You are on the minimalism warpath, and you won’t stop until everything meets your expectations, including your wardrobe.

While it served you well over the years, judging by the state of it, you know your wardrobe could do with some de-cluttering and simplifying. So, how do you start, and what do you get rid of?

Clothing is a sensitive subject since you could practically use everything in your closet. It’s just a matter of when. But does that mean that pea-colored coat you’ve only worn twice should rot away in the back? In a word, no.

When it comes to following the rules of minimalism in fashion, separate rules apply. And to guide you on what those rules are, here’s a short guide to help you minimize your wardrobe, only without making it look dull.

What Do You Need in Your Wardrobe?

Before getting into the nitty-gritty of the situation, let’s start with something simple; why you need to have so many clothes.

The unofficial figure is about 20 percent. That’s the percentage of clothes women wear from their wardrobe. This means that eighty percent of your clothes go without being worn more than once. And that is a complete waste.

With so much at your disposal, it makes sense to give your clothes to someone else. Yet, most of us hang on to them. Why?

The most common reason is that you might need it someday. But, rather than thinking about someday when you may need a specific outfit in the future, it’s more beneficial if you create a simplified wardrobe that caters to all your needs.

It Takes a Lot to Let Go

But have you ever wondered why you’re having problems letting go?

To effectively clear out your closet, you must find the why behind your reluctance. It’s only then that you’ll realize how silly your reasoning was. For example, here are some common reasons:

• The item was hardly worn, and you feel guilty about wasting your money on it;
• It’s a part of an essential wardrobe, but you hardly use it;
• It was a new trend that didn’t look good on you;
• You’re keeping it for when you lose a few pounds;
• You’re keeping it for a special occasion;
• It’s a “just in case” outfit;
• It’s a gift;
• It has sentimental value.

Starting with the first few, if an item of clothing doesn’t particularly fit your style, that’s okay. True fashion dismisses the notion of one-size-fits-all. So, why would you think you need something that you saw in a magazine?

Everything is not for everyone. And if it does not come in handy for you or doesn’t look good, getting rid of it is the best step. If you feel guilty about wasting money on it, remember that the time has gone. Keeping it will prolong the negative feelings you’ve associated with it. Every time you see it, you’ll feel guilty, and you don’t need those kinds of bad vibes in your life.

As for keeping something that’ll fit “once you lose weight,” that ideology is flawed and can have a very negative impact on your mental health. Every time you open that wardrobe, feeling pretty happy about yourself, seeing that “dress for weight loss” will deflate your enthusiasm. Not to mention that it’ll only add visual clutter.

Instead of keeping the dress for when you’ll lose weight, buy new clothing once you do and treat yourself then. The great thing about having a minimalist wardrobe is that you won’t have to worry about the other thirty or so dresses or shirts already hanging in your wardrobe when you buy a new item.

Items with Special Value

Sentimental clothing aside, such as your graduation gown or a wedding dress, there’s no need to keep a closet full of old clothes if they’re only attracting insects and moths. You can donate such clothing or make a keepsake collage for the later years, but if something is so old that it’s falling off the hanger, there’s no need to keep it until it’s thoroughly damaged.

As for any items that you keep, just in case, think about the exact moment when. Will it come in handy 45 days from now? Next year? Or within the next five years?

In reality, you’ll hardly ever wear the outfit because you won’t even remember you have it. Instinctually, you’ll go for the most comfortable or stylish outfit you have and only remember the “special” outfit until later.

Think about what you actually need in your wardrobe and what you’ll realistically wear. Your wardrobe will go through a thorough cleaning once you set your mind to it.

How to Sort Through Your Wardrobe?

You’ll begin by taking your clothes out, one pile at a time. Do not push all the clothes out of your wardrobe, or you will get side-tracked or lose time and confidence in your purging skills.

You’ll want to divide your clothes into four piles: keep, throw, and maybe.

The “Love” Pile

This is the primary step you’ll start with.

For the love pile, you’ll want to put aside all the items you love without a doubt. This pile will include all the clothes you reach for all the time.

This will also include all unique event clothing, down to your favorite pair of jeans and underwear. How we’ll manage your wardrobe from this pile comes later.

The “Throw” Pile

Also known as the “nope” pile, this pile is full of all the items you know you’ll never wear. Add all the items that you never reach for or clothes you’ve only worn once but didn’t suit you. You want to be ruthless with the clothes you have.

