Happy new year! I know it’s been a bit quiet around here lately, but I took a few weeks off to soak up some quality time with family and friends (something which I feel very privileged to have been able to have done given that most of the world is still in varying stages of lockdown) and to give myself a bit of space to re-charge. However, I have so many creative ideas for this space and I can’t wait to share some more blog posts with you over the coming months. On that note, early in the new year I caught up with a friend for coffee where the topic of minimalism came up. She told me of the spring (well, summer) clean, that she had embarked upon having been inspired by the Netflix documentary “The Minimalists” and we continued to have a great conversation about what minimalism meant to us.
For me, minimalism is not purely about asceticism, a decluttered house or even the #minimalaesthetic I see trending on Instagram (although I do love scrolling these hashtags and accounts for inspiration). Although these are important aspects of it, for me, minimalism at its core is about letting go of things that don’t add value to my life in one way or another, shedding the layers of things that don’t serve me to make more space for the things that do. I think this can be applied to things, but also experiences and how we spend our short time on this earth (and sometimes, letting go of things can also add value to another’s life as I discovered when I inherited my friend’s Shelley tea cups as a happy outcome of her clean out).
This conversation also made me reflect on how I incorporate the concept of minimalism into my wardrobe. A classic, simple and cohesive wardrobe is definitely something I aspire to, although creating one has been a work in progress (but won’t our wardrobe’s always be?). For me, minimalism is a practice and my wardrobe is something I’m constantly refining. However, below are a few key principles I follow in order to create a more mindful, minimal wardrobe.
It’s all about the mindset
Mindset was the biggest shift I made when transitioning from a wardrobe where I felt I had nothing to wear, to a one wardrobe filled with pieces I genuinely love and which caters to the needs of my lifestyle. I used to feel guilty spending money on clothes, I bought clothes haphazardly because they were “on sale” or without thinking of how they fitted with the rest of my wardrobe, and I used to buy dresses which I would wear once or twice over basic items which actually made up the bulk of my day-to-day outfits. When I made the shift to invest in everyday pieces that were comfortable, I loved and intentionally considered how each purchase would fit within the overall landscape of my wardrobe and life it suddenly became much easier to get dressed in the morning.
Edit regularly
Cliche as it might be, clothes are a canvas upon which we project our identity and image we want to show the world. However, just like personal growth, our wardrobes aren’t stagnant and what we like and feel comfortable wearing evolves and changes – and I think there’s something beautiful about that. I love investing in timeless pieces that I wear for years but the reality is that clothes do eventually reach the end of their lifetime, we are sometimes gifted things or buy things that don’t quite work for us, or our bodies and everyday needs change. I don’t feel that we should keep these pieces “just because”. For me when I edit out the pieces I don’t, for whatever reason, wear, I find it much easier to style and get more use out of the remaining pieces in my wardrobe. I also think that clothes that I don’t wear (if in good condition) are more likely to go to good homes if I re-purpose them earlier as opposed to years down the track.
Capsule collection
It’s no secret that I’m a fan of a capsule wardrobe, a small collection of classic, foundational pieces. Getting the basics right makes it easier to add a few statement pieces now and again. Noting down the basic pieces I’m missing from my wardrobe and slowly building them up over time has been a game changer for creating a streamlined minimal wardrobe and simple, cohesive looks.
Neutral Territory
If most of my wardrobe is based around a neutral colour palette I find it so much easier to style them in different ways without worrying about classic patterns and colours. My rule of thumb is to keep most of my wardrobe (say, around 80 to 90 percent) based around a neutral colour palette and then add a splash of colour for extra interest.
Make sure you love the items you buy
A week or so ago I was walking home from work wearing this dress and I and genuinely got so much joy out of seeing it’s skirt billowing in the wind as that was one of the features I most loved about the design when I bought it. Wearing it made me feel beautiful and made me walk a bit straighter and more confidently. If you’re on the fence about an item, don’t buy it. Wait until you find that item you can’t live without. If it’s a bit more expensive, consider saving up for it or buying it second hand.
Use outfit formulas
There is a reason jeans and a white tee is one for the style ages or jeans, ballet flats and a striped tee epitomes French chic. These are outfit formulas that work over and over again and are made up of pieces that you probably already have in your wardrobe. If you understand some of these basic formulas it will make it easier to style the clothes you already have in a way that is classic and timeless.
Take an intentional approach to "trends"
Although I do prefer classic designs that doesn’t mean that I forgo trends altogether – goodness knows I fell for balloon sleeves hard in 2020. However, like colour or patterns, I try to use them as “accent” pieces and, even though it sounds like an oxymoron, I do look for more “classic versions” of trend pieces (for example this black dress) which I’ll be able to continue to wear even after balloon sleeves make way for the next style.
Learn from the masters
I love finding outfit inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, blogs and magazines. When I do, I analyse the outfit and try to replicate it using pieces from my own wardrobe.
Take some space
I love shopping, but sometimes we can get so caught up in the latest “it” dress or style, that we don’t step back and consider our wardrobes as a whole and what we really need. I find taking a few months off shopping now and again gives me time to genuinely enjoy wearing the pieces that I’ve invested in (after all, isn’t that the whole point of fashion?) and to take inventory of what is and isn’t working within my wardrobe.
Make it your own
At the end of the day we are all unique as is the clothes make us look and feel our best. I say, take all these rules with a pinch of salt and make them work for you.
What are your thoughts on minimalism? Do you have a minimalist wardrobe?
Wearing: Country Road top, (the black version has sold out but here is a similar style), skirt and shoes (similar here).
Photos: Sara Eshu
Martina
So glad I found your lovely blog via becomingminimalist! I adore your feminine style and your interpretation of minimalism which looks classy and elegant to me and not limited or restricted in any way. And I loved your practical ideas in this post.
As to spending months without shopping: I did this last year, starting with the first lockdown. I didn’t want to contribute to the craziness of our world and do online shopping in unsafe times (it didn’t feel right for me that someone has to go out and work in order to fulfill my wishes), so I completely stopped buying clothes. It was a revelation! Some of my pieces are really worn out now which gives me a good understanding what I really like and wear on a regular basis. And I didn’t miss anything! I tried new combinations, for example a knee length jeans skirt with black tights which I usually wore in summer with bare legs.
Very much looking forward to browsing your blog and your beautiful photos. Stay safe!
bridieross
Welcome to this little space Martina and thank you so much for your kind words and for taking the time to write this lovely comment. It means so much to me! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my blog posts and found some of the practical tips helpful. It can really be so helpful to take some space away from shopping can’t it? I loved hearing about your experiencing of pressing pause on shopping for a few months – thank you for sharing! It sounds like it really helped you to shop your closet, discover new clothing combinations and solidify your sense of style based on what you wear regularly. x