Have you ever found yourself staring into your closet and thinking you have nothing to wear? It’s a common problem.
It’s one of the main reasons many people are shifting from stuffed closets to minimalist wardrobes. People such as Steve Jobs, President Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Johnny Cash, and Fran Lebowitz are known for their minimalistic style choices.
These famous people wore the same colors or the same type of clothing all the time. Why? It saves them time, and it helps them stay focused on the bigger, more important decisions they need to make each day.
Here are 10 tips to help you start and maintain a minimalist wardrobe.
Remove from your closet all of the clothes that you have not worn within the past 12 months. Remove even those special clothes that you know you would never go without. For the sake of this exercise, take out the clothes you have not worn within the past 12 months.
Notice the clothes that remain. These are your favorite pieces of clothing. These are the pieces that are the most flattering and bring you the most joy. Notice how few clothing pieces you actually wear. Notice the feeling of space, efficiency, and practicality of a minimalist closet. It feels good to have less!
Now it’s time to sort through what remains.
Look at the clothes you have not worn for 12 months. Take out the clothes you obviously do not need. Like that tattered shirt from 12 years ago that you forgot you had. Put these clothes into a donation pile. Or if you’re interested in selling your clothes, drop them off at your local consignment store.
Which clothes hold sentimental value? Separate them into a pile.
Now can you decrease the number of sentimental clothes you keep? It is difficult to distinguish between keeping clothing that makes you happy vs keeping clothing from a place of compulsion or fear of getting rid of it.
We don’t want too many sentimental pieces taking up space in our closet. Here are some tips to decrease your pile of sentimental clothing:
You’ve donated the clothes you obviously don’t wear. You’ve kept your sentimental clothes.
What remains is a pile of Grey area clothes. You haven’t worn them in 12 months. But you could wear them again…
At this point, it’s all about practicality and efficiency. Let’s sort through these clothes.
Look out for too many clothes serving the same purpose.
You buy clothes for a situation. Situations change. And then you have excess.
Have you moved recently to an area of the country with a different climate? If it’s warmer, it’s time to let go of your winter wear. It’s nice to keep one big jacket for occasions.
Have you changed jobs and need to dress differently for work? Maybe you can let go of your excess professional attire. It’s nice to keep a professional outfit in case of an interview or another professional situation.
Don’t have too many clothes serving the same purpose. Remember, you haven’t worn any of these clothes in over a year!
Audiobooks don’t clutter up a room and are great for listening to as you work your way through each KonMari Method category, when you exercise, and while you drive.
With Audible, you have all the books you could ever want to listen to on your devices (not on your shelf) at the click of a button.
Sign up for a FREE 30-Day Audible trial and receive 1 audiobook credit (2 credits for Prime members) and access to the Audible Plus Catalog of podcasts and audiobooks.
There was a time in my life when I had weddings or cocktail parties every month, and as a result, I had a closet full of one-time-only dresses.
Then I discovered the beauty of renting clothing for special events.
Sites, like Rent the Runway and Fashion Pass, allow you to rent quality designer clothing items for significantly less than if you bought them at retail prices. You get to wear the look and return it without it cluttering up your closet.
Let this be a reason to let go of excess one-time-only dresses that you only keep because “what if I need it again.” Renting clothing will keep your closet empty and your wallet full.
The *only* way to save money is to spend less than you earn. That means you need to decrease your expenses or increase your income.
We want to help you do both.
Join our FREE Simplify Money Workshop to learn the fundamentals of growing wealth. Because when you can spend less than you earn, your money has no choice but to grow. You will build your savings and pay down debt.
What’s more? We’ve got a bunch of free money-hacks to share with you:
This workshop has everything you need to accomplish the cardinal rule of personal finance: keep your income over your expenses.
Join our free 5-day Simplify Money Workshop, and start growing your wealth today.
People tend to have a difficult time parting with clothes because they find themselves asking, “What if I need it again?” This can happen.
You may find yourself wishing you held on to a certain outfit and feel frustrated when you have to rebuy something.
Remind yourself that the clothes you part with are not going to waste. You are giving these clothes that you have not worn in over a year a new life with someone else.
And your life is better living without clutter! Keeping a minimalist wardrobe is worth the risk.
You will feel great after you do the initial purge of your closet and begin to embrace your minimalist wardrobe. But it will be very tempting to refill your closet when you see a good deal or something cute.
