’s what everyone should do’!
I am downsizing by giving away to other young teachers books, craft items, games, etc. and have donated/Poshmarked clothes, shoes, boots, coats, jewelry,etc.
It works for me and I live in a 700 sq ft house…btw…what works today may not work next season…but I’m not depressed except when one tells me what I should do at 72~ thanks…😍
Very nice post, Thank for sharing.
I really appreciate the insight here in this post and confident it’s going to be helpful to me and many others. Thanks to everyone contributed as well.
Awesome write up. It’s going to be helpful to me and many others.
I devised a system of wearing colours according to day of the week. Whites on Mondays…Reds/marrons/pinks onnTuesdays …Greens were for Wednesday. (I work at clinical Practice from home) …getting dressed us a breeze in the morning…ok so today us Monday sonout come the whites. BTW this has also to do with Vedic Astrology.
I typically own an article of clothing for more than 15 years. I will be 40 this year and I still have a few pieces from when I was a teen ager that are 25yrs. I have alot of clothing. I wear special articles like sweaters and coats that my family made or gave me once a year.
I love getting free clothing or free-cycling with friends and aquaintences. Sometimes my roommates and I would do clothing trades, and also co-workers. It works like this: let’s say you have 10 pieces that are more than 2 sizes too big or small for you- wash them, mend them, and fold them into a bag, then find a neighbor or someone, anyone, in a plaza, your community, and say hey, I have something you might like, would you be interested in… some jeans, etc… and let them know if it does not fit, to donate it to someone else. I did this with size 5 pants and shorts and skirts. As I am a 7-16, depending on if I am working out and dieting. I owned smaller clothes when I was an athlete. I just tell the girl or lady, Hi, (name) or (miss) or (maam) I was spring cleaning out my closet and I thought these would look great with your (eyes) or might be your size, or maybe some ladies at your church can use them, or they ship containers to Haiti. Ask them to donate anythng that they don’t like or doesn’t fit, not throw it away.
I found a bag of childrens clothing and sorted thru it, and flagged down a family with 3 small girls near the dollar tree and held up each outfit and asked them if they like it or want it and their dad said ok. I also scored some maternity pants and a pet reflective vest and a pretty top for myself, and still had a few baby clothes to give to the cashier for her relatives. Sometimes ladies leave unwanted clothes outside a discount store in a box, near the wealthy area. It is always better to put a note, like, in marker on a cardboard box, like, (Free, date) so that if some one stops by they know if it is trash or free-cycling or not a mistake.
My most favorite free-cycle came when I inherited my best friends Mother’s closet contents. She has very good taste, and it was an awesome experience because, I had no grief or attachment, or negative emotion, only facination. I had recently gained weight and her clothes were big enough. She loved a certain style, long sleeve pant set, like mature, and colorful, like something a school teacher would want for business casual. It was awesome because I would have never chosen any of those prints or cuts or fabric textures for myself, and yet, when I put them on I feel great. I have some photos of her wearing some of the tops and we look so different in them. But, what really gives me the awe, is that those shirts had a whole life, adventures, before I aquired them. They went to the beach, on a cruise, to the hospital, the casino, they almost channel her essense. I like vintage clothing, hand me downs, and thrift stores.
Items I do not reccommend for free cycling is undergarments like boyshorts, boxers, underwear or swimsuit bottoms. Bras are okay.
Pre-owned Socks are maybe, depending if you know and trust the person due to athletes foot or fungus (bleach). I buy men’s socks because womens socks are always too small for me, I wear a 8.5 in open toe, 9.5 or 10 in sneakers. Also men’s socks tend to cost less (Pink tax).
For me, It helped me to let go of 4 bags of clothing knowing it was going to a college student, and I made sure to ask her if she had any room in her armoir first.
I hang everything. I also use the same color hangers and face the garments all the same direction. Yes my closets are full, but neat.
If I have a negative memory with a garment, like maybe the grey sweater I wore to a stressfull court hearing, I either alter it, or give it to a family member. I was mistreated by police one night afterwork in my driveway and they ended up putting me in the emergency room. So the designer jeans I had on, reminded me if the bruises, so I but them into capris, and it helped me to know, that I didn’t loose myself, I cut off the mistakes. I also tye dye cotton shirts that get a stain. I have done a dye treatment on old worn faded garments that are off white or absorbed muted dyes. Sometimes old underwear can be given a fresh new look with dye. I have a glass jar, and a plastic spatula, and rubber bands to make a pattern, and I soak it overnight. I do this with yoga pants, or something that just needs a boost. I am not a fan of white pants so I dye them, keep in mind you will never get a solid dye, you will have 2 tones, so the way the item is folded will give the lines. Think spiral.
Another option is 1 in 1 out method. If you buy a new item, give away 1 thing. I gave away designer career pumps that gave my foot a cramp, they were georgious, but I got in return an arched dresser that my cats love to lounge on.
