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Less is More: A Minimalist Wardrobe Guide

June 24 2020

Whether it’s a pair of jeans that don’t quite fit well or a neon orange top that you got in the discount section, everyone has something in their closet that screams regret. It’s not your fault, this is a common symptom of the fast fashion industry. Fast fashion brands have trained us to believe that more clothes will make us more fashionable, popular and happier. However, that could not be farther from the truth.

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Although we now consume 60% more clothes now compared to the year 2000, we use these clothes half as long. Every year, 85% of textiles go to waste. That’s equal to filling up the Sydney Harbour annually. Good news though - this problem has an easy solution: consume less clothes through a minimalist wardrobe.

Minimalism encourages us to think about the things we love, instead of things we just like. With less things, that also means more free storage space, less time wasted in the morning thinking about what to wear and more importantly, less money and resources wasted!

Not sure where to start? Here’s a few tips to help with just that:

Be practical

To start, reflect on what we love compared to what we just like. We have to ask ourselves what are the pieces of clothing we tend to wear, what types of weather do we live in, what do we usually do? For example, if you live in the tropics where it’s hot the entire year, there’s no point in owning 20 different sweaters. However, even if you don’t find yourself wearing a particular piece all that often but it’s meaningful to you, then keep it! The only rule here is that you enjoy wearing everything in your closet.

You know you.

It’s likely we already know what colors we tend to prefer and what our personal style is. We know what looks good on us, makes us feel confident or comfortable and what doesn’t. Having less colors or unnecessary items means we don’t have to think too much about matching clothes. Whether it’s living in athleisure or bold prints, center your closet around these pieces.

Marie Kondo your closet

You’ve probably heard of Marie Kondo, a Japanese organising consultant, famous for her methods of decluttering any objects that “don’t spark joy in your life”. This basically means to go through every single item in your closet, hold them individually and think whether or not this piece of clothing is meaningful or worthwhile to have. Anything that you no longer wear, don’t fit or is similar to another piece that you already have, set it aside.

One. Yes, just one.

As much as possible, accept the idea of owning just one - one coat, one formal dress, one pair of sports shoes, one black belt. This might seem like not enough, but you might be surprised by just having one will suffice for many things. Of course, adapt this and make sure it is reasonable to your lifestyle, occupation or climate.

Quality > quantity, always

Now that we have decreased our closet size, we need to make sure we’re also able to maintain a minimalist wardrobe. A simple way to do this is through investing in only quality clothing items that would last years, even if it costs more. By filling your closet with high quality items that you love, you cut out the desire to add to it! At Loop, we make eco swimsuits with REPREVE recycled PET, these are not only good for the environment, but are also made to last. Shop Loop now!

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Pictured: Stacks Sunseeker Rashie and Stacks Jazmine One Piece

With these tips, we hope you’re able to simplify your wardrobe down to the basics. Even with less, there is still loads of excitement with being able to mix and match different pieces. Also, owning only the clothes you want to wear gives us more time for other areas of our lives. Simplify your life and don’t worry about the things that don’t matter - you’ll be happier for it in the end.