February is a good time to reconsider how much time and effort it takes for you to “put an outfit together” each morning. Sure, you want to feel and look amazing, but you can totally still do that by simplifying your wardrobe. Instead of having tons of pieces, you can invest in high quality clothing, that holds up great through several wears and washes, and still makes you look and feel like a million bucks.
I ran across an article on treehugger the other day, and it totally resonated with how I feel about over-complicating life with minutia. The article nailed my sentiments in just two sentences, “There is a good reason why successful individuals such as Steve Jobs, Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Hillary Clinton, even fashion designer Vera Wang, opt for the same, often plain outfits on a daily basis. They’d rather spend their time and brainpower elsewhere than standing in front of their closets in a state of panicked indecision.”
I know for some, clothing is a self-expression–like art, but if you aren’t one of those people, and have been looking to simplify your morning routine, here’s a couple of tips to starting a minimalist wardrobe:
- First, de-clutter your closet. Get rid of ANYTHING that is uncomfortable, worn out, or that you don’t wear.
- Consider your favorite colors to wear. I bet you, when you get right down to it, there are only a couple. Stick to buying those colors only from here on out.
- Do you have a favorite pair of pants? Do you wish you could wear them everyday? You CAN! 😉 Buy a couple of pairs, just enough to get you through to each load of laundry. If you are hung up on what people think, you can buy them in different colors. I have a friend who has 4 pairs of pants–all the exact same cut, two jean colored, one black, one khaki. That’s it. That’s all she owns. I personally wear jeans everyday, so I don’t really give a crack about different colors.
- In truth, all you really need are enough outfits to get you through each laundry cycle. If that is once a week, consider owning enough for 7 days.
- When all of your clothes fall into a neat little color palette, it’s super easy to accessorize. A couple different color scarves, necklaces and earrings will suffice {I don’t wear any of those, but I have heard :)}.
- Shoes. Shoes serve a function. They need to protect our feet from whatever activity we are getting ourselves into. Nothing more. Sure, they can look cute, but you can only wear one pair at a time, so a pair for snow/rain, exercise and daily wear ought to suffice. {If you must, throw in one pair for upscale occasions.}
What do you think, are you ready to pare down your wardrobe choices and make time for funner stuff? If so, how do you plan to create a minimalist wardrobe?
~Mavis
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Nancy D says
Ahhh Mavis….I live vicariously through you….you and a cup of tea in the morning and I’m a better person…your unabashed zeal….AND your awesome photos…thanks for encouraging others to go out and enjoy life to the fullest !
Holly says
Noooooo! Being raised in poverty but attending a middle class/wealthy school during my middle school years did something to me in regards to clothes. It is like I need to make sure myself and my children never have to wear the same thing twice in a given month because I was that kid that only had one pair of jeans that had to be washed every night. Shoes were the worst. I remember getting one of converse shoes that I literally cut the backs out of when my feet grew just so I could wear them longer. Giving up my closet full of clothes really freaks me out but hoarding is just as bad. Will have to think about this one.
Butterflyweed says
Oh Holly, I feel your pain. I grew up exactly the same way. I was teased horribly because I only had one pair of jeans (not the ones everyone else had, something from Sears) and maybe 3 or 4 shirts. It was always clean, but kids notice. I have gone the other way, more like Mavis. I have very few clothes. It is defiance-I am not defined by what I wear.
Stacey says
Holly, you don’t need to give up your clothes if they are important to you, and you don’t need to feel bad about it, either. I love Mavis’ suggestions for a minimalist wardrobe, but how far you take it is up to you. For the first time in my life, I finally feel like I have a wardrobe. I keep the bottoms in mostly simple, basic colors, but have an array of tops and sweaters. I remember having only two outfits to wear to school and was embarrassed by it, too. I don’t feel guilty about going for a month without repeating an outfit, but I am careful about what I keep, too. Only keep what you actually wear or have plans to wear in the near future. De-cluttering just means getting rid of things you don’t use to make room for what is important.
bonnie says
it’s ok.
Sarah says
Mavis, your approach to wardrobe is the same as mine and its so great to know I’m not alone! I wear the same jean style and the same t-shirt style with danskos every day. I’d like to know…what are your daily wear shoes? We’re moving from a manicured tiny lot to a wild 1/3 acre that I’ll be spending a lot of time in every day. What do you wear on your feet in your garden?
Mavis Butterfield says
Everyday Shoes :Keen Presidio
Running Walking Shoes :Saucony {whatever is on sale when I buy}
Garden Boots: Hunter Boots. I’ve had the same pair for 13 years! 🙂
Snow Boots: Sorel Tofino
Fancy Shoes : Josef Seibel
Summer Shoes : Sperry topsiders
Good shoes last a looooong time. 🙂
Diana says
OMG, lol! I’m willing to bet that Stacy and Clinton from “What No to Wear” would have eye twitches and muscle spasms over what you’ve written. LMBO!
Diana says
Make that “What Not to Wear”, lol
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha! Tehy’d probably dress me in sort of floral pattern and I’d go in to shock!!
Brandy says
I have been trying so hard to minimize my closet! But, I love clothing!
The advice to have good quality is spot on!
One thing I’ve been trying is putting my clothing into “outfits” on the hanger,
if it’s a dress…I put a sweater or jacket with it and also the jewelry I would wear with it too!
I also make sure that everything in my closet fits me! That’s important!!
The worst is when you think something fits and you go to put it on for the day & it doesn’t! ugh!
And, another idea I do is if I am questioning whether or not I like a piece of clothing…I actually wear it and then
make the decision!
Cheyanne says
“{I don’t wear any of those, but I have heard 🙂 }.”
CRACKED ME UP! Hahaha my coworkers are constantly giving me accessories and it just doesn’t work out hahaha!
Dena says
When they are on sale & you can afford it, buy TWO pairs of your favorite shoes/boots. Then switch between the two every on a daily basis so that they last longer.
Jackie says
Where do you get your long sleeve shirts? My wardrobe is mostly Lucy pants and T’s…but they stopped making T’s. I need to find somewhere that carries cute graphic T’s that last.
Mavis Butterfield says
The Gap. 🙂
Susannah says
I LOVE this post! I, too, have a uniform these days (black Nike bootleg yoga pants…ALWAYS), which I dress up (Eileen Fisher thrift-store finds) or dress down (short- or long-sleeve tees) depending on where I’m going. My grandmother was the original uniform wearer in the family…after decades of being a complete fashionista, she opted for a simple cardigan/slacks combo that she wore just about every day. Only the fancy pin that would suddenly appear on her shoulder announced that she had changed into her “formalwear.” Ha-ha!
Mavis Butterfield says
Go Grandma!! 🙂
Rachel B says
Love this… although, I have to say, I only own 2 pairs of jeans at the same time, usually. I buy 2 at a time of the same style, and one pair of jeans lasts me about a year, so I shop every other year. I wear my jeans every day, typically the same pair each day for a week, and then launder them either once a week, or when I’m feeling lazy, every 2 weeks.
I’ve read a lot about caring for jeans, and most high-end designers recommend laundering jeans only every 3 weeks or so – washing wears down your jeans faster and the majority of people don’t get them dirty enough to justify washing them much more often. Though if you’re gardening in them, I think it’s justifiable. 😉
I also have gotten over my junior-high fear of wearing the same outfit multiple days in a row. It’s SO much simpler to throw on the same thing each day, and only think about what I’m going to wear once a week! Who cares if someone else doesn’t approve? I’m not forcing THEM to wear “dirty” clothes (that aren’t really dirty)… Obviously, if I sweat moderately or spill food or play in the dirt then I change my clothes more often. 🙂