A minimalist capsule wardrobe is a collection of versatile, easily interchangeable clothing designed to maximize the number and variety of outfits. The ideal number of pieces in a minimalist wardrobe is between 40-50 individual pieces, depending on personal style and needs. This allows for a more simple life and a focus on having only clothes you need and love.
The 333 method encourages choosing 33 items to wear for three months. To create a minimalist wardrobe, admit that you own too much clothing, wear fewer colors, and embrace the idea of one. Pants should be one (2-3 for office workers), T-shirts 4 (unless living in sunny areas), and shirts a couple.
Researchers found that a “sufficient” wardrobe consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits in total. A practical range for a well-rounded wardrobe is between 30 to 50 clothing items, depending on factors like daily activities, climate, and laundry. Minimalism isn’t about rules; it’s about intention, purpose, and contentment.
In summary, a minimalist capsule wardrobe is a small collection of versatile, easily interchangeable clothing that allows for a variety of outfits with fewer clothes. The key to creating a minimalist wardrobe lies in understanding your unique lifestyle, values, and personal style, and choosing the right number of pieces to keep you organized and satisfied.
📹 I Discovered the PERFECT AMOUNT OF CLOTHES for a Minimalist
How many clothes is 7kg?
Washing machines have a specific capacity, which can be determined by the type of clothes and the amount of clothes being washed. The capacity can vary depending on the type of clothes and the amount of clothes being washed. Overloading the washing machine can be harmful to both the clothes and the machine, so it’s essential to know the machine’s capacity and how much clothing it can effectively wash. It’s also crucial to avoid overloading the washing machine, as it can cause stains and smells.
To maintain clean clothing, clothes need to be immersed in the detergent and water solution during washing. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the washing machine’s capacity and avoid overloading it.
How do you know if you have too many clothes?
This post discusses the importance of identifying when you have too many clothes and when you’re ready to get rid of them. It suggests five questions to ask yourself when you’re ready to get rid of clothes:
- Does It Fit Me? This question is particularly relevant for those who have gained weight over the years and are looking to reduce their clothing collection. By addressing these questions, you can make a more informed decision about how to manage your clothes.
How many clothes are enough clothes?
The number of clothes needed depends on individual preferences and lifestyle. A practical range is 30-50 items for a well-rounded wardrobe. Factors like daily activities, climate, and laundry influence this number. To find a suitable range, break down each piece and consider lifestyle and activities. Factors like daily escapades, job demands, and leisurely pursuits impact the number of clothes needed in your closet.
How many pairs of socks minimalist?
The optimal number of socks to possess is between eight and 16 pairs, as six to 12 pairs are utilized on a weekly basis, and two to seven pairs are reserved for special occasions.
How many shoes should I own minimalistically?
A minimalist shoe wardrobe is ideal for a person’s lifestyle, providing a variety of styles to wear for various activities. Selling and donating surplus shoes allows for a clutter-free closet and extra money to spend on other items. This approach simplifies morning routines and saves time on unnecessary purchases. However, the shoe collection may not be suitable for everyone due to different environments, careers, and activity preferences. For example, snow shoes may be necessary in cold climates, while steel-toe boots or non-slip clogs may be required in certain workplaces.
Athletes may need multiple pairs of sneakers, and formal events may not require dress shoes. Living with a minimal practical inventory promotes financial freedom, environmental conservation, and increased focus on personal priorities. A minimalist shoe wardrobe is a rewarding way to save time and reduce clutter.
How many items of clothing does a person need?
A You-niform wardrobe, as described by Annmarie O’Connor in The Happy Closet, consists of 20 items, including a coat, jackets, bottoms, tops, dress, and shoes. This minimalist wardrobe is considered chic and has a staccato quality, similar to Coco Chanel’s wardrobe formula. Joan Didion’s packing list, which she kept taped inside a cupboard, allowed her to pack without thinking for any piece she was likely to do. The list consisted of two skirts, two jerseys or leotards, one pullover sweater, two pairs of shoes, stockings, bra, nightgown, robe, and slippers, totaling twelve pieces.
Didion noted the deliberate anonymity of costume, as she could pass on either side of the culture in a skirt, a leotard, and stockings. A 20-piece wardrobe has no room for site- or moment-specific fashion, such as picnic dresses or Christmas jumpers.
