How To Be A Minimalist And Still Love Fashion

I do love fashion. For me, it is not about clothes, it is all about patterns. I can get lost in a beautiful fabric store. I love prints and colors and textiles. When I was in college I lived next to a fabric store and I would stop in to look at all the pretty patterns. I once bought fabric to make a baby quilt for my newborn nephew, without even knowing how to make a quilt, simply because I fell in the love the fabric. To me, textiles are an art. Which makes it so hard for me to be a good minimalist, especially now that Spring is here and all the new colors and styles are brightening the stores and my virtual world. I do not have a “uniform” when it comes to my style, I dress simply based on my mood and where I am going. 

Recently I have been on a spending ban, but with the honeymoon on the horizon, I have given myself plenty of freedom (and excuses) to shop, perhaps a little too much. I am just so excited for the big trip and I cannot stop myself from daydreaming about how I will feel and what I will see (and be like) while I am there. A new linen dress for Provence, a red dress for Venice, and a new scarf to wear at the Vatican in Rome. Clothes help you define who you are and they also capture the way you feel about yourself. 

So how does a minimalist (or semi-minimalist) who adores fashion, keep on track? 

For starters, appreciate what you already have. If you bought an item and brought it home, you must have loved it when you first wore it. If it is still in good shape, still fits well, and just as lovely as when you got it, wear it and continue to love it. Appreciation and gratitude are the best cures for a case of the gimmies. 

When you do buy something new, invest in higher quality items that will last through hundreds of wears and even more trends. Think timeless. 

Before buying anything new I ask myself: Do I need this item? Do I really love this item? Is it versatile? Will I wear it over and over and over again? Will it last at least a few years of love and wear? 

Invest in a well rounded wardrobe: clothing for all seasons and temperatures depending on where you live. You will want to have all the basics you need for work, school, play, and formal events to keep yourself from feeling tempted to shop. Many minimalists keep to a certain color palette, but if you find that your shopping weakness is due to a certain lack of color, make sure you have an item in each color you love so that you do not feel the need to shop more to fill a “void” in your closet.

The one in one out rule is one of my personal favorites to help me maintain my closet. If you want to bring something new home, you must have room for it. The best way to keep on top of clutter is to attack it before it even happens. If you bring something new home, donate something you no longer wear. If you cannot bear to part with an item you already own, perhaps you do not need to own this new item to begin with. 

Consider a capsule wardrobe: a select number of pieces chosen for a certain amount of time or a season. Store away other clothing and accessories to keep the clutter at bay and your choices less overwhelming. As the seasons and events change, alternate your wardrobe. This has the added benefit of making your older clothing feel new again every time you pull it out. 

Give yourself permission sometimes. If you find yourself really loving a trendy item, if you feel that you will truly wear the item often, then its ok to try something new. No matter how timeless you try to be, clothing does go out of style, so don’t be afraid to wear something inspiring for the fear that in a few years it will be “out of season.” When Spring is finally here, I have found this to be my weakest point for fashion shopping. The new colors are out, I am excited for warmer weather, and my favorite pastel colors are everywhere. It is ok to update your wardrobe from time to time. People grow, change, and evolve and it is perfectly fine if your style does too. To set yourself up for a minimal wardrobe upgrade, give yourself limits and a budget. Stick to it. 

Limit your exposure to stores. The more you go to the stores, the more you buy. Stick to an annual or bi-annual shopping schedule to pick up items as needed, rather than as desired. That means shopping at the regular grocery store instead of picking up your groceries at Target where your willpower will be tested repeatedly as new items are stocked. This also goes for online browsing. 

And above all, remember that being a minimalist is not about owning as little as possible, but rather making room in your life for the things that bring you value and joy. Donate and unclutter your closet, shop less, but do not feel like you have to own the bare essentials to “get by”. Minimalism is different for everyone. Live and shop in a way that is in your best interests, the best interests of others, and the environment with more sustainable sources. Being a minimalist, or a semi-minimalist does not mean you have to live in monochrome.