Minimalist Wardrobe Tips

Maintaining a small living space and keeping your purchases and belongings in check is one of the best ways to live sustainably (and save money). But once you cut back, how do you keep your closet size in check?? It isn’t always easy, but channeling in on a minimalist wardrobe is FABULOUS for staying in check!

There are so many ways to start living more sustainably – a message I repeat ad nauseum, I’m sure. But it’s so true and so important to remember!!

Minimalist Wardrobe

There are two overarching reasons embracing a minimalist wardrobe is so important. On the one hand, you need (and feel you need) fewer clothes in your closet because you have everything you need and you know how to wear it all.

On the other hand, you aren’t aimlessly buying things to expand your closet because you have what you need and/or know exactly what you’re missing.

And you may not believe it, but having a smaller wardrobe actually means you know your style and you feel as though you always have something to wear!! It seems counterintuitive, but I’m telling you from personal experience, that it’s true!

How to Get a Minimalist Wardrobe

1. Downsize Your Closet
2. Find Your Style
3. Organize Your Wardrobe
4. Maintain Closet Size

Downsize Your Closet

The first step to downsizing is to decide what to donate. You can always move along more than you think – I promise. You can even easily donate and recycle your undergarments!

As you’re picking what to keep and what to move along, focus on what items and outfits you’re very likely to wear and rewear! It’s this part that will help you find your style.

How Many Clothes Should I Have?

Thankfully there isn’t a single number to maintain. I’ve never been a fan of truly capsule wardrobes, limiting you to x number of pieces. I love the idea of embracing the rewear, but otherwise, it feels limiting in a way that’s not long-lasting for maintaining your minimalist wardrobe! Even all my seasonal capsule wardrobe pieces recommend essentials, not a limit!

And all our lives are different depending on what we do for work and fun! A few ways to cut back on clothes, however, is to move along anything you don’t wear at least every season. If you haven’t worn something for more than a year (even two years if you’re new to this), move it along. If you really needed it, you would’ve worn it.

Organize Your Wardrobe

I ended up organizing my wardrobe more and embracing summer and winter clothing storage because our beloved 1925 bungalow house offers 2 small closets. I’ve actually found I really love the process, however.

Because we have 4 seasons here in Sacramento, every spring and fall, I swap out the clothes I won’t be needing for the coming months. And every time I “unpack” the clothes for the upcoming season, it feels like a shopping spree with great clothes – totally free and I already know how to wear everything!

By storing out of season items away and keeping your minimalist wardrobe organized, however, you also get a full view of your wardrobe and what there is to wear each day. I know you probably don’t believe me yet, but fewer clothes really makes getting ready so much easier.

And finally, by being organized, you’re better able to identify the holes in your wardrobe. You can start looking for those perfect pieces to fit your wardrobe’s needs.

Maintain Closet Size

Ok. So you’ve pared down, identified your style, and organized your wardrobe! Now you can focus on (and save up for) buying quality clothes and buying from more sustainable and fair trade brands!

But. BUT. BUT!!! With time, if you’re still buying new items, then your wardrobe will start to get bigger and bigger.

While quality, long-lasting clothes from sustainable brands is great, you’ll soon be back where you started – with an overstuffed closet and that feeling of having nothing to wear.

This is when the one in, one out closet method comes into play.

If you’ve truly gotten to a point where you feel you have pretty much everything you need, then there’s no need for a higher number of items, right?

So when you add something to your closet, welcome it into your wardrobe, but before you do it, you need to move something else along. Hence the one in, one out…

The one in, one out closet method is a hard practice to start at the beginning, I know. It ends up being a great practice, however, in not only helping you limit what you buy (because you know something will have to go) but also in keeping your closet size in check!!

And you’ll want to read these tips for doing a clothes spending freeze – a lot of crossover here between saving money and living more sustainably!

Check out these must-have summer capsule wardrobe, these fall capsule wardrobe essentials, my winter capsule wardrobe basics, and the necessary spring capsule wardrobe basics..

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Soo more sustainable fashion outfit ideas on Instagram!