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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
Jay says
Could not agree more. Our mantra is to buy clothing made for travel as it is just as good for everyday use. If and when you take a trip, you do not have to go out and buy anything new. Less indeed is more.
swalia says
you are so right….amazed and inspired!
Lynn says
I do try to follow a more minimal lifestyle…But if a specific trend comes along that I really like…I follow this rule-buy only 1 or 2 pieces that fit into this trend, dont buy the expensive versions because when the trend fades (like they always do)you can get re-sell, give away, or donate without feeling like you have lost out on money
Kelly B says
I do not like to shop for clothes or shoes. I have one pair of sneakers, one pair of black shoes and one pair of brown shoes. I just recently lost over 50 pounds and I have been cleaning out my closet. It is a great feeling. Now I can wear some of the other clothes that I already had in my closet. I have started a couple of bins for clothes that I can’t or won’t wear so I can take them to the consignment shop. I might as well make some money on them so I can get some clothes that will actually fit.
Paula Grieco says
I love the quote that you started the post with – “Know, first, who you are; and then adorn yourself accordingly.” – Epictetus Style at its best can be a form of self-expression within limits that put material possessions in its proper place. @Stacy, would be great to see our kids’ generation think “less” was the new hip.
DDS says
I had too much clothing and haved pared down several times — still plenty, but now a quantity which is quite manageable and the various items remaining do get worn. In the process, I’ve found myself letting go of the idea of one while moving more toward fewer colors.
I love the quote about knowing who you are and adorning accordingly. Simplicity and comfort are what matter most to me in clothing. I have several copies of a few core pieces in a few core colors, which makes laundry easy to schedule and easy to do, and makes the what-to-wear decisions so much easier to make during those mentally muddled morning hours.
Stacy says
Our family is not extremely minimalist by any definition, but each of our three children have one small dresser for all their clothes (except coats, etc.). If they can’t fit their clothes comfortably and neatly in their small dresser, we pare down. Our oldest two, 10 and 12 years of age, already tell me how frustrated they get when their dressers are too full and hard to manage, and are more than willing to spend the ten minutes (or less) of time choosing what to get rid of. Hopefully it will make a lasting impression into adulthood!
Meguey says
I like lots of the ideas here, but having only one pair of jeans would mean washing them nearly every day with the yard work / car work / etc etc I do. Some dirt and grime just can’t be brushed off at the end of the day.
joshua becker says
Thanks for the comment Meguey. These are just suggestions. I’m not assuming every point needs to be adopted by every person. And I tried to leave some personal application room in the “embrace the idea of one” suggestion. Certainly our specific needs change based on a number of factors.
lauren says
Meguey,
My husband keeps an old yucky pair of coveralls hanging in the garage for this purpose. He rolls around under the truck or gets covered in dirt in the yard and just hangs them up out there, leaving his underclothes clean.
Of course, for working on the truck, its nice to have some clothes you won’t mind if oil soaks through onto.
So, he has 1 pair of nice jeans for going out, 1 pair of ratty old ones for under the coveralls, and then the coveralls that get hosed off once in a while when they get stiff from mud and greases.
Maria says
My family and I have been living with the following items for the past 11 months:
– Two short-sleeved shirts (one is for washing days, the other is an Icebreaker and doesn’t retain smell)
– One pair of pants
– Girls also have a wrap-around skirt
– 3 pairs of underwear
– Girls have 2 bras
– 3 pairs of socks
– 1 jacket
– 1 windbreaker
– 1 long-sleeved shirt
– Pajamas consisting of pants, camisole, and long-sleeved shirt
– 1 pair of sandals
– 1 pair of sneakers
It is totally doable and actually quite comfortable. And I like it much better than having 6 different shirts in my closet.
laura m. says
I go thru the clothes at the end of each season. If I know the item won’t be worn or hasn’t been worn in long time, it goes to donation. This city has several group homes, low income housing, and other thrift shop ministries. This is motivating enough. I stick to denim capri pants most the time as a retiree, with blue and green tops, some browns, my main colors. In winter I wear jogging suits or sweat pants in navy and gray tones. Have several pairs of jogging shoes and bathing suits.