Any clothes you wore because you wanted to make someone happy, things that aren’t your favorite, any gifts—everything goes in the throw pile.

Clothes that still have tags on them are an exception. All the items in the throw pile can be donated if they’re in good condition.

The “Maybe” Pile

The “maybe” pile is for the gray bits, the items that don’t belong in the “love” or “throw” pile because of some issue. It could be a broken zipper, straps that need to be shortened, a tear in the seam, loosening the waist—whatever it is, it can be mended. You only don’t have the time.

With the “maybe” pile, your job is to look at the clothing realistically. Will you be able to get the clothes mended soon? Are you proactive enough? If not, put them in the throw pile.

Once you’ve divided your wardrobe into three piles, put back everything that’s in your “love” pile into the closet. Put aside the “nope” pile for donation, and decide there and then whether the “maybe” pile is worth it.

Now is when the sorting out begins.

Minimizing Your Wardrobe the Right Way

With the “maybe” and “nope” piles out of the way, here’s where you start to get into the tricky part of deciding on your wardrobe.

Even with everything you love, you must create a rhythm in your style, a visual on how you want to portray yourself through your clothing.

Defining Your Style

There’s a difference between de-cluttering your wardrobe and minimizing it. Per your style, you’ll want to create a sense of expression through your clothing, makeup, and accessories.

So, for example, if your style is feminine and practical, you can keep the formal jacket or suit coat for the formal evenings. However, a glitter-spangled dress will not go with your general style, no matter how much you like the dress.

So, here’s what you do. Categorize your wardrobe into three sections: casual, formal, and party.

Separate your clothing into these three categories, and try to create a sense of style throughout. Think of it as pining things on a Pinterest board. Jewelry, bags, shoes, headwear—whatever you have, work it with various outfits and separate them by style, so you can pick each piece up whenever needed.

The goal here is to identify patterns within your wardrobe. Do you like a specific silhouette or styling choices? Is a fabric more to your taste, or perhaps a quirky element? Once you know what your favorite things are, you’ll be able to organize your wardrobe the way you like it.

Think Twice About Your Wardrobe Mistakes

You have four formal shirts, each of which is one shade darker than the next, all blue. Do you need four shirts from the same color family?

Clone clothing is one of the most boring items you can have in your wardrobe. Style and fashion, even for a minimalist wardrobe, involve experimenting with your style. Pick out the most favorite two colors you have, and donate the rest. While you may think it is practical to have similar clothing or similar styles, it’s just lazy thinking.

But that’s not all! Another thing that many minimalists hate is super-comfy clothing that’s gone past its sell-by date. Over-washed, wrung-out t-shirts, baggy pants, clothes with permanent stains, worn-out sweatshirts—yes, these may seem great for sleeping. But is this the sort of clothing you want representing you?

You’ll find plenty of fabulous clothes and pajamas for a reasonable price, so why not indulge yourself with the right clothes instead of what’s leftover? Loungewear is in another league now. And as much as you want those supposedly cozy clothes, they’ll only translate as grubby and grungy.

Design a Creative Capsule Wardrobe

You have a small selection of clothes, much smaller than you anticipated. But it’s everything you love, so you know you’ll look great, no matter what you wear.

So, experiment with your capsule wardrobe. Minimalism does not ask for a pastel, basic-colored wardrobe, so don’t push yourself. Instead, be creative with different colors and mix and match. Play with pops of color, styling techniques, and different silhouettes. Create a Pinterest board with clothing that matches what you have, and check how those outfits are paired.

Try on the different ensembles at home before wearing them out. With experimenting comes a lot of trouble-shooting. You’ll want to be sure that what you have suited your mood and nature. If need be, use something from the “party” section to add a little oomph to the look.

You never know; a wallet or a sleek formal jacket may just complete your work outfit.

Keep the Good Quality Clothes in the Front

Quality matters, especially if you have to wear an exceptional ensemble in front of other people.

When choosing clothes for a formal event or work, always keep the high-quality, premium stitching ensembles at the front. A minimalist wardrobe already does not ask for too much. But, if you have a few things that mix and match well, stick to them and add only one luxury item or pop of color to offset the formal tone of your outfit.

While the cheaper stuff works fine if you’re lounging about at home, always keep the good-quality items for special occasions. Please don’t wear them at home because I don’t go out anyways. You never know when an opportunity may present itself where you need to be dressed to the nines.

