I have many reasons for having a minimalist wardrobe and becoming a minimalist. I move around a lot, I haven’t lived in the same place for more than eight months in awhile, so not having a lot of clothes to pack up and unpack is beneficial. Minimalist living is what I am all about.
I also live in a 400 sq. ft. house, which, needless to say, has no walk in closets. Finally, I’m trying to pay off $20,000 in debt, so buying fewer clothes means more money (read further about how to make extra income) to send towards my debt.
That said, I love to shop. I really didn’t spend too much cash on my wardrobe in University (what with have no money and all) and now that I’m out and earning a steady paycheque, the urge to upgrade, replace, and spend spend spend has been strong.
My preferred poison is online shopping, where I can agonize over the perfect pair of jeans, hunt for free shipping, and make wish lists galore, all from the comfort of my couch.
In order to keep that shopping urge under control, I try and keep my wardrobe minimalist. Whether you are wanting to have a minimalist travel wardrobe, a french minimalist wardrobe, a chic minimalist wardrobe, and so on, it IS possible! Minimalist living most of the time starts with your closet.
Related: How To Get Free Clothes Online & Near You (15 Best Ways)
Here’s how I do it:
The “No Duplicate” Rule For My Minimalist Wardrobe.
This rule really is the minimalist in me. I hate have multiple items that perform the same function. That’s why I don’t have an eReader (I already have a laptop and a big smart phone) and the same principle applies to my wardrobe.
I don’t need two red scarves, I don’t need more than one winter hat. If I must own multiples of one item (like jeans) I make sure each pair has a unique feature, and I still strive to own as few as possible.
The “Novel Purpose” Rule For My Minimalist Wardrobe.
If I’m thinking about buying something online, it must serve a purpose. It has to fill some kind of void that my current wardrobe just can’t fill. If I want to buy a fall jacket, it has to be because my wardrobe is sincerely lacking a fall jacket.
If I can get by with lighter jackets and my heavy winter coat, I don’t buy it.
The “Versatility” Rule For My Minimalist Wardrobe.
I never buy anything that can only be worn for one specific occasion. That’s why I don’t own a party dress, or anything else that I would only wear only a few times a year. If I want to buy something, I must be able to get a lot of use out of it, otherwise, it’s not worth my hard earned cash.
The “Quality” Rule For My Minimalist Clothing Lifestyle.
When I was in university, I bought cheap clothes. I couldn’t help it, I had no money and clothing ranked lower on the list than “feed myself” but I still had to maintain some level of professionalism in my business school presentations.
I remember getting really sad when I’d finally plunk down the cash to buy a new top, only to have the stitching completely unravel after the first wash because the piece was so cheaply made. These days I make sure to spend a bit more money on quality clothing that I won’t have to replace anytime soon.
The “Seriously Jordann?” Rule For Minimalist Living.
Before hitting “checkout” during my online shopping endeavours, I try to think to myself “Seriously Jordann? Do you need that?”
Even if whatever I’m buying meets all of the other criteria, but I can’t honestly say that I need it, I generally don’t buy it.
Of course, all of these rules are guidelines that I occasionally completely ignore because something is flashy or is on serious markdown, like the top I ordered yesterday that I’m completely excited to get because it was 60% off and had free shipping. But generally speaking, these guidelines help me maintain a small, functional, minimalist wardrobe that’s easy to move, easy to maintain, and easy on my credit card.
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You could benefit from this trick then: Turn all of your hangers in the same direction. Then, as you wear an item, turn it's hanger around so it's facing the other direction. At the end of one year, you'll be able to tell which clothing items you haven't worn all year, and those are the ones you should get rid of.
I find that rule is also great for pairing down a cart. I might have five things in my cart, but in the end I usually only get one or two because I don't need the rest.
It sounds like your purchasing habits are very deliberate and careful – which is a great way to maintain a minimalist wardrobe. Good luck finding the perfect pair of gloves!
This post has made me ponder on what I bought in 2012. I bought a few things for going to the gym and undies and stuff of the like but I don't believe I have bought any pants or shirts. I have been feeling this huge urge to buy cloths lately (and I have been resisting) but I already know that I will be shopping soon 🙂 because I don't think I can resist any longer. I will however be getting rid of stuff in my wardrobe also.
