It’s nearly the New Year and people across the UK will be making countless resolutions, some that will be kept and some which will no doubt fall by the wayside. This year, one resolution we’re truly determined to keep is to stick to a minimalist wardrobe. Yep, we’re clearing out the clutter, ditching the seasonal trends and saying no to fast fashion by streamlining our style. And with our help, you could too, with these; our 5 quick tips on how to build the IDEAL minimalist wardrobe.
Define Your Style
A minimalist wardrobe isn’t necessarily about Scandi tones of white, beige and black (unless that’s your thing, of course). Nope, defining yourself as ‘minimalist’ and being all about crazy colours and pretty patterns certainly aren’t mutually exclusive positions. Rather, your minimalist wardrobe should simply include these items.
When creating a minimalist wardrobe, it’s first important to define your style. That said, it’s not obligatory to box yourself into conventional style typologies like ‘boho’ or ‘grungy’ – both women’s and men’s fashion trends come and go, and trying to move with the times will only see your wardrobe get larger and more complicated to pin down.
Take stock of your clothes, identify which colours you wear the most, and hone in on what fabrics you prefer. Also ask which cuts and silhouettes make you feel particularly confident? Let these decisions guide you and do away with anything which doesn’t tick these boxes.
Clear Out & Be Selective
After you’ve taken stock of everything you currently own, it’s time to clear out your closet. Don’t just throw things out – recent research suggests that more than 8 million Brits throw perfectly wearable clothes into the bin – but instead, start by dividing your clothes into three distinct piles; Charity, Sell Online and Keep. Give your other garments a new lease of life by selling them online or giving them to a charity store. If an item you love simply needs to be repaired, then get stitching.
Redefine what it means to declutter because it certainly isn’t about throwing everything into a black bin bag and sending it to landfill. Oh no.
Think About Your Lifestyle
Whilst curating your minimalist wardrobe, you also need to think about your lifestyle needs. Indeed, a minimalist wardrobe is nothing if not practical. Do you wear smart clothes to work but prefer joggers on the weekend? Are you lucky to work from home and therefore don’t need much in the way of office wear? Or, do you work outside in colder climes, and winter in particular calls for a bomber, puffer or shearling jacket?
It’s all very well having a small number of high-quality pieces that you can mix and match, but if you’re constantly in the laundry room, it’s not very practical or environmentally friendly to do so. Strike the right balance.
The Right Amount Of Items
While there is no ‘set number of items’ which define a wardrobe, let alone a minimalist one, common wisdom suggests that a minimalist wardrobe should include three pairs of shoes, a couple of jackets suitable for both formal and more dressed down occasions, three apiece of shorts/skirts, sweaters and trousers (again, with varying levels of formality), and a handful of t-shirts and dress shirts. If the colours are mixed and protocol appropriately varied, then you should be able to mix and match an outfit for every occasion from this short, simple list.
Quality Not Quantity
It’s important to remember here that a minimalist wardrobe isn’t the same as a capsule wardrobe. While both translate to small, carefully curated wardrobes of items that you can mix and match to create a number of outfits, a capsule wardrobe is usually just for a single season, while a minimal wardrobe is more flexible and can serve a full year. Indeed, above all else, a minimalist wardrobe is about quality rather than quantity.