Minimize Your Accessories Collection

You’ll find plenty of grid boards online on which you can hang your jewelry. Use them. Hang your earrings, necklaces, and all your jewelry on it, the purge it of those pieces you no longer wear.

Your overall attire includes jewelry, shoes, and other accessories. Do not skip this critical step. As stated before, pair your jewelry with different clothing, and add it to the grid as a set. You’ll have an easier time searching for the one you need.

Throw away any footwear that’s falling at the seams or is scuffed. And replace any essential footwear that’s past its prime. Invest in your overall look.

Final Thoughts

Minimalism gives you a complete wardrobe without having you worry about what to wear every day.

Follow the rules correctly, and you’ll have no problem creating a minimalist wardrobe that’ll match your expectations without busting out of your closet!

Sustainability. It has been used quite a lot in recent times, but what does it mean exactly? What is sustainable fashion? What are sustainable fabrics? How can you, an average consumer of fashion, make a difference to the planet? Keep reading to find out more.

Introduction

Sustainability means being able to avoid using more resources than one needs to. In simpler and more understandable terms, it refers to meeting one’s own needs without making it impossible for future generations to meet theirs. 

Being sustainable is very important during a time like this when we are all painfully aware of the consequences of every major industry on the planet and its natural resources. One such industry is the fashion industry that contributes to a large amount of pollution and environmental damage to the earth. 

Sustainable fashion includes but is not limited to using innovative sustainable fabrics that we will talk about in this article.

What is Sustainable Fashion? 

Sustainable fashion is a movement that encompasses activities and processes that aim to slow down the cycle of fashion which, by effect, provides all stakeholders involved in the industry with better options for themselves.

Sustainability in fashion aims to change by redirecting existing systems towards greater social justice and ecological and environmental integrity.

We need sustainable practices in the fashion industry primarily because of fast fashion and its harmful effects on the environment. What is fast fashion anyways?

Fast fashion refers to the high-profit business model that most fashion houses use to gain maximum profits with minimum costs. This business trend mainly includes the replication of catwalk styles at breakneck speeds and mass production rates, making it inexpensive and profitable to companies. 

Cheap, low-quality materials like synthetics are used in producing these garments.

Manufacturing cheap, low-quality garments at low costs comes at a hefty price. The environmental damage done to the planet to mass-produce garments for fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara is high and irreversible in the long run. There are also many other harmful consequences like a rise in the number of low-paid, ill-treated workers in sweatshops for these brands. 

To counter the effects of years of fast fashion, we need a system in place that can keep a check on companies while providing consumers with healthy, high-quality alternatives to fast fashion garments. This is where sustainable fashion or slow fashion enters the scene.

What are Sustainable Fabrics

So how do we start consuming fashion more ethically and sustainably? One way to start is by making sure that you shop at ethical brands and do more research into the materials used in making the clothes and accessories you wear. 

How were the materials sourced? What kind of effects does its production leave on the environment? What are the most sustainable fabrics for clothes, and what are the least sustainable ones?

Sustainable fabrics are those materials, natural and/or human-made, that impact the environment in the least harmful ways possible and are ethically and responsibly sourced no matter where they come from. 

Plant-based fabrics

With low-environmental impact

These fabrics come from plants, and they can be categorized as sustainable fabrics only if they are responsibly planted and sourced. For example, commercial or conventional cotton cannot be called “sustainable” because of the amount of environmental damage that comes from producing it.

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is cotton that doesn’t use pesticides or other chemicals to grow. The crop also uses less water and energy to produce compared to its non-organic counterpart. There are multiple certifications used to inform customers that a garment is made of organic cotton and not conventional cotton.

Organic-Linen

Coming from the flax plant, linen is a fiber that takes a long time to grow and be made into fabric. When it finally reaches that point, it is woven into garments that are soft and gentle on your skin. Organic linen doesn’t require as much water or fertilizer compared to a crop like cotton. The fabric is durable, comfortable, and has maximum breathability.

Organic Hemp

Hemp is one of the most environment-friendly fabrics to be produced. It has a soft and supple feel on the skin when woven into garments, especially when mixed with different kinds of cotton and other materials. Organic hemp doesn’t need a lot of water to grow and is very good for the soil. This is what makes the fiber eco-friendly and sustainable.

