https://www.reddit.com/r/minimalism/comments/1j09o58/practical_minimalistic_wandrobe/
created by Reasonable_Monk2129 on 28/02/2025 at 15:02 UTC
12 upvotes, 6 top-level comments (showing 6)
"Hello everyone. I'm still quite inexperienced when it comes to minimalism and I'm facing a problem. I come from a poor family and over the years I've accumulated a lot of clothing. 80% of it was gifted to me by relatives and friends who didn't need the items anymore. Unfortunately, I still have the mentality that I might need these things someday or should keep them for harder times. As a result, my wardrobe is very crowded and I'm losing track of what I have. All this stuff is also weighing on my mind and I feel like I never have peace of mind. Every time I try to declutter, I wonder about the criteria for sorting out clothing. Quality/brand of clothing? Basics? Practicality? I don't want to only wear black, white, and beige, but I also know it doesn't make sense to have clothing in my wardrobe that I can't combine in the end. How have you managed this? How many clothing items do you have? Which clothing items have proven to be useful for you? I would like to do a thorough decluttering once and for all, rather than every year or every few months. Do you find that unrealistic?
Comment by Electronic_Jelly_223 at 28/02/2025 at 16:49 UTC
12 upvotes, 1 direct replies
When i started decluttering my clothing, i took everything out of my closet/drawers and laid it all. and i mean everything. it really makes you take a look at just how much unnecessary clothing you have.
I would count how many items i had of each (ex: skirts, pants, tops, jeans, etc) and thought about how many i wanted to keep of each. I asked myself questions like “when was the last time i wore this? would i buy this again? do i feel confident wearing this? can i style this item multiple ways with what i already have in my wardrobe? am i keeping this out of having buyers remorse?” these questions and having all of your items laid out in front will help a lot.
i even moved some clothing that i “wasn’t sure about” to another room, and then revisited it a month later. 90% of the time, i hadn’t thought about the item or even remembered that i had it.
Try to keep staple pieces that you can dress up or down, and that can last you across many seasons, such as layering items. good luck!
Comment by Quailmix at 28/02/2025 at 18:21 UTC
9 upvotes, 2 direct replies
The r/capsulewardrobe sub is a great place to go looking for advice and inspo.
For your first declutter, I suggest getting rid of these categories specifically:
Comment by kyuuei at 28/02/2025 at 17:24 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Join us in r/declutter and r/capsulewardrobe :)
Comment by Snarm at 01/03/2025 at 01:00 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Your friends/relatives did a nice thing by giving you clothes that they thought you might use. But now those clothes are YOURS and you can do whatever you want with them. If you're not actually wearing them, consider donating them so that someone else might get some use out of them! (PS if someone offers you something you know you will never wear, you're allowed to say "I appreciate the thought, but I just don't have room for that right now." You're not a bad person if you do that.)
Maybe start by doing Project 333[1] - it's a good baby step before doing a major declutter, because you're not actually getting **rid** of anything. You're just getting it out of your immediate vicinity and making room for the stuff you KNOW you genuinely love. You might also try the backward hanger trick[2] to give yourself an idea of what you actually wear and use on a regular basis.
1: https://bemorewithless.com/project-333-challenge/
2: https://www.reddit.com/r/minimalism/comments/1j09o58/practical_minimalistic_wandrobe/
My two biggest criteria for whether I buy something I'm trying on is the fit (if it doesn't fit me perfectly and/or can't be easily tailored, it's an absolute no) and the care/quality (what it's made of, how much of a pain is it to deal with, how long is it going to last). But I also don't just shop for entertainment - if I'm trying on/buying clothes, it's because I need something specific.
Comment by Leading-Confusion536 at 01/03/2025 at 07:57 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I have found that 50-70 pieces is optimal for me in a four season climate. This doesn't include underwear and socks. Quality and materials matter a lot, brand doesn't matter at all. What I LOVE matters, then I don't get bored with them or get the itch to replace, but am happy to wear the pieces over and over and over.
I have a mix of basics like jeans and t-shirts and wool sweaters (they are essentials for me in the cold months) and stuff that is one step up in formality level, button-downs, blazers, blouses, dresses. Most of my clothes are navy, cream, white, black, brown, with some brighter colors to keep it more interesting and provide variety. A lot of blue in my wardrobe, but I also have some bright yellow and red and green. I keep my bottoms on the neutral side, and have colors in the tops and dresses. This makes it super easy to combine the pieces, pretty much any top and any bottom go together.
The sweet spot number for me comes from about 16 years of experience in minimalism. I lived with about 20 pieces for a couple of years after losing everything in a house disaster, and it was just too little for me (especially in 4 season climate). But when my wardrobe starts to grow to over 70 pieces, I find that I don't wear everything and I start to feel overwhelmed.
Comment by robbybox at 02/03/2025 at 07:55 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Try sorting by what you actually wear, not just what might be useful someday.