Not long ago, a goal of mine was to cultivate a wardrobe like the ones you see in the “closet goals” tag on Instagram: a limitless collection of clothes, shoes, bags, and accessories, allowing me to never repeat an outfit ever again. However, not only is this wardrobe expensive, it’s also unhealthy for the environment. Thus, the idea of a minimalist wardrobe was born, and aesthetically-pleasing minimalist wardrobe photos began to flood the Internet. So, to do something good for your wallet and the Earth, here are some starting points for creating your own affordable, sustainable, and fashionable minimalist wardrobe.
1—Donate/recycle clothes you don’t wear. While it may be difficult to part with certain clothes, my rule is, if I haven’t worn it in a year, it has to go. If the clothing item is in good enough condition, it can be resold or donated. Otherwise, it can be recycled at a local clothing recycling station.
2—Find your color scheme. This doesn’t mean that all of your clothes will be the same colors, but it will help your wardrobe be more flexible. You want most of your tops to match most of your bottoms, and your accessories to match most of your outfits. Also, if most of your clothes match each other, you’re less likely to have the “I have nothing to wear!” feeling while you’re getting ready.
3—Make sure your clothes differ from each other. Although you may think that this contradicts my last point, this simply means that the design of each clothing item should be unique within your wardrobe. For example, two main colors from my color scheme are black and white. However, I have a plain, loose-fitting, black T-shirt, and a fitted black and white striped shirt. While both of these things can easily be paired with the same pair of black shorts and basic shoes, they are very different from each other, allowing me to make my smaller wardrobe fun and versatile.
4—Use layering pieces that go with most of your outfits. This could be a denim jacket, a neutral cardigan, or a fun scarf. It allows you to vary your outfits and prevents you from getting in a fashion rut. It’s also useful for when the seasons change, as it allows you to wear the same pieces throughout the year.
5—Only own accessories that go with more than half of your clothes. Bags, shoes, and jewelry can be worn far more often than clothes. So, make sure that you can get your use out of each item by wearing them more regularly. Also, by having the ability to add an accessory to any outfit, you maximize the number of different outfits that you can create.
What do you think of the minimalist wardrobe trend? Show me photos of your minimalist wardrobes on social media and tag @CFashionista!