How many pieces of clothing should a minimalist have?
The five-capsule wardrobe rule represents a fundamental structure for assembling a basic wardrobe, comprising five items from each clothing category. A 10-item capsule wardrobe is comprised of 10 fundamental items, including two pairs of jeans, one pair of trousers, two sweaters, one skirt, one dress, one button-up shirt, one blouse, and one blazer. It is customary to exclude pajamas from this particular wardrobe structure.
How many jumpers are minimalist?
Two chunky knit jumpers in different shades are available for a versatile minimalist wardrobe, while two oversized fine knitted jumpers can be worn as dresses.
How many articles of clothing should I have?
Researchers have found that a “sufficient” wardrobe for a person living in a two-season climate consists of 74 garments and 20 outfits, and 85 garments for those living in a four-season climate. A modern capsule wardrobe could consist of six outfits for work, three outfits for home wear, three outfits for sports, and two outfits for festive occasions, plus four outdoor jackets and pants or skirts. The exact mix depends on a person’s individual lifestyle needs, but the 74-85 garment recommendation is generous and more than most previous generations possessed.
The report suggests that if other actions are taken by brands and consumers, we could return to consumption levels of 2010 while still being within fashion’s carbon budget for a 2. 7 degrees Fahrenheit pathway.
How many clothes is it normal to own?
The survey results indicate that the majority of respondents possess between 77 and 155 articles of clothing in their wardrobe, with a few exceptions in the 300+ range.
How many articles of clothing does the average person own?
The data obtained from the survey indicates that the majority of respondents possess between 77 and 155 articles of clothing in their wardrobe, with a few respondents exhibiting a higher number of items, reaching upwards of 300. It is possible that the data collected may be slightly lower than the true average for the majority of people, indicating a potential skewness in the total number of clothing and footwear items owned.
📹 10 Clothing Items You DO NOT NEED in Your Minimalist Wardrobe
Do you feel like you have too much stuff and at the same time nothing to wear? Here is a list of clothing items you DON’T NEED inĀ …
The get rid after one season of no wear is a bit extreme and just further creates the potential to buy more and throw out more the endless cycle. Sometimes I park an item for a season or two and then bring it back and wear it differently all over again. What’s key is buying pieces that are classic to your core style, colors that are classic to your personal style and cuts that are flattering to your body type regardless of weight fluctuation.
One more thing to add about getting rid of clothes you haven’t worn in a year: last year and this year, two colors became available that aren’t normally offered, so I stocked up like crazy on those colors. One was a particular shade of deep red that I haven’t been able to find in 30 years! I had saved a dress from 30 years ago just for that color, and it has taken that long to get more items in the color. I may have enough to last me for 15-20 years with care, but they’re absolutely classic pieces that will never be outdated. They’re also quality knits, so if I fluctuate a few pounds, it’s no big deal.😁
To be honest I’ve always been struggling with throwing away perfectly good clothing items that *didnt’ make me feel good*. But instead of manically decluttering I found more effective to simply stop buying things I didn’t 100% love or need, and gradually get rid of all the items that now feel useless, because I have much better options. Just throwing this out there cause maybe some of you reading have encountered this same problem š
I’m an aspiring minimalist but I totally feel no guilt in owning several pairs of black leggings. I practically live in them for at least half the year – I have them in different thicknesses and thermal values and I can dress them up or down as needed. And when they start to show wear, I wear them for exercise, around the house or to bed until they’re completely irredeemable
No. 10 needs a caveat: I live in a place where not all summers are hot (three or so years ago, my summer outfit was jeans, a woolly jumper and rubber boots with wool socks, last year I would have had a heatstroke within an hour if I wore the same, last winter I never barely dipped into my stash of really warm winter gear because it was unseasonably warm most of the winter, the winter before I practically lived in it) so don’t get rid of seasonal clothes you haven’t used if it’s due to the weather rather than habit or taste. Also: not getting rid of workwear for a job I’m picking up again now that the pandemic is stabilising. 😊
The more clothes I had, the more I thought I had nothing to wear! (Don’t know how that logic worked, but still…) a couple of years ago I had a massive clothing declutter and continued to refine this to a warm weather and a cold weather wardrobe. Other than about five pieces of special occasion clothing, which I can mix and match depending on the occasion, I wear every item in my wardrobe within a two week period. I am always on top of my laundry now (because I have to be) and every item has to be loved and wearable right now. Personally I have found this liberating.
