Wardrobe Reset
I don’t consider myself to be fashion conscious, and truth be told, I can’t make sense of most clothing trends. But during a recent wardrobe reset, I’ve finally found a trend I can get behind: the minimalist wardrobe.
It all started when I read this article about a woman who wore the same exact outfit to work for three years. As an art director. In NYC. Not exactly the kind of person you would expect to be “boring” or “un-trendy,” am I right? Well, she is neither! I was immediately fascinated. If an artistic, successful businesswoman could pull off making her work wardrobe the definition of simplicity, why couldn’t anyone else do the same?
Why couldn’t I?
What do we prove by having a closet overflowing with items, some of which have rarely been worn and many more that we don’t feel absolutely fabulous wearing anyways? Why do we all have things tucked into the corners of our dressers or relegated to hanging in the back of the closet which are the wrong color, size, or style but we hang on to because we imagine there might come a day when we will maybe wear it? Or to give the illusion of options? Or to make our space look full? Or because we paid for it and we don’t want to let it go?
That evening, I did an initial purge of my closet.
Anything I hadn’t worn in the last month, even though it was seasonally appropriate, was the first thing to go.
Anything that didn’t fit right went next.
It was difficult at first, I admit. I would start rationalizing why I should keep some things. But the fuller the trash bags got and the emptier my closet became, the easier it was to continue throwing things in the “Get Rid Of It” pile. Our installation was having a garage sale and a friend of mine was raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis foundation, and when I was done, I donated four large bags of clothes to her to sell.
The next day I went shopping with my closet an almost completely clean slate! I kept five cardigans of different colors, my workout clothes, two pairs of jeans, a few scarves, and a few dresses for events which would require them.
This is the fun part because I think there are a few different approaches you can take. One idea I read about just after the first article is something called “capsule wardrobes”. Project 333 is the idea that you take 33 items, including shoes and accessories, to wear for three months (or one season) in order to minimize your wardrobe and maximize wearing things that you love!
I didn’t exactly follow this approach, or the woman mentioned in the article above. I decided for my new work wardrobe to only buy pieces that all went together, but not multiple copies of the same outfit. So all my new items will be black, white, or gray. I bought three new pairs of slacks and five new short sleeve tops. I will add some winter tops next year.
For non-work days, I decided to oversimplify as well. Jeans and T-shirts, either gray or navy. I have a friend who has worn jeans and a white T-shirt for years and swears it’s the only way to go, so I decided to sort of copy her. I went to the outlet mall and got some great deals, like Gap Perfect Tees for $5 each! I also bought two new pairs of jeans and two cute pairs of slip-on shoes.
I have to say, I am already loving the simplicity of this approach. In the morning, I grab a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I like how everything fits, and I don’t have to think about it for more than two seconds. Being spring, if it’s cool out, I can throw on a cardigan or scarf. I start my new job Monday, and I don’t have to spend a single second worried about what I am going to wear!
If you aren’t sure you can get rid of all the things, pack them up and put them in the garage while you try out the new minimalist approach. “Less is More” is an idea I think more and more Americans are really starting to love. There are so many articles on reducing clutter, making our living spaces enjoyable, and finding ways to keep “things” from running our lives. If you are thinking of doing some serious spring cleaning this year, I recommend starting with your closet!
Let us know if you try the approaches mentioned in this post. Did you like it or no? Share with us!
