How I Simplified My Wardrobe & Where You Should Start
It’s easy to dismiss clothing as trivial, but simplifying my wardrobe was one of the most powerful steps I took on the journey to simplifying my home and life.
It’s not just that wearing an outfit that feels right can make all the difference to how we feel about ourselves. More confidence is only the beginning.
Simplifying my wardrobe also helped me define my personal style, let go of clothing that no longer served me, and step into who I really wanted to be.
The process of decluttering my wardrobe also kickstarted the process of simplifying the rest of my home. The more I experienced the freedom of a simplified wardrobe, the more energised and motivated I was to create breathing room in other areas of my home and life. If you’re looking to kickstart your decluttering journey, streamlining your closet is a great way to give yourself a “quick win.”
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THE MOST COMMON CLOSET CULPRITS
Throughout my career styling homes, I’ve seen countless crowded closets and overstuffed wardrobes. If you’re getting bogged down by your current wardrobe, consider whether any of these statements applies:
You’re holding onto certain articles of clothing “just in case”
You haven’t let go of clothes from a previous chapter of your life, e.g., formal office attire
You’re surrounded by clothes that don’t suit your personal style—or perhaps you aren’t quite sure what your style really is—leading you to keep buying new clothes
You know your closet needs help but you’ve been putting it off until ‘sometime soon’
You’ve tried simplifying before, but you’re back to the same overflowing drawers and shelves
When your closet is filled with clothes that don’t ‘feel’ right, they don’t get worn, but you’re stuck with the clutter. Over time it becomes harder and harder to know what your style is, and you might even stop ‘seeing’ what you own. You gravitate toward clothes that feel safe or comfortable, but these might not actually represent the person you want to be or how you want to live.
This is why simplifying your wardrobe is such a powerful tool—it helps you get to the heart of who you are and how you want to show up.
WHERE TO START WHEN SIMPLIFYING YOUR WARDROBE
The first step I took when simplifying my clothing was limiting my colour palette. When you limit yourself to a smaller range of colours, you can automatically eliminate so many choices from your closet, which will make your daily life easier.
Constraining your wardrobe to a few main colours also makes shopping easier. Everything goes with everything, and you have fewer decisions to make. Barack Obama and Steve Jobs are famous examples of wearing the same style of clothes every day to simplify daily decision-making.
You likely already have a sense of which colours you enjoy wearing. Not sure? Lay out the 3 to 5 outfits you wear most often and you’ll have your answer.
WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED?
As you work with your new, focused palette, challenge yourself to edit your wardrobe down to the essentials. This will vary slightly depending on your climate, and you don’t have to limit yourself to an exact magic number of pieces, but in general your simplified wardrobe should meet the following guidelines:
Each piece makes sense for your current phase of life and is in regular rotation
It’s easy to “shop your closet” and create outfits from what you already own
Your clothes make you feel your best — regardless of what is trending or what you think looks good on other people
Everything fits within the allotted space, apart from perhaps one storage box of seasonal gear, depending on where you live
Of course, the less clothing you own, the less space you need in your home, too. It’s important to edit your collections before going to the expense and effort of buying “storage solutions”. You don’t want to pay for extra space that you don’t actually need!
When you free up your space, you create more freedom for yourself and your life.
How will you spend that time, and energy?
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