Random fashion thoughts - Page 5469  

Minimalism is something I find thought-provoking. Put simply, it’s the idea of lessing secondary and peripheral influences in your life so that you can better focus on the primary aspects, the things you absolutely love. With respect to clothing, I view it as not having more clothing than you
need
. Because of the constraints this adds, I’d also say that it means that
you should aim to love each and every article of clothing you have
.

One thing I think is fairly important to minimalism is that it’s a conscious decision. It’s not something you do solely out of necessity (money) but rather a lifestyle you choose to follow. It’s quite possible some of the clothing you love is the most expensive, maybe due to the history of a product (Nigel Cabourn Cameraman) or the quality (Alden boots) or some other reason. On top of that (Additionally?), it’s often that the more expensive stuff will last longer than something like H&M or American Apparel. While it certainly is possible to have to have a minimalistic wardrobe if you’re not wealthy, I don’t really feel it’s something that should be chosen
simply
due to lack of funds.

Minimalism is something that will be different to each and every person (perception of, definition of?). If you work 8-5 at a job requiring a suit and tie, it makes zero (does not make, would make little)  sense for most of your wardrobe to be tees, jeans and chinos. You’d probably focus more on a few nice suits, dress shirts, and ties, with only a few pairs of casual pants/shorts and tees. Meanwhile, the college student won’t need multiple suits but rather just one for formal occasions but will need many more casual clothes than a suited worker. It’s important to analyze your life and figure out what types of clothing are necessary and important for
you
.

The exact number of garments is something unique as well. Simply put, get what you need and not more. If someone likes doing laundry often, 3-5 tees and a few button shirts might be all they need. For others, they may want 10 tees and a similarly greater number of shirts. If you participate in various sports and activities, you may well need clothes for that too. There’s not a single line with minimalism on one side and a “normal” wardrobe on the other. It’s an individual decision and what one person might consider minimal might be excessive to another.
It’s not a contest.
Everyone will have their own opinions and needs.

With minimalism, it’s important to keep versatility in mind. While with a large wardrobe it’s easy to have fun, super exotic pieces that really stand out in certain outfits, it’s a lot harder to have something like that because of how much it takes away from your options. Picking a color scheme and trying to stay with it will aid in versatility greatly. Earth tones are a great example. Colors like navy, white, grey, tan, brown, cream, burgundy, and olive work excellently together, to the point that you can pretty much pick any pairing of colors and have them match. Another common approach is greyscale, with a selection of white, shades of grey, and black. Errolson Hugh (Acronym, Stone Island Shadow Project) is known for wearing all black entirely. Having a wardrobe consisting of one palette allows for more interchangeability than a wide variety.

It can be difficult to start applying minimalism in your daily life. I think it’s a gradual process, one where you can find a really great shirt that fits perfectly, is super comfortable, and just 100% meant for you, then the next month maybe locate the perfect pair of jeans, etc. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t plan a little bit. Personal style isn’t something that just drops off the table when you decide to pursue a minimal wardrobe. There’s an excellent post
HERE
that goes into a lot of details about establishing your personal style. My advice would be to keep a running collection of pictures you like (and could see yourself wearing) and try and realize why you like them; that’s where you should aim. Keeping a running list of items you’d like to have (or improve, if you’ve already got something) can also come in handy when shopping, to help narrow down options.

There are also several wardrobe ideas that are similar to minimalism that you might be able to use, either as an alternative to a minimalist wardrobe or as an aid to a minimalist wardrobe: the French wardrobe and the capsule wardrobe. The French wardrobe revolves around planning ahead; to quote /u/Schiaparelli,

“
The French wardrobe philosophy to building and curating your wardrobe revolves around having a core of solid basics and expanding your wardrobe by buying
five pieces a season
”.

Rather than buying whatever strikes your fancy, you purposefully limit yourselves to 5 pieces (basics don’t count) per season. You must decide what you need most and find it, usually a high quality version. This allows for a more careful transformation of your wardrobe, one that is usually more deliberately chosen.

The capsule wardrobe is about having a small set of items that express your style and are able to be remixed with one another and other items not in the “capsule”. Plan out a small wardrobe of 20-30 pieces (shirts, pants, shorts, jackets, shoes, everything but underwear and socks) that centers around a uniform style that you love. Then keep track of it, replacing old and adding completely new items. Think of it as having a minimal wardrobe but also having other stuff that you can add into it, while still maintaining a small, versatile core. If you were to go on a monthlong vacation and could bring one suitcase, your capsule wardrobe should be the perfect choice.

TL;DR
Don’t get more clothes than you need, make sure you love everything you’ve got, and try to stick to one color palette.