My last tip is Bulk Trash Day… I can’t tell you how many beautiful wood dressers end up in the landfill. If you have a freind with a truck the day before, great, if not, just take the drawers and knobs. You can up-cycle them. Think under the bed, wall mounted, or inserted into open cabinets like boxes. They make excellent cat beds. I would not bother with pressed particle cheap quality. Look for solid wood that can be pained or sanded and stained, or that just looks expensive, with detailing. People literally throw away stuff because it is easier than moving it when they relocate. I have great patio furniture like this because I drove into the area with mansions and estates to sight see and bird watch, that just happened to have a cafe set and sun shade umbrellas. Just check for bugs, like bed bugs or roaches. I also got an entire reclaimed wooden deck. (Check for termites).
Very much concerned about where the discarded clothes go – it seems like the minimalist purging approach just adds to the overall waste stream. Are there good ways to make sure that discards are actually used and not just put in the landfills?
Good point! I have a couple of points related to clothes waste.
First, try to sell your discarded clothes before you donate. People (myself included) buy clothes at consignment stores. I started shopping at consignment stores to be more environmentally friendly, but now I’m hooked because of the quality clothes at great prices. For the pieces the consignment store doesn’t take, you could try donating to a women’s shelter or local non-profit. If you can’t do that, then donate to Goodwill. If you donate to Goodwill, then not all of your donated clothes end up on clothing racks for resell. Some of them will be sold to recyclers or overseas, and some get thrown away. From an environmental standpoint, I feel like donating clothes to Goodwill should be the last option.
Second, the intention of minimalism is to own less. After purging your excess, you should not be replacing the purged items. Going forward, you will purchase fewer items, which is much better for the environment.
Yeah, but if the profits go to feed exorbitant resale shop executive salaries who buy more crap than they need, what is the value…GW does not assist folks w no cost work clothing, look for more direct consumer use, not resale, look for Shelters, programs than really funnel resources directly to those in need without having to purchase goods.
I’d say:
– if you need money, then sell as much as possible (e.g. ebay, flea markets etc).
– if you don’t need money or wouldn’t get much out of it anyway, give away stuff to friends (that’s mostly what I do). There are also groups on facebook etc. where you can give away stuff and people will pick it up and be happy. That takes a bit more time and effort though, as you need to coordinate with the folks who want your stuff and answer “is it still available” messages weeks later
– donate to shelters and non-profit orgs
– upcycle – e.g. I’m planning to sew covers for hot water bottles out of some of my old favourite shirts that are waaaayyy too small for me now
– only if an item is not wearable at all anymore, recycle it or donate it to orgs that will sell it to recyclers. ANYTHING is better than just adding to landfills…
Becoming a minimalist doesn’t mean dumping everything in a landfill. I began my minimalist journey last year. As I purged the things that I no longer needed, I donated them to Salvation Army. I had clothing in my closet with tags still on them, and they had been there a long time. I don’t like contributing anything to a landfill so I donated everything. I am getting ready to do yet another purge of my house; I am overdue for another sweep. I still have things in my house that I don’t use. Anything that is in good shape that someone else can use will go to Salvation Army.
So helpful this article, just when I was not able to throw some pair of clothes clinging to their memory! This really helped, Thank you Joshua Becker.
Wow thank you so much I think this will help a lot but I have a question I’m a mkid and my parents by me a lot of sneakers and clothes what do I do
Dear Zaiden,
Since you already have a lot, you could ask if they could buy you sweaters, jeans, t-shirts or jackets next.
You don’t need many, as long as you have 1-2 of each clothing item you like, you will probably be good for a long time. Then after those wear out, you can ask for new ones.
Agreed, be honest and ask for fill in pieces you really need, start a list, whole you can also keep your favorite gifts and share your others with friends. Let the gift givers know that you are trying to actually build a wardrobe rather than just add duplicates. That way they will want to help you rather than spend on items your not ready to replace. No one wants to waste money on needless things on purpose.
Another idea…You could start up a clothing swap with a group of girlfriends where you trade pieces. This would give you the opportunity to try other styles without buying.
Like one of the comments said, keep a list of things you would like to have. I’m 22 years old and I keep a list taped to my wall of things I would like to eventually purchase. It not only helps me decided if I truly want the item, but also gives my parents an idea for gifts or things they might find on a clearance rack.
Do you have a “recipe” on how to build a capsule wardrobe? For kids and parents!
as in best pieces to have?
http://www.facebook.com/simplyclassicbysusan
Look up capsule wardrobes. These are groupings of clothing that all mix and match so that you will need only key silhouettes to cover all bases. Picking a basic color story helps too. Mine is White/Black/Beige/Navy/Green/Gray. These colors keep me In a mix match family that works easily. No brainier dressing!
It helps to know your own body type/shape too, and what looks good on you. You can Google this all.