I have 14 dresses for F/W and 14 for S/S as my minimal wardrobe. I wear 100% of them each season. I also have 8 sweaters; 5 get worn all year long and 3 are worn in F/W. So easy to get dressed every day. I take the dress on the left end of the dresses row and put them away on the right end of the row.
on the items for infrequent occasions, I weigh the stress of having a few extra pieces around vs the stress of having to scramble to get something I like, that fits me, in what is often a very limited window. my job is 98% work from home, but when I do have to go to a client’s site with little warning, I’ve ended up buying fast fashion items that I wasn’t comfortable or confident in that I immediately got rid of. Now I keep a few classic staples on hand instead.
For gifts I have gathered the courage to tell my loved ones that I appreciate their gift but I rather them to give me something consumable, local spices as souvenirs from their trips, chocolates or biscuits, I appreciate hand lotions or soaps… It’s been a game changer, my closest friends have embraced it and now I receive jams, preserves, even honey!
I can say fairly confidently that the only things in my wardrobe I’ve not worn in the last year are my tuxedo, my formal chinese jacket, 2 pairs of formal trousers and 2 long-sleeved shirts. Not been to much in the way of formal events since moving to Bucharest from Hong Kong 15 months ago! But the rest of my pretty minimal wardrobe has all been worn multiple times.
As I sit hereā¦in my bathrobe and skim knockoff cozy pants 🤣 I agree with everything on this list. Surprisingly I think the hardest to get rid of is gifts due to guilt, but I’ve completely shifted my mindset over gifts of every kind over the past several years. I say thank you and open it right away and assess its place in our home. For the most part people don’t even ask about it afterwards, so it’s up to you to live with it, not the gifter.
I agree on getting your wardrobe down to the basics. I am not one for fast fashion. I like the tried and true. It might be boring to some, but it’s comfortable and predictable to me!! 😁 My family has loved using the Amazon gift list. We put things on there and family can go on there and pick something on there for B-day or Christmas’ gifts. Takes the guess work out and the person is getting something they want/like.
I had this beautiful dress I wore for homecoming my sophomore year of high school (more than ten years ago) that I absolutely loved and had been hanging onto for forever because it was literally my absolute favorite. I finally decided to get rid of it because it’s a size 4 and there is no way in heck I would ever be that size again ever in my life. I’m going to miss it but I do really hope whoever wears it next falls in love with it like I did <3
If you like it, keep it. I’ve chucked out a lot, A LOT, and most if it was fine but there are a few things I am very sorry about. For instance, there was a good navy winter coat bought in a New York February…. but kept and not worn for 20+ years in Auckland. My mother replaced the cheap lining with a luscious black satin. My daughter grew up to live in Wellington, where it is bitterly cold, and she would have loved and needed that super-smart coat lined with love. But I threw it out – gave it to a junior drama costume department. Logic is not as right as feelings, in the end. It was a good coat. I wish I had kept it.
I totally agree with you, but frankly, you should get rid of that T shirt, it does nothing for you…and I love Pink Floyd…lol. However, if it fits, never get rid of the following (I am 70 years old, and these things have been more or less in fashion since the mid 60s): Trench coats, Jeans jackets, khaki pants, good quality American docksiders (have a pair I bought in Maine in 71, still going strong) and loafers (French and Italian come and go, the American stay), black/navy pants, hvite shirts and pearls…so don’t throw that away..lol
Patrick Grant of the Great British Sewing Bee gave us a startling statistic: there are enough garments currently existing to clothe the next SIX GENERATIONS. I recycle clothes I don’t wear any more, take very good care laundering what I do keep (including hand-washing some items), and am only purchasing maybe 3 to 4 items a year to replace worn out things. Having a smaller wardrobe feels immensely freeing.
I was bad with hanging on to sentimental clothing but that had to change a few years ago. I had planned a gathering for my husband and my 10 year anniversary, It was nothing huge or elaborate but after planning and having an outfit, I was notified by many close people that they were uninterested in coming to the event so we cancelled. I ended up hanging on to that very pretty outfit for 5 years but every time I put it on, It brought back some animosity so I had to let it go.
