Minimalist Wardrobe
Minimalist Wardrobe
Why you should buy less and how this helps your wallet and the planet.
"For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned." Benjamin Franklin.
~ ABOUT ~
The BBC published an article in 2018 about fast fashion and the negative impact it has and what other brands are doing to stop it. "Fast fashion: inside the fight to end the silence on waste" can be viewed here. I really like this quote at the end of the article, "Torture yourself a little bit! Because actually waiting for something, waiting to see if you really, really want it, waiting to see if it has a function in your life and then buying it is beautiful." I agree with Kelly-Leigh, this helps us determine for sure if we want to make the investment and if the piece will fit into our wardrobe and lives. When we spend more time researching and deciding on what we really want, we won't be spending money on cheap clothes that we will have to replace after two washes.
Being minimal means making sure that you are getting the most wears out of your purchases, and buying clothes without holes, clean, straight lines, classic pieces that will last for years. There are a few wardrobe staples that everyone should have, and they are deemed classic because the item goes with multiple outfits for more than one season. They are not trendy, trends fade way too quick. Examples of classic wardrobe staples are; a button up dress shirt, a moto jacket, a trench coat, black stilettos, ballet flats, a blazer, denim jeans without holes, classic handbag, diamond or pearl studs. Of course, depending on where you live and the weather, and your job, this list will not be exact. Someone in Arizona would have a different wardrobe than someone in Michigan. However, they can still apply the same principles to their shopping.
~ HOW TO ~
You want to go through your closet first and get a good look at what you have and don't have. I wrote a blog post about how to go through your closet and you can view that here. This is the first step. Second is to put outfits together with what you already have and try to make 3 outfits. If you can't make 3 outfits then think about selling the item, if it's in resale condition. While creating your outfits you find yourself noticing how great everything would be if you just had this one pair of jeans or these pair of great black pants, pay attention to those thoughts and write them down. Jeans and pants are staples, they can go with so much and styling pants outside of a corporate environment is so fun.
This will also save you time in the morning getting ready, or whenever you plan your outfits. You also are able to be more creative in styling, not to mention the money you will save in buying less. Investing once saves you so much more in the long run. You could focus more on paying off a retail credit card or finding a seamstress and shoe repair to fix items you love.
I'm not saying you should only have one pair of jeans and one shirt and one coat, no. The main idea and point is to buy smarter, buy quality, buy less, and stop polluting the only planet we are ever going to live on. Elon Musk doesn't have Mars ready for us yet, so we have to take care of Earth now.
~ RE SALE ~
Reselling clothes is fantastic. You make money, keep clothes out of landfills and oceans, and you can shop for items you need! I use Poshmark. It's a super easy app and they do all of the shipping for you. Once someone decides to purchase your item, Poshmark emails you the postage label, no cost to you, and put the item in the mail. I do not have different sized boxes at my house so I go to the USPS to ship and all I pay for is the box. After the item is at the post office, I notify the buyer on the app that it is dropped off and then wait for the item to be delivered.
Another fun and eco-friendly way to get rid of your clothes is to swap clothes with your friends. Tell your friends to go through their closets and bring clothes over to have other people shop their closet. You don't have to charge anything and it's always fun to have your friends over and have wine of course. Also, there is also the option of donating to shelters and Goodwill.
~ CONCLUSION ~
During the craziness that is 2020, and while so many are at home, now is the time to make your space the best it can be. We need to de-stress and an unorganized and cluttered closet that does not spark joy is a great place to start. The possibility of earning some money reselling is nice too. Again, this advice is about helping you buy smarter, quality, less and reducing planet pollution. Even though a global issue may seem impossible to fix, we can all start small and do our parts.
Please like and subscribe so you never miss a thing! Also, feel free to comment and let me know what you want to see next.
Comments
Post a Comment