Minimalism Madness
"Do whatever the hell it takes to make you feel real again." ~ Myke Hutchiings
In early September I stumbled upon a blog and YouTube channel by an Australian woman titled A Small Wardrobe. The videos are dry and quirky, she has a cat named Mr Jeffreys who stars in many of her videos, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching [binging] her minimalism evolution.
Minimalism appealed to me because I felt I had no control over the changes that were coming in my life, but I could control my excess mugs and books and fabric.
I had thinned my wardrobe in May with a heavy hand, so in September there was not a lot left to de-clutter - so I thought. I began using the Wardrobe Diary from the site above, and after 2 weeks of checking off what I wore each day, I could already see a pattern. When I forced myself to wear the neglected clothing, more often than not, I felt awkward or uncomfortable in them.
I had thinned my wardrobe in May with a heavy hand, so in September there was not a lot left to de-clutter - so I thought. I began using the Wardrobe Diary from the site above, and after 2 weeks of checking off what I wore each day, I could already see a pattern. When I forced myself to wear the neglected clothing, more often than not, I felt awkward or uncomfortable in them.
The goal to having a capsule or minimalist wardrobe is to only have clothing in your wardrobe that you love to wear. Everything should make you feel joyful. I know that when I wore my hiking pants I always felt so good, and I miss them. I will be on the search for pants to replace them, but when I do replace them, the pants I purchase will have to make me feel as good as the ones I left behind in Porto.
Ditto for the jacket that I had to let go - I had worn out the lining from years of love. I replaced it with a really cool charcoal menswear coat I found 2nd hand in the summer. It will be fantastic for winter, and I can layer under it when the polar vortex hits.
After my month of following the wardrobe diary and of doing her daily challenges for 28 days, I ended up donating 3 medium sized boxes of clothes. Some areas of my wardrobe are now weak, some are a bit top heavy, but everything works together, and most makes me feel quite joyful.
Ethical shopping plays a bit part in the minimalist. We should not simply discard what we don't want to keep, but should try to sell or give to people we know if possible. Most of what I own has been purchased 2nd hand, so I don't feel badly about donating it back to the source, so to speak. When we purchase new, we should source out ethical clothing manufacturers, like this one out of Toronto. Ethical shopping costs more, which means you are now investing in your wardrobe.
Too rich for my wallet at this time, so for now, I will continue to be a savvy vintage shopper.
Ditto for the jacket that I had to let go - I had worn out the lining from years of love. I replaced it with a really cool charcoal menswear coat I found 2nd hand in the summer. It will be fantastic for winter, and I can layer under it when the polar vortex hits.
After my month of following the wardrobe diary and of doing her daily challenges for 28 days, I ended up donating 3 medium sized boxes of clothes. Some areas of my wardrobe are now weak, some are a bit top heavy, but everything works together, and most makes me feel quite joyful.
Ethical shopping plays a bit part in the minimalist. We should not simply discard what we don't want to keep, but should try to sell or give to people we know if possible. Most of what I own has been purchased 2nd hand, so I don't feel badly about donating it back to the source, so to speak. When we purchase new, we should source out ethical clothing manufacturers, like this one out of Toronto. Ethical shopping costs more, which means you are now investing in your wardrobe.
Too rich for my wallet at this time, so for now, I will continue to be a savvy vintage shopper.
I'm going to check out that website! I'm not a minimalist myself, but I do try to practice the values of voluntary simplicity.
ReplyDeleteI downsized my wardrobe this year as well. It was very cathartic. My winter wardrobe consists of 4 fleece or sweatshirts, three tshirts to wear under them in extremely cold days, one dressy blouse and skirt in case I need them (not worn in the last five years though!), two pair of jeans, two pair of fleece "cords" and one pair of good quality cords for dressier wear. My achillies heel are my vintage coats. One is a London Fog pea coat and the other is a Genuine Hudson Bay coat, and a Cowachin sweater jacket. I don't wear any of them because they are so heavy on my slight frame. The Columbia jacket and boots, both purchased from VV for a pitance, are my go to outer gear. I also own a pair of Birkenstock sandals and the ubiquitous pair of slippers. Socks and under pinnings are in one smallish plastic bin in the bottom of the wardrobe. WHY do people need whole rooms for their wardrobes???
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