Introduction:
The concept of a minimal lifestyle has been a hot topic for quite some time now. I know I have juggled with the idea of fully decluttering my wardrobe to embody the commonly used phrase “less is more”. Starting off with the smallest room in your house, which is most likely your closet, is a great first step in simplifying the rest of your home, and will have a ripple effect in simplifying your life making life so much more easier. Having a minimalist wardrobe has the capability to truly change the trajectory of your life. You will start to notice a shift in your overall mental clarity. You will also spend significantly less time shopping for things as well as reduce the time in deciding what to wear.
Minimalism also rejects the fast fashion industry and promotes a more sustainable lifestyle. Fast fashion has caused immense destruction and really perpetuates the toxic global hunger for more and more stuff at cheaper and cheaper prices. The damaging procedures that make up fast fashion are incited by advertisers glamourising consumerism at every chance they get, which research proposes can build up levels of depression and anxiety, a similar phenomena to this would be like keeping up with the Joneses.
It’s a common symptom to feel burnt out and even overwhelmed from the modern pressures of trying to keep up with the latest technology, newest cars, or fashion trends that now switch at a faster rate than ever before. If this description is hitting close to home with you, stay tuned. There is currently a growing movement which advocates for a lifestyle that is opposite to consumerism and fast fashion. Minimalism is all about embracing simplicity. Minimalism involves stripping back the excess and the unnecessary. To live a minimalist life means to leave room for only the essential things that provide you with real value and happiness. Minimalist fashion involves having the least amount of clothing, (including accessories) in your closet that feels right for you and brings you bliss.
The minimalist way of living offers benefits such as freeing up more time, a decrease in stress, as well as better financial stability and sustainability! It is worth noting that we all have the ability to implement these new lifestyle changes starting right now, it will leave a lasting impact on our overall happiness in addition to reducing our carbon footprint on the planet.
Here’s a list I curated of 5 things to a minimalist style:
- No More Trouble Deciding What to Wear
- You Will Save Money
- You Will Gain a Sense of Style and Find Out What Looks Good on Your Body
- You Will Experience a Sense of Peace, Not Chaos
- Promote a Sustainable Lifestyle
- Conclusions
1. No More Trouble Deciding What To Wear
The first perk to turning to a minimalist’s wardrobe is that it saves you tons of time. There is no more need to dig through piles of clothing, sometimes for hours on end in order to find the right outfit for a night out. But first, a necessary first step to creating your minimalist closet is to purge all of your excess baggage that has been weighing you down for far too long and then pin-pointing your wardrobe staples to create your own capsule wardrobe. According to Caroline Rector from Unfancy a capsule wardrobe is “a practice of editing your wardrobe down to your favorite clothes (clothes that fit your lifestyle + body right now), remixing them regularly, and shopping less often and more intentionally”.
With less clutter in your closet it is now easy to look for something quick because you will now know that there’s only a few options and so you won’t become frustrated with the overwhelming amount of options you have, or peices that could possibly be out of season. It’s crazy to think how such a small change can be a major time saver. I think it’s so important, especially in today’s busy world to build habits that save you extra time. Anything that aides in saving time is worth it in my opinion. Having a limited wardrobe will relieve you from the unnecessary suffering that comes with decision fatigue when going through your hundreds of clothing combination possibilities.
Since staple clothing is generally pretty neutral in tone, everything will be easy to mix and match. You will practically be able to easily visualize what outfit you would like to wear before you open up your closet doors. Having even just one less thing for you to worry about is significantly a game changer.
2. You Will Save Money
Minimalism rejects fast-fashion and hyper consumerism tendencies, so with incorporating a minimalist wardrobe you will be doing your bank account a huge favor. You will become more mindful of what you decide to purchase. With that being said you will become increasingly conscious about not having a lot of junk, and you will focus on purchasing much higher quality items which will last longer.
I know at first it might be challenging to put a halt to impulsively buying stuff whenever you go out, but these changes in your habits will be so beneficial to you. Since you will no longer be buying a bunch of cheap things that only last a few months whether those things are clothing items or household items, and you will be way more aware about how your spending habits have impacted your life.
