I read minimalist blogs, books and magazines and suddenly I was so immersed in minimalism that I found myself moving with only one suitcase full of clothing and my love of fashion had taken a backseat to my new clean and simple life.
Clearing my physical space certainly cleared my mental space. It was easier to keep track of everything I owned and my minimalist surroundings left more room for more important things in my life. I never lost my love of a beautiful piece of clothing however, and I sometimes felt torn between buying that new top and keeping my set 33 items of clothing. It didn't always feel this way but sometimes I felt perhaps I was depriving myself of something I really wanted.
I soon learned this was not the case at all; in fact, I have recently realised that by maintaining a minimalist wardrobe, I have become more aware and in love with my style than ever. Since purging my wardrobe of the clothing that I barely wore and cutting back to what I considered my favourite and most essential clothing items, I no longer have the "nothing to wear" syndrome. You know what I mean: a wardrobe full of clothing yet you can't fathom and outfit you'd like to wear. All of that clothing and most of it isn't being worn - either by a regrettable purchase, a 'I'll start wearing it when I'm skinnier' piece, or something you own but don't have anything else to wear with it, so it stays in your wardrobe; unloved and stale from the cold dark space it's been left to rot in.
I can picture every item of clothing in my wardrobe, create more than one outfit with that clothing item, and I feel comfortable and happy in everything I own. I no longer let the clothing in my wardrobe go unworn, and if I find I haven't worn something in over a month, that's when I know it's time to donate it.
Before purchasing a new piece I now think more carefully about it, I ask myself: 'what can I wear this with?', 'do I feel comfortable in this?', 'is this really my style - does it suit me?' and 'do I just like this item because it looked nice on the rack or am I in love with it?'. I don't think I've ever thought twice about a piece of clothing I decided not to buy.
Minimalist doesn't have to get in the way of fashion - in fact, it should compliment it. I've avoided many fashion mistakes and regrettable purchases by being more careful about what goes into my wardrobe (I've also save a lot of money!).
Though I now own more than 33 items of clothing, I still maintain a minimalist wardrobe. Recently I was able to spontaneously pack almost my entire wardrobe into one suitcase in under five minutes to travel home and surprise my family with a visit. That is definitely more reward than owning a large wardrobe: being able to pack just about everything I own and knowing that I'll be able to wear any of it and feel comfortable and fashionable at the same time.
If you're interested in minimalism I recommended checking out these great blogs and look up 'Project 333' for a minimalist wardrobe:
And you always look lovely x
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