The Beginner’s Guide to a Minimalist Wardrobe

A practical guide to help you create the perfect minimalist wardrobe.

Minimalism is all about being conscious, mindful and purposeful with your life and the decisions you make. The same principles apply to fashion when it comes to creating a wardrobe of carefully curated pieces. Keeping these values in mind, we have come up with a practical and easy-to-apply guide for anyone who is just starting out and is determined to put together a well thought out clothing selection of their own.

The benefits of going minimalist are endless and you will have more space both in your mind and your home. You will spend less time thinking about what to wear. Having only pieces you really love whilst saving money. Another huge benefit is that you will be helping the planet by shopping less.

Read – How to Create a Minimalist Home

Start by Decluttering

If you want to build a new minimalist wardrobe clear out the one you currently have in order to make space for items you will be able to mix & match. On average we wear as little as 20% of our closet!

To help you determine whether or not you should stick to an item, you can ask yourself questions like: 

• Have I worn this in the past year? 
• Do I really like it?
• Is it a classic piece I can easily style with the rest of my wardrobe or something very trendy and seasonal? 

Doing this will navigate your decision about what to keep and what to separate. Don’t feel guilty for all the clothes you are getting rid of you can donate them or sell them? This way you are contributing to a circular and sustainable fashion system.

Having a minimalist wardrobe will definitely make you appreciate the clothes that made the cut but also make it easier for you to make an informed choice when buying something new as you can clearly see what you already have.

Take your time, decluttering an overfilled wardrobe can be quite an overwhelming project to tackle. Give yourself a week if you need and schedule a few hours a day to go through a section or two. This way you are more likely to stick to it and create the perfect minimalist wardrobe.

Read – Fast vs Slow Fashion

Be Inspired

When you are changing your style for good it is always a nice idea to get some inspiration before you jump into purchasing new items straight away. The idea of a minimalist wardrobe is not to fill it again, it’s all about making informed decisions.

We recommend getting some inspiration from influencers who have cracked the minimalism code or simply scrolling through Pinterest to discover looks. Save images you really resonate with but make sure the person wearing the outfits has similar height/body/skin/hair features to you- this way you can determine what shapes, colour combinations and styles will look the best on you.

Chloe Helen Miles

You can get some really good ideas from Chloe on how to utilize the clothes you currently have and also get some tips on alternative places to buy statement pieces. She’s got her own vintage shop so be sure to check it out.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUK-p0Cou2h/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Semi Joan

Her profile is a great place to understand colour combinations, how to accessorise an outfit to make it complete and different ways to style your clothes. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CT7nV5BFgr3/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Candice Tay

Candice is a Canada based influencer and definitely knows how to make minimalist outfits look stylish and very high-class. Simplicity just looks expensive on her.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUZ8JmcLZq4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Read – 5 French Influencers you should definitely be following.

Time to get Organised

The minimalist wardrobe is clean and tidy all the research has been done. Now you will need to make a list of all the things you need in addition to what you already have to complete your minimalist wardrobe.

To help get you started with your list, here are some suggestions for the basics:

Denim

A good pair of jeans is a must. H&M is known for their good quality denim jeans with a range of fits you will easily find your perfect pair there. Look out for skinny, mom or regular- they are classic styles.

Blazer

Maybe it is not a necessity if your everyday life does not require going to the office, however, having at least one good black blazer can be super handy- interviews, formal events, even celebrations- just throw it on your back and you have the look.

White t-shirt

A good quality white tee can really be multifunctional- not only for sports but under a blazer or paired with a faux leather biker jacket.

Read – 6 Ways to Style a Faux Leather Jacket for any Occasion

White Trainers

They really go on everything, don’t they? There are plenty of options, however, we recommend going slightly vintage with these classic Converse pair as you can easily style it with both sweatpants and a suit. 

Black Flats

You definitely need an alternative for the trainers. There are just some occasions where you can’t appear in sport’s shoes and elegant black ones are a great option. 

• Always look for quality. Check the inside label for composition. Notice if there are any hanging threads. It is much better to invest in something for the long haul than getting something cheap and binning it in 4 wears time.

• Pick classic shades like whites, greys, beiges and black as they never go out of style and are super easy to cross combine. 

Read – Sustainable Fashion: Her’s What You Need to Know

Now to work on your impulse buys.

Now that you’ve built your wardrobe with some good quality pieces that you love we need to think about buying habits.

Making the switch from impulse buyer to a mindful minimalist won’t happen overnight. You will have to make some adjustments to your mindset as well.

Something really small like questioning yourself next time you are about to buy a thing:

• Will I wear It?
• Do I have something to wear it with?
• Is it good quality?
• Is it a classic statement or something seasonal ?

Or even waiting a few days before buying it to give you time to think whether or not you really need it? This could be the turning point from an enthusiast to an actual fashion minimalist with long term habits.

Remember creating a minimalist wardrobe is a journey and the start of an ongoing process. It’s really not something you do once and then you are done. Think of it as a lifestyle change, that helps with all your buying and styling decisions.

Once you put the basics in order, be sure to constantly declutter/clear out unnecessary items, be mindful of your buying choices.

Author: Elena Hristova