Designing a Minimalist Wardrobe
For most of my life, I was pretty clueless about style. I had way too many clothes but somehow still struggled to put outfits together. When I tried to declutter, I had no idea where to start. When I started my minimalist journey, one of the first steps I took was creating a capsule wardrobe. That involved decluttering most of my clothes and creating a curated collection of pieces that could be mixed and matched. I had no idea how to approach this, so I did some internet research and learned how to design a minimalist wardrobe.
Now, I’m still not a fashionista, but I’ve figured out a few hacks that have made style much easier.
1. Think in Terms of Outfits, Not Pieces
I used to focus on individual items when shopping. If something caught my eye, I didn’t think about how it would go with the other clothes I own before buying. Often, I’d put it in my closet, mostly pass it up each time I got dressed, and eventually declutter it.
Recently I was out shopping with my mom. Looking at shoes, we both went straight for some multicolored, patterned sneakers. They were really pretty and unique! In the past, I would have bought them. Now, with a goal to design a minimalist wardrobe, I mentally combed through the pieces in my closet. (I now few enough that I can do this in my mind!) And I considered what I could wear them with. The answer was…pretty much nothing. Instead, I bought some solid white sneakers.
My younger self would have considered this a bit depressing – buying “boring” solid shoes instead of the fun, loud ones. But I have to admit, my younger self did not have a great sense of style. I considered neutrals dull and wouldn’t buy them. But any style guru will tell you they are essential to every outfit. Not every piece can be loud.
This is a simple shift you can make when you’re shopping, whether online on in person. When considering adding something to your wardrobe, mentally run through what you already have and make outfits with it. If you can’t, that’s a good sign you should skip buying it.
2. You Can End Up With Too Many Clothes Even If You Hate Shopping
A lot of what I’ve read online from minimalists claim that they’re recovering shopaholics. They say that minimalism helped them break that bad habit. I, on the other hand, have always hated shopping. But then…how did I end up with so many clothes?
Ironically, my aversion to shopping lead me to keeping way more clothes than I needed. I hoarded clothes because I didn’t want to end up in a situation where an event would come up and I’d need shop for something to wear.
I was also sometimes gifted things that didn’t fit my style. Since I didn’t want to shop for myself, I’d keep them just in case.
Finally, my approach to shopping was to do it quickly and buy the most inexpensive things I could find. These were often things that were on sale for a reason – fashions that were already going out of style, pieces in strange colors no one else wanted, etc. Since I wasn’t thinking about how different pieces would go together, I often ended up back at the store looking for something else that would fit with whatever random item I had brought home in my last shopping trip.
The end result was the opposite of a capsule wardrobe – it was way too large and almost entirely random.
3. Buy Cheap, Buy Twice
This is a common one you’ll hear from minimalist style influencers. And it’s completely true. We often think we’re saving money by buying cheaper clothes. But these will wear out faster and we end up having to shop for more.
Spending a little more and taking the time to find something higher quality that will stand the test of time pays off. Once you design a minimalist wardrobe full of timeless styles in sturdy fabrics, it can last you for years.
That being said, more expensive does not always mean higher quality. As I mentioned above, I’ve always hated shopping and didn’t want to put much thought into it. But doing a bit of research on brands that are known for clothes that stand the test of time is worth it. And once you know your favorites, you can stick with those if you don’t want to keep shopping around.
4. Use Your Seasonal Color Palette
As I mentioned in another article, it’s worth taking a bit of time to figure out color palette flatters you most. You don’t need to get too specific or pay a professional, necessarily. Just use resources like this one to generally figure out if winter, spring, summer, or autumn colors look best on you. Asking others is a great way to get an objective opinion on what looks best. Then stick to those for the most part when you design your minimalist wardrobe.
When it comes to clothes, there are endless options available for purchase. Knowing which colors suit you helps you narrow down what to buy. And the result of this strategy is a wardrobe consisting of only pieces that flatter you and complement each other. This makes getting dressed pretty much effortless, and you know you always look good.