Natural Rubber

From the Levea tree’s milk, this natural rubber is an excellent replacement for the synthetic rubbers we use in our garments and fashion accessories. Our shoes’ soles use rubber for flexibility and strength, both offered by the natural fiber, ensuring recyclability and increases in rubber trees’ growth.

Ramie

Ramie, or stinging nettle fibers, is a natural fiber used to make breathable and long-lasting clothes. This fiber is a sustainable alternative to inexpensive and strong synthetics like acrylics and polyesters. Fibers and yarns from nettles produce delicate and smooth fabrics that can be worn in versatile ways.

Animal-based fabrics

Sustainability depends on the source.

Animal-based fabrics are usually considered harmful to the environment due to the way they source the materials. In the following paragraphs, I’ll be talking about ethically and responsibly sourced animal-based fabrics that are not damaging to the planet.

Sustainable Wool

Conventional wool is sourced in the most unethical ways. This is why there is a lot of interest placed in factories and companies that source and use wool procured locally and responsibly. Certified organic wool doesn’t make the use of pesticides or other chemicals and also comes from systems that follow ethical practices in the care of their livestock.  

Responsible Cashmere

Fine fibers that provide warmth and comfort are rare to find. Cashmere is one such luxurious fiber that comes from the Mongolian mountain goats. However, the conditions of the goats and their herders have directed scrutiny towards the industry, which is why there are ethical and sustainably sourced cashmere options, including recycled cashmere, that isn’t as harmful to the environment as the former.

Responsible Down

Down is a soft and silky fiber from ducks and geese feathers, which is why it has been associated with inhumane and unethical practices. The comfortable fabric, primarily used in bedding, has standards to check where the fibers are sourced from and if they are done so sustainably.

Responsible Silk

The main reasons for conventionally-produced silk being categorized as an unethical fiber is because of the unhealthy and toxic culture that sericulture workers are a part of and the high number of silkworm deaths during the material procurement. There are also human-made and sustainable options like Peace Silk, Ahimsa Silk, and Cupro.

Semi-synthetic fabrics

Mostly vegan, futuristic, and innovative.

These innovative semi-synthetic fabrics consist of human-made and natural elements forming to combine a sustainably produced material that can last long and withstand wear-and-tear.

Lyocell – TENCEL

Austrian producer Lenzing has given lyocell the trademark name TENCEL which is a hard-wearing fabric produced from the pulp of eucalyptus trees that doesn’t use much water or pesticides to grow. As a by-product of the tree that is mainly used for its medicinal properties, lyocell is sustainable and produces less waste while also being anti-bacterial and absorbent.

Modal

Like lyocell, modal is another tree-based artificial fabric. It is breathable and soft, maybe even more than lyocell, as it comes from the pulp of beech trees. It uses minimal resources and produces low waste during manufacture. Various standards are used to identify innovative fibers like modal that customers need to keep their eyes peeled for.

Fruit fibers – Piñatex, Orange Fiber, Apple Eco Leather

Entering the fashion industry as a cruelty-free replacement for leather, Piñatex is a by-product of the fruit pineapple that would go to waste if it weren’t for the ingenious idea of producing fabric from it. Other fruit-based fabrics that are biodegradable and used as replacements for leather include Orange Fiber and Apple Leather.

Ecovero – Sustainable Viscose

Like modal and lyocell, Lenzing is also responsible for the production of Ecovero, a sustainable version of synthetic fiber. The production of Ecovero emits half the emissions that conventional viscose does while also using little water. The closed-loop processes used in producing these fibers also ensures maximum efficiency and sustainability. 

QMilk

As the name suggests, QMilk is derived from a milk protein known as “casein,” a by-product of the dairy industry. Whenever fibers are produced from elements that would typically go to waste during the production of the parent products, resources are saved, making these fibers sustainable and eco-friendly. The fabric is velvety smooth, and natural.

Recycled fabrics

The last category of sustainable fabrics includes recycled and remodeled fabrics that do not fill landfills and pollute the planet. The production of recycled fabrics releases lesser emissions and uses lesser resources which is why they are sustainable.

Econyl® – Recycled Nylon

Nylon, an oil-based fabric, is greatly useful in the fashion industry, especially in swimwear production. It is difficult to avoid using this material entirely, which is where Econyl® proves useful. The production of recycled nylon doesn’t require as much energy or water. The fabric is also sustainable because it diverts wastes from getting dumped in landfills. 

rPET – Recycled Polyester

Like recycled nylon, recycled polyester, also known as rPET, redirects wastes from landfills to the fashion industry, where it gets processed to be used in versatile ways. Recycled polyester is mostly used to add stretchability to garments while using fewer resources and generating lower emissions into the atmosphere.