Instead of refilling your closet and finding yourself back where you started, follow the one-in, one out-rule: If you see something you “have to have,” ask yourself which one of your wardrobe pieces it will replace. When you get home with your new clothing item, make the swap.
Selling your clothing also helps fund new purchases.
When it comes to buying clothing to complete your minimalist wardrobe, aim only to buy quality, well-made clothing.
It’s worth the investment to purchase clothes that may be pricier if it means they will last longer. For example, if you are buying cheaply made, inexpensive basics like white tees for your minimalist wardrobe, you will end up having to buy new ones repeatedly.
However, if you buy a better quality white shirt, you will get longer use out of it.
You can also make yourself feel even better about your wardrobe by investing in B-Corp clothing brands. B-corps focus on sustainability and supporting the global economy. Brands such as Toms, Bombas, Patagonia, and Athleta are doing their part to build a better world.
Dosh is a free app that says it is “the easiest money you’ve ever made.”
And, it’s true.
Just link a credit or debit card to the app, and when you use it at participating retailers, you will earn cash back.
I bought some bagels at a local restaurant in Orlando, and Dosh informed me in minutes that I earned $2.
Here’s just a sample of recent cash back opportunities:
It’s one of the main reasons many people are shifting from stuffed closets to minimalist wardrobes. People such as Steve Jobs, President Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Johnny Cash, and Fran Lebowitz are known for their minimalistic style choices.
These famous people wore the same colors or the same type of clothing all the time. Why? It saves them time, and it helps them stay focused on the bigger, more important decisions they need to make each day.
Here are 10 tips to help you start and maintain a minimalist wardrobe.
1. Audit Your Closet
Remove from your closet all of the clothes that you have not worn within the past 12 months. Remove even those special clothes that you know you would never go without. For the sake of this exercise, take out the clothes you have not worn within the past 12 months.
Notice the clothes that remain. These are your favorite pieces of clothing. These are the pieces that are the most flattering and bring you the most joy. Notice how few clothing pieces you actually wear. Notice the feeling of space, efficiency, and practicality of a minimalist closet. It feels good to have less!
Now it’s time to sort through what remains.
2. Start with the Obvious
Look at the clothes you have not worn for 12 months. Take out the clothes you obviously do not need. Like that tattered shirt from 12 years ago that you forgot you had. Put these clothes into a donation pile. Or if you’re interested in selling your clothes, drop them off at your local consignment store.
3. Sentimental Clothes
Which clothes hold sentimental value? Separate them into a pile.
Now can you decrease the number of sentimental clothes you keep? It is difficult to distinguish between keeping clothing that makes you happy vs keeping clothing from a place of compulsion or fear of getting rid of it.
We don’t want too many sentimental pieces taking up space in our closet. Here are some tips to decrease your pile of sentimental clothing:
- Take a picture of the item. It’s easier to part with a piece when you have a photo of it.
- If two pieces of clothing hold the same memory, you may not need both.
- Remember that the clothing is not going to waste. Give it away, or sell it. It will bring someone joy to have it.
4. Be Practical and Efficient
You’ve donated the clothes you obviously don’t wear. You’ve kept your sentimental clothes.
What remains is a pile of Grey area clothes. You haven’t worn them in 12 months. But you could wear them again…
At this point, it’s all about practicality and efficiency. Let’s sort through these clothes.
5. Get Rid of Excess
Look out for too many clothes serving the same purpose.
You buy clothes for a situation. Situations change. And then you have excess.
Have you moved recently to an area of the country with a different climate? If it’s warmer, it’s time to let go of your winter wear. It’s nice to keep one big jacket for occasions.
Have you changed jobs and need to dress differently for work? Maybe you can let go of your excess professional attire. It’s nice to keep a professional outfit in case of an interview or another professional situation.
Don’t have too many clothes serving the same purpose. Remember, you haven’t worn any of these clothes in over a year!
Declutter Your Home and Life with Audiobooks from Audible
Audiobooks don’t clutter up a room and are great for listening to as you work your way through each KonMari Method category, when you exercise, and while you drive.
With Audible, you have all the books you could ever want to listen to on your devices (not on your shelf) at the click of a button.
