Millennials are known for many things but cost-cutting through a minimalist lifestyle could be the generation’s defining trait. This generation is known to be one of the most environmentally-conscious, prioritizing sustainability and cost-effectiveness over decadence and lavishness. Cue building a minimalist wardrobe, which emphasizes the “less is more” philosophy.
Here are four simple tips on starting your own minimalist wardrobe:
Write down your personal motivation for having a minimalist wardrobe
The first step starts within you. If you’re reading this article then you’ve probably already decided on why you want to try out having a minimalist wardrobe. Whatever reason it is – maybe you want to save money, maybe you’re moving into a new place with a smaller closet, or maybe you just like the minimalist style – write it down somewhere.
Put it on a post-it note by your closet. Scribble it in your personal journal. Blog about it. Post it on Facebook. You have to express in some tangible form why you are doing this to begin with because you will need to revisit this once you start veering off the minimalist wardrobe track.
Take your whole wardrobe out and assess each item
Take everything out of your closet. Yes, all of it. Everything that’s hung, folded, in boxes, in bags etc. This should be the next step. Once you have everything laid out, then comes the tough part. This is when you decide which items you keep and which items you recycle or give away. This can be done by a process of elimination.
The first ones to go are the ones that are not useable to you anymore. Anything that has become too big or too small, too worn out, or something you rarely ever use. Trash the ones that are worn out and set aside the ones that are still in good condition for donating purposes.
Get a piece of luggage as measurement
Whatever size of luggage you prefer is entirely up to you. Picture a scenario where you will be traveling constantly and can only take this one piece of luggage. Once you have decluttered and gotten rid of the unusable clothes, you should be only left with good ones and this is where you decide which of these is most useful.
Have a category system if you can’t break it down: a) clothes you love; b) clothes that never go out of style and are versatile; c) clothes that are of great quality; d) clothes that make you look good and feel good. Chances are the clothes that fit one or more of these categories will be the first ones you pack into the luggage.
Do not use a number system
If you search minimalist wardrobe tips, many of them suggest having some kind of count to how many items you keep. Some suggest 10 or 2 or even 1 but if you’re just starting out with a minimalist wardrobe, just ditch this “rule”. The danger of limiting yourself to a concrete number is missing the point of this exercise. You may end up being so focused on sticking to the number that you get rid of too many clothes – even ones that are still useful!
When you find yourself number-crunching and obsessing about these details, just go back to the first three tips and always keep in mind why you want a minimalist wardrobe in the first place.