What do you do when things go out of style and things no longer fit, or you’re in different climates and weather conditions?? I keep things like jeans (a staple) in various sizes and cuts and thicknesses because my weight fluctuates. Also, In the winter, I weigh more than I do in the summer. Not because I’m “dieting”, but because of lifestyle. I own like 10 pairs of jeans because of that. Black and blue jeans. Different cuts. Different sizes. Different thicknesses. They all get worn. I am not putting myself out because I own 10 pairs like minimalists like to shame you for owning 10 pairs of jeans. My life and happiness are allll enhanced because of them.
I love this! I have some shirts that I haven’t worn, because we haven’t “dressed up” in nearly 3 years. It’s funny, I kept the shirts and donated the slacks. I only have two pairs of jeans, a pair of denim capris and a nice pair of dress shorts. OH, and a couple of “work” shorts that I can get grubby doing messy chores. In the past year, I’ve probably worn about 50-60% of my very minimal wardrobe. Time to wear it or donate it. I need to start WEARING the nice shirts without a “dress-up” reason. Cool!
I indicated in one of these comments that I replied to that I feel overwhelmed. Update: I read and saved the link you provided in the description, “20 Tips” blog. It motivated me to get started with a garbage bag. Setting a timer and clearing flat surfaces next! Then I deal with my mountain of clothes LOL. 🗻 Thank you!
The diy/mending topic made me feel targeted 😆 I sew costumes and clothing and upcycle second hand clothing, but sometimes I lose interest in something before I can get to it and that stuff really stacks up. I really needed this permission from an external source to go through that nonsense, thank you!
What’s the chance that you’ll wear an item next season that you did not in the last? Depends on the person, but for me it is HIGHLY likely. I get bored of items really sometimes, but absolutely love them and just need time to be interested again. Would be such a shame and waste to declutter those items every year (I still remember sandals I miss).
So I thought I’d go count. I have around 80 items of clothing not including sleepwear and underwear. In the past year, I have worn around 50 per cent of them. Makes me realise, I could probably donate and/or sell another 40 items! I have already donated many bags of clothes. Wow, and I thought I was already down to only the things I wear.
Some people love to remind me of the gifts they offered me… “Hey, why do you never wear that impractical jacket I gave you 10 years ago?”, “Hey, remember that old camera that only does overpixelated pictures I gave you? You still have it, right?”. They’re not making it easy for me… ^^’ Until they finally forget about these useless horrors, I’ll apply your other advice!^^
Cloths that I love, but are not wearing, I box up. I just pulled out a mid weight 3/4 sleeve “Territory Ahead” knit top in RED to wear again. I’ve had that darn thing for over 10 years. Is in and out of my wardrobe over and over. I get sick of it and love it at the same time. I now have some tubs of clothing that I love but won’t part with. I’ve come to the conclusion that just because I’m not wearing it now, does not mean I won’t in the future. To declutter, I pull everything out of my closet. I immediately pick out everything I love to wear. and put it back. Then all those, “oh no, never wear it again” things are next. What’s left are the, “do I want to keep it” group. I sort into keep and dispose of. The keep group is divided into the ones that go back into the closet and the ones that go into the tub for safe keeping. I usually store by season. I revisit the seasonal tub and then I decided if an item is a keeper or not. This takes the stress of having to decide to get ride of a piece, even though you’re thinking “no”.
A little caution on getting rid of work clothes/dress clothes you don’t feel you need. First off, I don’t have an “off the rack” body I wear short petite pants if I can find them, and my arms are short also. I usually have to fold up/under most long sleeve tops that don’t have ribbing. Going out to buy something when I need it and that fits is just not an option. And no, I am no seamstress. When I retired, I was going to donate all of my work clothes as I wouldn’t be needing them. I had them all folded in a box ready to take to the shop. Procrastinator that I am, they were still in the box a couple months later when my aunt passed away. I went to my closet to get something to wear to the funeral home, and I had nothing appropriate to wear. They were all in that box. So, I picked out several slacks and tops that would be appropriate to wear to a funeral or to a nicer restaurant and they have been my go to for the last 4 years. Do I wear them every year? No. But it saves me time, money and worry about having something to wear when I need it.