Sign up for a FREE 30-Day Audible trial and receive 1 audiobook credit (2 credits for Prime members) and access to the Audible Plus Catalog of podcasts and audiobooks.
6. Rent for One-Time Events
There was a time in my life when I had weddings or cocktail parties every month, and as a result, I had a closet full of one-time-only dresses.
Then I discovered the beauty of renting clothing for special events.
Sites, like Rent the Runway and Fashion Pass, allow you to rent quality designer clothing items for significantly less than if you bought them at retail prices. You get to wear the look and return it without it cluttering up your closet.
Let this be a reason to let go of excess one-time-only dresses that you only keep because “what if I need it again.” Renting clothing will keep your closet empty and your wallet full.
Free Workshop – Join our free Simplify Money Workshop
The *only* way to save money is to spend less than you earn. That means you need to decrease your expenses or increase your income.
We want to help you do both.
Join our FREE Simplify Money Workshop to learn the fundamentals of growing wealth. Because when you can spend less than you earn, your money has no choice but to grow. You will build your savings and pay down debt.
What’s more? We’ve got a bunch of free money-hacks to share with you:
- Hacks to lower your monthly bills
- Hacks to spend less on debt
- Hacks to start investing
- Hacks to increase your income by $20/month (with no extra effort)
This workshop has everything you need to accomplish the cardinal rule of personal finance: keep your income over your expenses.
Join our free 5-day Simplify Money Workshop, and start growing your wealth today.
7. Say Goodbye to “What Ifs”
People tend to have a difficult time parting with clothes because they find themselves asking, “What if I need it again?” This can happen.
You may find yourself wishing you held on to a certain outfit and feel frustrated when you have to rebuy something.
Remind yourself that the clothes you part with are not going to waste. You are giving these clothes that you have not worn in over a year a new life with someone else.
And your life is better living without clutter! Keeping a minimalist wardrobe is worth the risk.
- Related: 11 Habits of Debt-Free Families
8. Follow the One-In, One-Out Rule
You will feel great after you do the initial purge of your closet and begin to embrace your minimalist wardrobe. But it will be very tempting to refill your closet when you see a good deal or something cute.
Instead of refilling your closet and finding yourself back where you started, follow the one-in, one out-rule: If you see something you “have to have,” ask yourself which one of your wardrobe pieces it will replace. When you get home with your new clothing item, make the swap.
Selling your clothing also helps fund new purchases.
9. Buy Quality Clothes
When it comes to buying clothing to complete your minimalist wardrobe, aim only to buy quality, well-made clothing.
It’s worth the investment to purchase clothes that may be pricier if it means they will last longer. For example, if you are buying cheaply made, inexpensive basics like white tees for your minimalist wardrobe, you will end up having to buy new ones repeatedly.
However, if you buy a better quality white shirt, you will get longer use out of it.
You can also make yourself feel even better about your wardrobe by investing in B-Corp clothing brands. B-corps focus on sustainability and supporting the global economy. Brands such as Toms, Bombas, Patagonia, and Athleta are doing their part to build a better world.
Earn Automatic Cash Back with Dosh
Dosh is a free app that says it is “the easiest money you’ve ever made.”
And, it’s true.
Just link a credit or debit card to the app, and when you use it at participating retailers, you will earn cash back.
I bought some bagels at a local restaurant in Orlando, and Dosh informed me in minutes that I earned $2.
Here’s just a sample of recent cash back opportunities:
- Aeropostale, 5%
- Sam’s Club, $13 cash back
- The Farmer’s Dog, 10%
- Shake Shack, 5%
Download Dosh for free, and start earning cash back.
10. Treat Clothes with Care
The best way to maintain a stylish minimalist wardrobe is to treat your clothes with care. Pay careful attention how the designers say to care for your clothes.
Wash and dry them accordingly. Utilize a drying rack. Invest in lingerie bags, and fabric shavers. Hang clothes in an organized closet.
Schedule an afternoon to go through your wardrobe. Keep distractions at a minimum and be present as you audit your closet.
- Keep your lifestyle in mind.
- Sell or donate anything that doesn’t serve you.
- Resist the urge to repopulate your closet.
- When you do shop, buy quality brands that will last and follow the one-in, one-out rule.
UP NEXT: 16 Things We Started Buying a Minimalists
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The post 10 Tips to Keep a Minimalist Wardrobe appeared first on Budgeting Couple.