This strategy also helped me create a jewelry capsule. I previously had way too much cheap jewelry but had trouble decluttering it. Knowing my “season” made me feel confident narrowing down my jewelry capsule to just yellow gold pieces. Those look best on me, they work best with the colors of the clothes in my capsule wardrobe, and they match each other. Everything is all around simpler and requires less thought.
5. Buy Clothes In Your Actual Size
Ok, this one should be obvious. And yet…I can’t be the only person who was deluding myself a bit. I used to buy things a smidge on the small side because I thought that anything not skintight would make me look “fat” or frumpy.
When I started to design my minimalist wardrobe, I decided to size up all around. Now all my clothes are actually comfortable. (Imagine that!) And they fit me even on days when I feel bloated or heavy.
Also, I was completely wrong about looking frumpy in clothes that had a bit of room in them. You will always look better wearing your actual size than squeezing into something that just barely fits.
6. You Can Learn Style
This is another one that may be obvious to others. But I used to think that stylish people just had “it” – something that made them naturally good at keeping up with trends and knowing what pieces go well together. And that may be true, some people do have an innate talent for that.
But in my 30s when I started researching capsule wardrobes, I discovered so much content that teaches you how to be stylish. People were blogging, creating YouTube videos, and designing Pinterest boards all about fashion and how to style things together. While I previously thought you either had “it” or you didn’t, I was shocked to find that anyone can access this knowledge. I had been oblivious because I didn’t consider “fashion” to be a hobby or area of interest for me. But that shouldn’t stop you. Just learning a few quick guidelines can help you create a simplified wardrobe. At the same time, it will help you dress and look much better.
7. A Minimalist Wardrobe Isn’t For Everyone
Throughout this site, you’ll see me expound on the benefits of minimalism and how much it’s improved my life. But I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, and especially not when it comes to wardrobes.
Some people love fashion and curating unique looks to express their identity. I am not one of those people. A capsule wardrobe full of basics was incredibly freeing and made me much happier. I can go on autopilot when it comes to getting dressed and still be confident that I look presentable.
A more “maximalist” style can also be very beautiful in my opinion. However, you need to be the kind of person who is good at putting lots of pieces together. For example, in interior design, there’s a difference between curating beautiful pieces in aesthetic arrangements and just hoarding mismatched junk.
I have a friend who fits the former category. She has rings on every finger, layered necklaces, walls and shelves full of art, crystals, and knickknacks. Everything is beautifully arranged and doesn’t give the impression of being cluttered or overdone.
I, on the other hand, am the latter. The more elements I add to an outfit or a room, the harder it gets for me to make them look nice. It doesn’t bring me joy to wear a lot of jewelry and accessories – I just feel weighed down.
If you’re someone who’s great at expressing yourself through fashion, you should own as many clothes and accessories as makes you happy. The rest of us should be honest with ourselves, though, and consider that a simpler minimalist wardrobe will save us time and money.
8. I Was Already Unconsciously Doing the Minimalist Wardrobe Thing Before Decluttering
When I first researched minimalist wardrobe tips, the term “capsule wardrobe” was new and fascinating to me. As I learned more about the topic, though, I started to pay more attention to my daily habits when it came to clothes. I had to laugh when I realized I essentially already had a small capsule wardrobe. Each morning, I would quickly get dressed by pulling out a drawer and grabbing something from the top. This would be one of the handful of things I wore often because they fit well, were comfortable, flattering, etc. I would then do laundry, fold those clothes, and put them back on the top. The difference was that all the other pieces that I never used lined the lower layer of my drawers and crowded the back of my closet.
The fact that I could just…get rid of everything that wasn’t in that category of daily favorites was an epiphany for me. Our consumerist culture will try to convince you that it’s embarrassing to wear the same thing often, or to multiple events. But it turns out, you’re allowed to do that! You really can clear out everything except your favorite clothing pieces and just rotate through those. There aren’t any laws against it, I promise.
What Do You Think?
What are some other key pieces of style advice that have helped you design a minimalist wardrobe or just dress better?