An idea for socks with holes (and the problem of too many rags) is to either donate them as rags (there are places that recycle worn clothes to make… other textiles) or to use them as “one use rags”, which reduces the need of washing (and storing) filthy rags. Also, for the DIY / mending projects, you might have different timings for that š I tend to do all my projects very staggered in time, so for me even DIYing something from last year has value – it’s more of a question of whether or not my time is really worth it. For example, I just finished sewing a beautiful shirt that was left basted only for one full year, and I love and wear it often, whereas I decided ignore / donate a mending project that I started just last week, because I didn’t love the idea anymore.
I like this. This is the first article of yours I’ve seen and it’s really reasonable minimalism. Not the “you must only own 10 items and wear them until you’re dead” level some people get to. I’m not aiming for minimalism but I am definitely going to keep these things in mind next time I’m going through my wardrobe
I have only one thing that I rarely wear – it’s a beautiful black and gold long jacket that I must have had for 20 years. I wear it exclusively for office Christmas parties, except for the day in 2008 when I wore it to Buckingham Palace to receive an award from Prince Charles as he was then. Covid knocked out the Christmas parties but it’s still there for when normal service is resumed.
I cleared out a bunch of (pricy) clothing that I loved, but that was too small for me about 5 years ago. I’ve since lost and kept off 35lbs for over 3 years and wish wish wish I had those things still. I still get rid of things that no longer serve me, but not more expensive things – I find that I eventually am happy I have them, even if I haven’t worn them for a few years.
I paused the article a few moments in to count and 5/75 things in my closet have potentially not been worn in the last year, but they’re all fairly recent additions, some of which I just got hanging tonight. The other 70 have gotten worn quite a lot, and anything that isn’t in my closet has definitely been worn bc it’s either on me or just washed after being worn yet again. I’m still a little uncomfortable about saying “75” and knowing there’s more than that with the wash / dry / store cycle, because that sounds like such a big number compared to so many “minimalists”, but really, I’m still pretty excited with myself as that’s hundreds and hundreds of items less than I had up until recent years. Even today I got rid of a bunch more things, and it’s a continuing process. Looking forward to moving beyond the first few seconds of this article now to see if I can narrow down anything else with it’s help.
While I like stuff and am fine being a bit of a clutterer, I do like these articles a lot and find that many tips are quite useful for me, even if I have no intention of becoming a minimalist. Making room for things I feel are actually important by getting rid of “guilt items”, taking good care of my feet, getting rid of clothes that don’t fit in order not to live in the past… (not that into the robe in public thing, though 😂) I find all this really helpful to improve my life, and some of these tips are perfectly doable without a major lifestyle change which suits me, so thanks for the articles, they are great!
I think this is particularly useful to folks like me, who habitually own more clothes than they wear due to always taking in hand-me-downs, buying my own stuff, and being attracted to fast fashion like H&M. I recently decluttered my closet and found clothes from over two years ago that still had tags on them. I decluttered a lot of hand me downs because I discovered that working from home, I wear maybe a quarter of what I own. So I downsized everything and am trying to focus on investing in my clothing. Instead of spending money on stuff that will fall apart in a few months, I am putting forth the expense for clothes made closer to home that might cost more, but are better made and appeal to my style. My approach to decluttering clothes is asking, “Do I like it? Do I wear it? Does it fit?” Chances are I don’t wear something because I don’t like it. Chances are I don’t like it because it doesn’t fit, or I don’t like the fit. If it doesn’t fit, I am not ever going to wear it. Even answering just one of those leads to answering the other two, and I usually get rid of the piece based on that criteria. This isn’t going to work for everyone, obviously. Try not to feel attacked by what she’s saying.
This hits different as someone who is trans and decluttered all of their old work clothes but then realized I was bigender and started to buy dresses again lol. I only buy pieces I really like. If something makes me feel weird I get rid of it. So in that sense I don’t have clothes from my past because of all the bad memories associated with it. I started fresh when I transitioned.
About gifts: Swedish, now past away, etiquette-guru, Magdalena Ribbing, said: If you feel offered because of what someone does to a gift you have given them, you didn’t actually GIVE IT AWAY, because given “the ownership away” includes giving away the right to decide what to do with the gift. I find that a comforting thing to think about.