Recycled Wool

Like most recycled materials, recycled wool uses little resources compared to a virgin wool and prevents garments made of the fabric from ending up in landfills. Recycled wool also reduces the pollution of the air, water, and soil that usually are a part of the fabric’s production. 

Recycled Cotton

Cotton can be recycled by using old garments to create new ones. Blending old cotton with new fibers to produce recycled garments helps make them stronger and more durable while using fewer resources. Recycled cotton is a sustainable alternative for conventionally-produced cotton that contributes to significant environmental damage.

Recycled Textile

Sometimes, a combination of different fabrics can be utilized to create blend fabrics that are recycled and remodeled into new garments. These garments can be created in more contemporary and more fashionable styles to prevent them from being dumped in landfills and polluting the planet. Recycle, reuse and upcycle are three essential elements of practicing sustainable fashion.

Conclusion

Apart from the fabrics mentioned above, there are many materials and processes that aim to reduce the environmental damage and improve the conditions of workers and other stakeholders involved in garment production. 

The fashion industry is slowly gravitating towards applying these practices but will only succeed at making any real change if consumers let go of unhealthy shopping ways. 

One fool-proof way of making sure that we are headed in the right direction is to always look at your garment’s tag to find out everything that went into creating it. Read your labels and demand transparency from companies. Educate yourself and find out where your fashion comes from. It’s also imperative to tell the difference between companies that fake activism to make profits and those that are 100% transparent with how they source their fabrics.

Support local, independent businesses that are making judicious use of available resources and while practicing sustainability. There are way too many options available now for us to keep making ignorant choices.

There is no future without sustainability.

Minimalism, minimalism, minimalism…

It’s a word that seems to be dominating quite a lot of aspects of the contemporary lifestyle. From spaces to décor and everything in-between, this ideology has carved itself a little permanent niche and is now slowly but surely spreading its roots all around.

Now, minimalism in the fashion industry may seem like a new concept, but many people have been practicing it for a while now. The movement only now garnered traction because this concept has finally found a firm footing in the world.

So, what exactly is minimalist fashion?

What do you imagine when you hear this phrase?

Is it monochrome wardrobes that feature clothes with no style or taste whatsoever? Is it those shapeless, baggy dresses that look like sacks? Or is it something else entirely?

Well, this one’s a definite checkmark on the third option because, despite its popularity, very few people are actually well-acquainted with what minimalist fashion entails. If you’re one of them, then here’s a definitive guide to what it is and what you can get from it, but first, let’s look at…

What Is Minimalism?

The core concept of it all, minimalism, is where one removes all distractions and excesses from their lives and gives value to what they truly need. It applies to all facets of life, be it art, architecture, or lifestyle. It’s a movement that came about in the late 1960s and has slowly but surely filtered through to contemporary times.

These days, people practice minimalism to curate more contentment in their lives. By driving away all unnecessary things, they can declutter their minds, hearts, and spaces. At the end of the day, minimalism is about control. The fewer things you have, the less clutter it’s going to create in your life. As a result, you’ll be able to feel more relaxed, unencumbered, and free. 

A Guide to Minimalist Fashion

The main thing to know about minimalist fashion is that it is both qualitative and quantitative. Yes, it refers to a certain kind of aesthetic, and yes, it also means owning fewer clothes.

But first, here are a few facts: studies show that an average person only ever wears around 20% of their wardrobe, which means that the rest of it is destined to sit in the back of the closet, collecting dust until you find an occasion to break a few of those things out. Does it sound feasible? Surely, not. This is why adapting to minimalist fashion is now becoming such a blown-up trend.

Now, let’s look at the “aesthetic” part of this puzzle. The clothes that are usually labeled minimalist have a distinctly neutral palette. They typically do not come in bright, popping colors, but if that’s your lifestyle choice, then you can also go for it. These clothes do not have a large visual presence; they generally do not feature bold patterns. They have a minimal amount of texture, but mostly none. Overall, they are classy, refined, understated, and debonair. 

The “approach” aspect of this concept is about owning just as much as you need. Yes, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to possess hundreds of clothes to walk through your everyday life confidently. Just having a few key pieces that you can mix and match to create unique styles will do just fine. This is how you apply minimalism to your wardrobe.