Buying things you don’t need will become a thing of the past. Although there is the possibility that you might be spending more on a few staple pieces, keep in mind that this will be a long-term investment. Also, you won’t be sacrificing your wallet for short lived trendy pieces that you will most likely wear only once or twice. Furthermore, while you might need to pay a little more money upfront, you won’t have to waste much of your finances on upkeep or replacing cheap items. Remember, quality over quantity.
3. You Will Gain a Sense of Style and Find Out What Looks Good on Your Body
When you finally get the chance to sit down and evaluate what your true staple items in your closet are, it will allow you to hone in on what style of jeans or trousers you feel your best in and look your best in. Also, you will be able to figure out what style of t-shirt you can rock the best. You will now gain the opportunity to discover what type of clothing you truly identify with and come up with innovative ways to put different spins on your staple pieces. When you choose to get rid of the excess in your closet, or the excess of things in general, you will actually be more creative when you are constructing an array of outfits.
You will be more than certain that you have more options than just that one top that you rely on to go perfectly with a certain pair of pants because you will be pushed to experiment more. And that is the funniest aspects about minimizing your lifestyle because you have newfound freedom. You will find yourself experimenting with your newly limited closet in ways you have never thought of trying before. Stepping out of your comfort zone will allow you to transform as a person. You will gain new confidence and a new level of feeling comfortable in what you are wearing, which is such an incredible and rewarding feeling. It is even more satisfying when a complete stranger compliments you on your creative style choices. Becoming conscious with the reality of the many different ensembles you can now create is awesome too because then you won’t need to go shopping and buy more unnecessary clothing items because you have “nothing to wear”.
4. You Will Experience a Sense of Peace-Not Chaos
With less clutter surrounding you, there will be less clutter in your mind. You won’t have random things laying around your house taking up space and your peace of mind. Once you fully go through with the process of simplifying your wardrobe you will find that it has an impact on simplifying your life. You will feel an inner sense of peace basking in your new clutter-free world.
You will experience an overall sense of completeness within yourself and won’t have to go through any more extra chaos in digging through your pile of clothing trying to find the perfect outfit. You won’t feel guilty about spending money impulsively on things you don’t need and only bring temporary happiness. An additional benefit is that you simply won’t be overwhelmed by the number of clothes you own, especially the clothing items that you spent a lot of money on and don’t even wear. Liberated is what you will become.
5. Promote a Sustainable Lifestyle
When you focus more on maintaining a minimalist lifestyle and less on a consumerist lifestyle, the less your money goes to fast fashion. Fast fashion has a toxic cycle of trying to keep up with the fast-moving trends and so vast amounts of waste is produced. Instead of worrying about purchasing the latest viral trends, you’ll be putting your energy and resources into items you already own.
Also, you can easily create a minimalist wardrobe through thrifting, I know I have found some great vintage pieces that I have had for years now.
I know there’s the options to recycle clothing, hold a yard sale or give them away, but unfortunately, most people don’t and these fast fashion items end up in the landfill. In addition, you are reducing the need for fast fashion and helping in reducing water-waste and the immense amounts of carbon emissions from the process. The ultimate goal is to incorporate the minimalism mindset in every aspect of your life including your interior design, the way you fill your fridge and all other household items.
Conclusions
Along with the refreshing cleansing of your lifestyle choices, you will get the opportunity to realize the core of the minimalism movement which is the emphasis on quality, not quantity and really get to understand what specific items of clothing compliment every aspect of your body. Creating a minimalist wardrobe frees yourself, forces you to be more self-aware of your habits. You will have more room for more mental clarity and as you cutaway the amount of physical clutter in your space. It helps us become more aware, as well as increasingly more grateful for what we do have.
It is a transformation of self that will truly change your point of view, and your priorities once the process is finished. When minimalism becomes an intricate aspect in your way of living, everything has a designated place and you will have a different view of material possessions, like with money, and clothes but your most important change of perspective will be how you view your life. You will form healthy relationships with things. As previously mentioned, it is quite a journey to go through when trying to become a minimalist, it can’t just happen overnight but the process will cause tremendous personal growth. Your values will be shifted and your capability to enjoy your own space more than you have ever before. In the end, you will feel extremely liberated and free from unnecessary stuff that only brings temporary happiness.