Lol that rule of 1 reminded me how my grandma told me about how her mother always bought 3 pieces of every piece of clothing. Reason was her husband did not liked to SEE her spending too much money on clothes, but did not really understand too much practicalities of daily life. Result: She was admired by everybody how she is always perfectly clean no matter what. Secret: she switched to the identical clean piece of clothing. Personally i buy multiples in case of items you wear in pairs and are likely to loose one here and there. Like when i buy 3 pairs of gloves it allows me to loose up to 4 before rest is useless ;-).
I needed this because I have been holding onto my High school Graduation Jacket, Letterman’s jacket, since I graduated and I’m married and 26 and it does NOT fit nor is it comfortable. I haven’t worn it in so long and the rest of my wardrobe is only 10 cloths hung up and 10 everything else. But this ONE thing it has my name on it, and my marriage colors, black and red. But… I think it’s time to let go!!! Thank you for inspiring me!!! I love you!
Do you have any physical chapters in Stockholm, where people that got procrastination to get started can meet and help each other get going decluttering? I am really stuck here in Sweden… Hope to find likeminded people that are stuck but want to get going, sellon markets, throw away and so on, clear up ones life… thanks!
I do like that you mention the DIY projects. I tried to do some visible mending on a pair of distressed jeans my cousin gave me because I don’t like distressed jeans. I only wore them since they were free. I was heading to a consignment store and figured I might as well remove the mending and try to sell them. Out of the four pairs of jeans I tried to sell, only they were on trend enough to be sold. I am now $2.34 richer than I was this morning lol.
Getting rid of clothes that truly don’t suit you, are worn out, that are meh is good. But I truly fluctuate between 4 sizes due to sickness & medication, I vacuum pack the sizes I can’t wear, I try to buy classic clothing, & just buy a couple of pieces to update clothes each season. Not everyone stays one size, or never gets smaller again.
I gave my entire wedding outfit including the tiara and shoes to the church so that someone else could wear it on their big day…I got it professionally washed ofcourse….All the items were in their original packaging cleaned and ready to wear… This can be done for other items as well like first holy communion dresses…or baptism outfit…
Another great article, thank you! I am actually in the opposite situation. In the next weeks I may be starting a new job, and I’ve realized that after a while without working and with the pandemic, I only have tracksuits and confortable clothes. But before starting to buy a bunch of new clothes, I am going to try to see what I can do with what I have. Have a nice day!💜
I cannot wait to go back to a more minimal wardrobe. Packing away my favorites was so hard! But sadly, the super structured style I favor doesn’t work for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Trying to find a happy medium of being emotionally and physically comfortable in my clothes during these stages has been so hard and it’s created a lot of waste and excess. I’ll be glad to eventually put these days behind me!
Yay for comfortable shoes!! I am so practical and also have a hard time finding shoes my feet enjoy wearing that I was holding onto some keds that worked well with my outfits, but we’re always a pain. One day I made the decision to just ditch them so that I would have no choice but to find replacements…still working on it BUT I have sucked it up and just worn my tennis shoes a couple of times and hey, my feet have been happy and I haven’t been as worried about the look of my shoes as I thought I would be. In fact, I got a compliment from a 7-year-old boy saying my shoes were cool and wow, what a way to get honest positive feedback! 😂
I don’t care what they say about skechers, but they actually are super good shoes. I got boat shoes from them, super comfortable slip ons, waterproof, machine washable, and best part? CHEAP! I bought 2 because I really like em, and I dont like shoes giving up on me and being discontinued, but one pair seems to be enough to serve me for a while.
I have a ton of clothes and I’m sorting them right now. 1. clothes I can wear when I’m in pain. 2 clothes for my lower weight 3 clothes for my higher weight. Capsule wardrobe e. Clothes that I wear indoors to get dirty and eventually trash. 4 clothes for special occasions. 5. Everything g else goes in nons to revisit midsummer This will probably take 2 years?,but I’ll not toss stuff and regret it.