Pay attention to your favorite go to pieces in the closet. Pull these out and start a new wardrobe with those pieces on a separate rack to see what mixes with those best. And most importantly try on everything questionable to see if it make the grade with your favorite looks, if not remove those so that you can look and feel your best. Google capsule wardrobes and go to Images for lots of ideas on what may work for you and your family.
Try… Women’s casual and work wardrobe capsules, Men’s and children’s too. Also shoes and outerwear.
Forgot to mention. My personal recipe…
Clothing
skinny jeans + lightweight sweater + classic outerwear
Accessories
Black large classic bag + sunglasses + one piece of jewelry
Shoes
A rotation of tall boot + short boot + classic black mid height heel + tennis shoes
That is my daily formula and I have several options of each clothing type to mix and match. Simple and fast !
Use be Vivienne files….four by four wardrobes it’s great and there are tons of colours she features
ugh I don’t know where to start, my daughters tell me “mom you need to get rid of some of your clothes” how? I have a hard time parting from it.. I’m always thinking of other ways to update it with new trends.. it is so difficult..I have it separated by colors.
My closet is overwhelming.. !! I will buy a piece, go home and it doestn’t go with anything.. HELP!
I have found this lifestyle to be such a blessing in semi-retirement. While waiting for my husband to retire next year, I have been downsizing in major ways. My clothes are now pima cotton tees and denim on most days. Black jeans and a couple of dressy tops for special occasions and that about covers it. I am searching for my easy winter wardrobe now ~ sorting and purging. I have found another simple but wonderful help both clothes minded and money saving. We incorporated a small 4 shelf plastic shelf with 4 cheap clothes baskets near our laundry in the basement. I wrote “white”, “colors”, “jeans” and “work” on each basket. Laundry is only once a week and our utilities have really dropped…. simple wardrobe helps in many ways! I can hardly wait to both be retired and have more time to enjoy our simple way of life! Love your site!
Good afternoon, I am starting this process slowly. Here’s my dilemma I work in public safety therefore I have a ton of uniforms that I have to wear keep in mind I work in the fire service and EMS so keeping extra uniforms are a must for those days. Along with this I am also a consultant for my own company therefore need to keep things for that too so we do I draw the line.
I have only black or gray pants and jackets, which means I only need black or gray shoes and socks. I bring color into the look in my shirts and scarves. I have 1 gray and 2 black purses of different sizes for different needs. I started doing this because I was traveling a lot and it made for easier and lighter packing. However I found it made my home life easier (and smaller) too. I have a fraction of the clothes most of my friends have, and operate strictly on the “one in one out” rule, however I still think I could do better.
Naye Sapane
Naye Apne
Naye Vade
Naye Kasme
Naye Manzil
Naye Rahe
Nayi Baat
Naya Vishwas
Kooch Simple
Kooch Khas
Har Pal rahe Bindass
Happy New Year
I love this so much!!
Already added to my favorite blogs list
I would add another rule that works well for me: Never buy clothes online unless you are buying an exact replacement for something you love. I have wasted more money than I can count on online purchases of clothes and shoes that were either “good enough maybe” so I kept them, realizing later I hated them OR hated them on sight but waited too long to mail them back. I only get to buy in person, where I can try it on and see if it’s really worth my closet space.
I think it’s not so much about how many, how much, but do you love it? Keep what you love, love what you keep, use what you keep, and enjoy caretaking what you keep. That may mean 10 black dresses for some of us, or 4 complete seasonal changes for others. Bottom line: don’t hang onto stuff for 1) Nostalgia, 2) It was expensive, 3) I’ll fit into it someday.
I appreciate thought process and the philosophy behind this but its hard to live an active or athletic lifestyle like this. A separate set of clothing for working out in is necessary because no one wants to go to the gym then go out to dinner or go to work wearing a sweaty exercise shirt and shorts. As a philosophy of paring down to just what you need for funtional practical purposes is a good idea.
Agreed. I have a list of “necessary” items, and 7 days of workout clothes is on it. I can’t even re-wear them the next day, they are so sweaty. So this gets me a week before doing laundry and encourages me to work out every day.
Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.
I wish you would start a poll asking how much minimalist people spend on clothing a month/year CURRENTLY… vs. How much they USED to spend!
I’d be curious to see what people say. :)
Yes! I instituted a “Shopping ban” years ago for financial reasons, and just stayed with it because it made me happier.
I have recently gone down the ‘monochromatic’ wardrobe route and have simplified my wardrobe so much because of it – dressing is so much easier in the morning’s now and I only ever wore colour because people told me I wear “too much black” anyway! By culling numerous clothes and re-wearing items when not necessary to wash every time, using one towel per week etc I only do one load of washing per week (compared to a flatmates 4-5 loads per week for one person!!!). I’ve been able to donate a large number of items to charity, simplify my life, change my outlook on shopping and reduce my footprint on the earth at the same time. Definitely a good feeling :)