Mostly, minimalist fashion in everyday life is all about the approach. Here, it’s the intention that counts. The idea is to curate the kind of wardrobe that is qualitative and useful enough to be as long-lasting as possible.

Why Should You Go For A Minimalist Wardrobe?

These days, we have so many clothing brands out there. Fast fashion has made styling so approachable and affordable that you can’t help but buy the latest, most generous of the season despite trying to control yourself.

This leads to a fully packed wardrobe, where you’ve also got last season’s clothes that are now collecting dust. So now, when you open your closet and take a look, you feel super overwhelmed and are plagued with decision-fatigue. This ultimately leads to the “I-don’t-have-anything-to-wear” syndrome, which is basically a culmination of your worries that you won’t be able to make the best choice. See? It’s all psychological – it’s your brain being confused because it has too many options to pick from.

This is where minimalist fashion comes in to save the day. It allows you to create a small but impactful wardrobe that only consists of things you love. The fewer choices also make it easy for your mind to pick out the best outfit for the day without succumbing to the paradox of choice. You just open the closet and easily pick out the best clothes for you.

How To Achieve A Minimalist Wardrobe?

So now that you a basic idea of what minimalist fashion actually entails, you must be wondering how you should ease into it. Here’s a small guide:

Decluttering Your Existing Wardrobe

So, this is the hardest part. Once you open your closet and look through all those clothes, you’ll automatically feel inclined to keep all of them. Your mind will categorize them as things that will come in handy in the future, but don’t be fooled. You’ll need to stick to your will power with everything you’ve got and begin the decluttering process with gusto. 

How do you do that?

With a little help from your instinct, and…

Organizing Into Piles

Here’s where you actually start. You’ll have to sort out all your clothes into a ‘love,’ ‘nope,’ ‘meh,’ and ‘seasonal‘ piles. The first one will consist of things you just absolutely cannot do without, and these clothes will be pretty easy to spot.

The ‘nope’ pile is where you stack clothes that you never wear. The ‘meh’ pile is where everything that feels like something between love and nope. This one is tricky because these items are really, really hard to spot. They’ll tug on your heartstrings, so you’ll need to stand firm. Another characteristic of the ‘meh’ pile may be that it comprises of items that used to be totally beloved, but have since shrunk, become ill-fitting, have gotten shabby, or even have missing parts such as zippers. Even if you feel compelled to keep them despite everything, hold yourself back and put them in the ‘meh’ pile to sort out later.

Lastly, you have the ‘seasonal’ pile, and it comprises clothes that you sort by the climatic conditions of where you live. It depends on what season it is when you’re decluttering. 

If it’s summer, then you’ll need to take out all the winter things and put them away for when the cold actually hits. Similarly, if you’re sorting through your wardrobe when it’s freezing outside, then take out all the wispy and summer-oriented clothes and put them at the back of your closet for when it’s full-on bikini season.

Begin The Sorting

So, this is where the dilemma begins. When you’ve hung the clothes you love and boxed the seasonal items; you now have the ‘nope‘ and ‘meh‘ piles to go through. You’ll need to pay a lot of attention to details here.

Look closely through your ‘meh’ pile and compare the clothes to what you’ve put in the ‘nope’ pile. It could be things that have gone out of style, clothes whose cut doesn’t suit you, fabric that has gone bad, or something else entirely. 

You can also apply the ‘Marie Kondo Method’ here, where you carefully and sentimentally observe each clothing item. If it brings you joy, keep it. If it doesn’t, say ‘thank you’ and add it to the ‘nope’ pile.

It might take a while, but you’re going to feel so much lighter at the end of it.

The Final Step

Once you’ve completed your ‘nope’ pile and sorted out the maybes in the ‘meh’ pile, it’s time to decide how to proceed.

All the clothes that are in good condition can be donated to your preferred organization. If you have clothes that you really like in here that can be fixed or altered, then take them out. You can even sell some non-beloved items through a yard sale.

Owning Minimalist Fashion Like A Pro

Whenever you’re changing your wardrobe style, you first need to figure out what exactly you can carry. You might like a type of clothing that doesn’t suit your body type, so it’s essential to figure out precisely what complements you before venturing into the wild.

