6 Tips to Minimize Your Wardrobe (and Maintain It)

Jan 10

Whether you’re looking to adopt a capsule wardrobe or are simply hoping to be more intentional with curating your wardrobe, applying a minimalist approach can be beneficial.

Here are 6 tips to consider when minimizing your wardrobe.

1. Try out a no-buy

For a month, a season, or a year, challenge yourself to purchase no new clothes! Nope, not secondhand. Nope, not clothing from sustainable brands. Nope, not the fabric for your me-made garments--absolutely nothing. Taking a pause in consumption can provide you with a hard reset on any shopping habits.

2. Take inventory of your current closet and let go of anything that is no longer serving you

One of the biggest obstacles to creating a more minimal wardrobe is that initial process of taking inventory of everything that you own. While it can be tempting to skip this step, don’t. Knowing exactly what you have is extremely important in the process of inspiring you to buy better. Schedule it in your planner, pour yourself a glass of wine, and dedicate an afternoon to organizing your closet and eliminating anything that you find yourself no longer wearing.

3. Reassess Trendy Purchases

If you’re here, you’re probably already mindful of fashion trends, sustainability, and conscious consumption. That being said, even if you are into sustainable fashion, that doesn’t mean that you’re not also influenced by trends! (Neither does that mean that being influenced by said trends is necessarily a bad thing.) By all means, shop the trends that you can see yourself wearing long-term but just take a moment to pause and reflect before you make that purchase.

4. Consider Seasonality

Depending on whether or not you’re creating seasonal capsules or are simply choosing to work with one large sum of clothes, consider seasonality. Think about the number of pieces that you have for each season and make your purchases in accordance to what you need.

5. Consider a one-in-one-out approach

After that initial closet clean-out, consider implementing a one-in-one-out approach. Every time you purchase something new, an older item has to go. This technique might not work for everybody, but it gives you an opportunity to slow down and to really reflect on how the addition of one new item will impact the overall wearability and cohesion of your closet.

6. Re-evaluate regularly

Whether it’s on a seasonal basis or on an annual basis, make a commitment to reflect on your closet regularly. Maintenance is an important part of creating a more minimal closet because otherwise, the purchases will probably add up.

A more minimal closet can help save you time and give you clarity on your own personal style. This then frees up your mind and allows you to refocus your attention on other priorities.

For some people, a more maximalist approach and a more versatile wardrobe is what makes them happy, and that’s entirely okay. If you’re looking for a more simplistic approach to getting dressed, however, then consider implementing these tips and streamlining your wardrobe.