Your overflowing closet isn’t giving you more options. It’s actually limiting you. Transition to a minimalist wardrobe for maximum efficiency.
(excerpt from Abide: Self-Care for the Busy Mom)
Have you ever noticed Mark Zuckerburg wears the same outfit in most pictures of him? So did Steve Jobs. Like other busy people in creative fields, they realized getting dressed each day was taking more mental power than they wanted to exert. So they adopted a uniform. They wear the same basic outfit each day. Mark even shares pictures of his closet full of nothing but black shirts! You may not want to start wearing a uniform, but a minimalistic wardrobe might work for you like it works for me!
Getting dressed each morning was getting stressful, especially on Sundays. By the time we left for church, the reject pile covered my bed. So much of what I tried on didn’t fit right or feel right.
So I applied the Kondo method to my clothes too. I got rid of everything I didn’t love to wear. If I never liked the style, if I had a hard time matching it with anything else in my closet, and if it didn’t fit anymore, it went in the giveaway pile. I even donated most of my t-shirts, deciding only to keep the ones I really love. In our new house I have the biggest closet I’ve ever had and way fewer clothes to put in it, but I love wearing each item!
After passing on clothes I didn’t wear anymore, I wanted to invest in pieces that feel more like my style and will last a long time. I sometimes use Stitch Fix, which is a company that shops for you. You fill out a style profile, which helped me decide what my style is. They pick out five items to send you to try on, and you ship back the ones you don’t way, paying for the items you keep (if you ship them all back, you’re charged a processing fee). There are other services similar to Stitch Fix as well.
Deciding on your style is as easy as paying attention to outfits you like that others are wearing. For example, I always love what Joanna Gains wears on Fixer Upper. She seems comfortable and cute. You may like a classic style or a romantic feel to your clothes. I like solid colors but you may love bright patterns.
The season you’re in also determines the outfits you need. When we lived in Pennsylvania, the church we went to was dressier than the church we attend now in Texas. I need fewer dresses and dress slacks. (The weather is a whole lot different too! I don’t need my heavy coats, sweaters, or knee-high boots.) And I work from home as a writer, so I don’t go to an office each day like my husband does. Most days I wear shorts, a t-shirt, and flip flops (yep, even in the winter!). And even though I like wearing bracelets, I don’t like typing with them on, so I’m pretty minimalistic when it comes to accessories too!
If your closet is overflowing with clothes you don’t wear, consider a more minimalist wardrobe. You don’t have to wear black shirts and jeans every day to be comfortable in your clothes and save time in the mornings. A minimalist wardrobe may be the best answer for you.
Abiding step to take today:
Think about your style, what makes you feel comfortable right now. Donate or sell anything that isn’t working.