As far as minimalist fashion is concerned, you can own it by defining your style. Just start by looking at images of things you like – maybe even creating a Pinterest board. Search for items that you think might express your personality. The idea is to create a mood board of all the things that you like.

Ultimately, compare your ideal choice of style to what you’ve saved up after decluttering. You’ll definitely find things that match what you want. You can mix and match all your pieces to create the look that you desire.

Pro tip: defining your color choice is really important when creating a minimalist wardrobe. If you’ve curated a crop of neutrals, then it’ll be super easy to pair them with one another as all neutral colors complement each other. On the other hand, if you’re working with bright or accent colors, you’ll need to have a keen eye for mix and match to keep things as stylish as possible.

Fast Fashion vs. Slow Fashion

There are many definitions of fast-fashion, but the essence of this concept is fashion inspired by the latest trends on runways and is very readily available in high-street stores. 

These clothes are cheap, go out of style as soon as the next trend takes off, and are quite an easy temptation to fall into if you’re someone who doesn’t have a timeless enough wardrobe. 

Fast fashion is the antithesis of everything that minimalism stands for. It not only contributes to more waste in the landfills but its keen awareness also banks on low quality. These clothes are not sustainable and even fall victim to trend replication when there are no new ideas.

Some of the trendsetters in fast-fashion include Zara, H&M, Forever 21, etc. whose merchandise supply never runs out and has bi-weekly deliveries.

Fast-fashion is all about urgency – the need to keep everything moving at a rate that doesn’t allow consumers to think. You ju~st throw beautiful and semi-stylish clothes at them, make everyone believe that they absolutely need them, and voila! 

However, that’s just the consumer end consequence of fast-fashion. There’s also the backend, which relates to cheap labor that is churning out millions of clothes a day while being paid well below the minimum wage, regularly exposed to harmful substances during the manufacturing process, and often suffering through a lack of resources. There’s also the lack of quality control, which means that the clothes you’re purchasing do not meet the standards of what they actually should be like.

Then there are the environmental and sustainability impacts of this industry, where companies are using harmful materials such as synthetic dyes, toxic chemicals, etc. in their clothes manufacturing process. Where does it all go? How do they waste it? Well, it actually seeps into the local water supply, is released in the air, and even trickles out of the clothes when you wash them at home.

The ugly truth of fast fashion is a sad story with a happy façade. It’s terrifying, and people definitely need to be more aware of it.

Now, let’s focus on slow fashion…

It’s a movement that has been launched to level out the effects of fast fashion. It takes all the things that are wrong on the other side and tries to counteract them.

For example, slow fashion promotes mindful manufacturing that takes away all the harmful chemicals and materials and unfair labor rights. Slow fashion also promotes the careful use of materials. They’re always qualitative, long-lasting, and crafted to endure through all times.

Slow fashion is what you should be practicing when you want to convert to a minimalist style. This way, you’ll automatically start buying fewer clothes and curate from trustworthy brands that do not harm their labor, the environment, or any other aspect of life in the name of fashion.

How To Practice Minimalist Fashion

Lastly, let’s understand how you can make minimalist style a permanent part of your life. There are many ways to do so, and here are just a few:

Go For A Capsule Wardrobe

This is where you curate a set amount of clothes that you absolutely love for a season. Then at the end of it, do the same for another season – granted that the clothes are high-quality, extremely versatile, and responsibly manufactured. Some people go for ten well-made outfits, but some go for more (some even for less). This helps you create an up-to-date wardrobe that can be mixed and matched and doesn’t clutter your closet.

Formulize Your Best Clothing Pieces

Sometimes, you can also suffer through decision fatigue when you have fewer-than-normal choices. It can be overwhelming to create new and improved clothing combinations with just the basics. This is where you can formulize what you’ve got. Go with classics, like jeans and tee-shirts, button-down blouses and skirts, etc. Just keep things as simple and sweet as possible.

The Rules Of Buying

The most important aspect of adhering to minimalist fashion is keeping yourself from buying more clothes. How do you do that when there’s literally a new line being introduced in the most popular retail stores every other week? By setting up some parameters!

The very first question you should ask yourself while considering a new purchase is, “do I really need it?” The answer should be unemotional, but if you’ve got your heart set on something, define your parameters by physical aspects like fabric type, manufacturing reliability, quality, the cut, etc.

So, this is everything that you need to know about minimalist fashion and all that it entails. We hope it helps you simplify your wardrobe and shop responsibly next time!