That’s a lot of food for thought. I do find 1y limit… limiting. Also hard to replace items, like perfect but too small or too big trousers, I do keep and have a pair for every weight interval I’ve been at. As I’ve changed measurements a lot throughout my life, I once made a mistake getting rid of most of the clothes I couldn’t fit for 3 years. Guess what, I suddenly lost a lot of weight and the style I liked wasn’t in fashion/available to buy anymore. I did keep the favourite pair and was able to wear them again š I do suggest only keeping the loved and good things like that. No purpose of keeping something of the right size but I won’t wear it anyway.
You can’t have so few shoes. Shoes need time to rest and be aired and breath. Having too few pairs just means you over work the ones you love and flatten their structure and arches. So bad for your feet! It is like using the same running shoes all the time. Just wrong. Wearing shoes to death is a horrible side of poverty and makes so many foot problems happen particularly for children but adults too I too have sensitive feet and I look after them. I never ever regret having the right shoes and investing in them. So much more important than most clothes: although jackets you need the right one for the right activity A sensible amount of day to day shoes to rotate and look after them and I have no problem with a neat stack of shoe boxes with occasion wear shoes to be brought out and reused over the years. Especially when they were bought in the sales and fit in the wardrobe.
70% and I think it’s a fair estimate. I want to use everything it fits me at least one time before the end of this year, so the number will be 90%. Why the other 10%? Because sometimes (every 3/4/5 years) I lose 2/3 kilos and the trousers I normally wears look horrible and I need different trousers or a belt and I want to bring some clothes to the house of my mother in the mountains so I can bring less things when I go on holiday.
I’m a military spouse, I can’t always work wherever I go, but I’m not getting rid of my perfectly good work clothes 🤷🏻āāļø I would have had to buy them again at least twice in the 10 years I’ve been living this semi-nomad life, because I’ve been home and then went back to work. I also am keeping my wedding dress, I can’t get rid of that 😅 And I’m not getting rid of my snow pants because I haven’t had a ski vacation for one year while living somewhere without snow, our snow gear lives in a box. This year we are living in England (after moving here from Germany), and we are planning a ski vacation, but it doesn’t happen all the time
When people want a “Minimalist Wardrobe” for sustainability but throw out their entire (not just a few items that aren’t being worn) wardrobe and replace it with new items. nonsense. people need to focus on versatility and what they can actually see themselves wearing on a daily basis. so many leather jackets and white jeans that just sit in closets unworn because of this trend.
Look – I most certainly have items in my closet I only wear about once or twice a year – some only every other year. I love those items & have no intention of getting rid of them Now, I don’t buy too many clothes – or even make that many any more – cause I have plenty to choose from. I also do donate clothes very regularly. I am NOT a minimalist however. Especially with clothes. I’m happy that I can go nearly 2 months without doing laundry while wearing a different outfit every day. That’s my thing. I also have items in my wardrobe that are over 25 years old – or even older. Not talking her about vintage or thrifted items (which I also have, new to me) but things I’ve worn for that long. So I’m not ‘kidding myself’ at all. I go minimalist when I travel & that’s it. & WTF are you talking about getting rid of your WEDDING dress? No. I have my own christening dress that I used for my oldest. BTW I had a skirt half made for 10 years. Finally finished it & it’s my favorite skirt.
I give myself a test called ‘The Suitcase Test’. Could I pack all of the clothing that I have, including shoes and pajamas, into one big suitcase, as if I was going to leave the country on some 6-month long journey? Thinking that way, we can get by with far less clothing items than we think. I’m a minimalist with a skirt & dresses capsule wardrobe, all based around a few colors. That is to say, every single piece of clothing that I own can either match or coordinate with pink/ berry tones, or charcoal grey. I only wear skirts or dresses every single day, no exceptions. As a result, the few clothing pieces that I own can be mixed and matched, changed with various cardigans/jewelry/ belts/ scarves. Just one simple casual dress can be turned into 10 different outfits with just a bit of creativity.