400 sq. feet. Whoa. Our house is around 1200 sq. feet and it feels small with all our belongings (4 kids, 2 adults). We really need to implement some minimizing, lol. My hubby has been preaching to me for years that our kids have too much stuff. Finally, I'm starting to agree. Thanks for your blog, it is a good read!
If you are interested, I have a frugal link up on my blog right now that many of your posts (including this one) would fit. You can find more details on the post Comment Luv pulled.
My recent post Everything Frugal – Mom Tested, Family Approved Link-Up
I follow all of these rules too!! I also never buy somewhere that doesn't have a great return policy. There have been too many times I've made an impulse purchase and because of this rule I can always take it back once I have cleared by head!!
My recent post 10 Ways to Stress Less & Boost Your Energy
i LOVE this!! I wrote about the exact same thing recently, because we’re in the process of building a tiny house! So my walk-in closet was the first thing to get cut. I love it though because I’m so much more thoughtful when it comes to my clothing choices now. 😀
Xx
Lauren Jade
Simplifying Life, Maximizing Happiness
Having been a military spouse, we moved every 3 years, quite a bit of editing. I just recently retired from oil & gas, my wardrobe consisted of a color palette of brown, beige and black. I own 4 pair of jeans, a pair of black dress slacks w/matching jacket for weekly meetings dressing it with pearl earrings and necklace.
My weakness are jackets, I own several color & patterned jackets to work with my jeans, 5 silk tees (2 white, brown, beige and black).
For my shoes, I have 2 pairs white tennis shoes (one pair is steel-toe), a pair of dress shoes (black & brown).
Winter coat (1) tailored camel coat, 1 navy short waisted jacket.
Last, I own a few scarves.
This may sound boring I know, but now that I’m retired it will do! I get dressed
w/out thinking too much! ?
Could you give a list of clothing pieces and colors that should be in a minimalists closet. I am picturing wearing the same outfits without time to launder,
I just found your website. Excited to settle in.
I have found that I often have a shopping urge but if I shop online line for 20 minutes, even on just once site, filling carts, that by the time I am done scrounging their sales and outlets, I don’t really want anything.
I delete everything and close the windows fully satisfied that I “shopped” even though I did not buy.
Some times it’s just satisfying the urge to find the next new and shiny, but not necessarily own it.
One piece of advice I was given recently that has really stuck with me is the $1/day rule, or rather $1/use. It kind of goes along with you not owning any party dresses because you do not want to spend a bunch of money on a piece you’re going to wear once maybe twice. So the advice was this: will you wear or use this item as many times as dollars you are spending on it? A pair of jeans, for example, will you wear them 50 times? If so, you may be justified in spending $50 on them. Another example, a flashy colourful handbag that is soo in style this season for $150, will you really be able to pair it with enough outfits 150 times before it goes out of season and style? Maybe not.
This mind frame may work for some people. I use sometimes but not always. Just another approach to evaluating where and how you spend your money.
I have been shopping for the first time in almost 2 years. My daughter died and I locked myself away. I also gained 30 lbs.I always shop thrift stores and get designer clothes, many with the tags still on them! If you shop a nice store you can have a nice wardrobe for less. I got everything I needed for less than $100.00. It makes me a minimalist by choice, knowing I will lose the weight so not buying too many items made sense. When I’m back down I’ll probably donate the larger clothes back to the same place.
I got sick a few years ago and have not had the money to pay my mortgage much less buy clothes. However, I hold on to stuff that no longer fits or fills a need because if I get rid of all of it I will have to face a very empty closet. I know it sounds silly but I’m not sure how to get past this mental block.
I am no minimalist yet – I always bought quality clothes so getting rid of nice jackets that I only wear once a year is still difficult – and there is the “what if” I need one and can’t afford it. However, I am working on not keeping clothing that I don’t absolutely love, or anything that is beginning to show sign of age, even if I love it.
I teach kindergarten through 3rd graders. Needless to say I need a functional wardrobe. I also do not want to spend a lot of money on my clothing as I have had marker, pen, snags, you name it ruin my clothes. So I shop at the local thrift shop. I get designer labels as well. Just have to watch and be selective. If something happens then I am only out a few dollars. I can deal with that.