Clothes don’t fitā¦ literally my favourite clothing are blazers and coats but I have yet to find anything that fit 100%, if body fits, sleeves are too long, vice versa And I fix my socks with holes, they remained my favourite socks until the end of time when they lose elasticity, but I can still wear them at home or don’t wear with boots (so they don’t slide down
At the beginning of January life was very busy and both my jeans (my usual go to) were in laundry 😅 soo… I found out I have nice skirts and trousers in my wardrobe that I was not wearing for quite a long time 😅 Thus, sometimes you need to gid into your wardrobe and try to wear something forgotten 🤷🏻āāļø (shop your closet 😅)
It’s difficult when one’s weight yo-yos. It’s difficult to part with clothes you love, even though they don’t fit you now, because you know that they could well fit you again later on. You are afraid that when that happens you won’t be able to find something similar again. And then there’s the expense of buying new clothes every time you drop or increase a few sizes. I have spent my whole adult life struggling against being overweight, and consequently gaining and losing weight repeatedly.
Well, if I had to choose between an ugly Pink Floyd T shirt and my gorgeous 42 year old prom dress, I’m keeping the prom dress. It’s immaculate white sateen cotton with exquisite embroidery and it makes me very happy when I see it. I felt so wonderful wearing it and always remember that feeling when I look at it. But I’m glad I don’t have to choose. I’d throw out the nasty T shirt and keep the dress anyway.
In 2017 I downsized to 40 clothing items and it made a huge difference!! I work in a professional setting and find I don’t need a huge amount of clothing to look pulled together. I own: 19 professional clothing pieces 11 casual pieces 6 workout pieces 4 lounge/pj items. It gets me through all 4 seasons, with layering keeping it practical in cold weather.
I need to keep the work clothes still. I work from home and occasionally I need to go into the office. Rarely, but I need to hang on to a few items like this just in case. I occasionally try them on because let’s be real. The time to find out they don’t fit is not the night before I have to go to the office.
Thank you for this article. We are minimal and intentional with our whole house, except from my wardrobe! It’s taking over our master bedroom and needs to be tamed. I had a baby this year and I’m still clinging onto clothes that I wore before I was pregnant but don’t fit anymore but feel like I can’t let go for some reason. Maybe I’m clinging onto who I was before becoming a mama or hoping my hips will go back (which they won’t) x
🙃I had that exact fox shirt and got rid of it because I didn’t love it enough to let it take up space in my closet. My only caveat to the idea of getting rid of stuff that you may not ‘love’ or may not wear for a year is that I’ve reached the stage where I’ve learned that I NEED to keep a funeral appropriate outfit for each season on hand. The pieces are going to vary depending on where you live and the level of formality observed at funerals in your area, but I have had to panic buy clothing for funerals three times now. If you work an office job this might be easier, but my lifestyle (work from home) and personal tastes meant I couldn’t even piece together an outfit. I’m working now on coming up with a few pieces that will be versatile enough to get at least a LITTLE more wear out of for other occasions, because every single item I have had to panic buy was something I didn’t even love enough to wear more than once.
I am have too many jackets and tshirts. I just went through them all because I am moving and still have a half closet full of various types of jackets/hoodies/cardigans/dusters. I wear them all!! One full drawer of casual tshirts, and some dressier tshirts hanging in my closet. I could probably downsize the tshirts quite a bit more. Sigh.
i really enjoy your articles. even though i dont have any problems with letting stuff go, my place always looks trashed, but thats due to a lot of trash(literally) and my inability to clean up after me, let alone my toddlers 😅 at least, my wardrobe is working out great, i currently own two pair of “jeans”, a dark blue one and a black one. and i also got 4 jumper/sweater things( lets just call them Pullover .-.) for me, thats enough, i mean, my clothes are usually dirty most of the time i wear them, but they still would be, if i had multiple more. im not gonna get changed five times a day, just because the little ones left a chocolate fingerprint on my sleeve.. also, if you struggle to get yourself comfy shoes, you might want to try out finn comfort, they are like SUPER expensive, but also super comfy, the best shoes i have ever worn, so now i exlusively have them. one pair for everyday, one pair of sandals and a fancy pair in black. additional slippers from Giesswein, they are great if you have super cold feet or super cold floors š just get a pair with a rubber sole, not with a felt one( those are slippery af..)
Re. projects hanging around- There are Many reasons this happens, including things like finances or ADD issues. Sometimes we have to customize solutions to what works for us personally. For me what works is RULE 1: You can’t buy any new projects or (major*) components until the mending is done or several projects are completely FINSHED. *I shop sales & clearances, so I need to take opportunities when they come to restock or complete a “set” of items to do a project.