Simplifying the Closet

I am a proud minimalist, and I don’t think it takes a lot of fuss or a huge wallet to try to look your best.  I also love it when others embrace this approach, however, even I was surprised that the NY Times featured an article recently on shoppers that were dressing on a minimalist plan.  They interviewed one woman, on a shopping fast, who chose just 6 pieces of clothing to circulate and combine over the course of a month.  She was quite creative with how she matched the 6 items, and seemed to be quite successful. If anything, the woman featured found it ironic that no one, including her husband, seemed to notice she was wearing the same limited number of items all month.  Although there is no need to limit yourself to 6 items, I am always in favor of trying out strategies to minimize hassle, yet still feeling great.  Here’s what I do most days:

–I stick with classic separates that are flexible — these can be paired flexibly with other items.  My favorite pieces in summer are khaki capri pants and sleeveless shell tops that can be worn alone or under a blazer.  For the office environment, my favorite is a basic black pantsuit that can go with any top and the blazer can be worn separately as can the black pants.

–Avoid hard to maintain clothes — when I was younger, I didn’t realize this and had made some mistaken purchases like skirts with lot of pleats (have you tried ironing pleats) or things made of 100% linen.  I also try to avoid things that are very delicate and need special dry cleaning treatment, as I try to avoid overuse of dry cleaning chemicals.

–I look for clothes that can layer well — similar to the first point, clothes that layer well make them flexible for multiple seasons and weather conditions. This makes them more versatile.

–Learn about accessories — from my travels, I have some nice silk scarves that are great accessories that can make a simple shell dress or sweater look fancy.  I also enjoy collecting hand-crafted jewelry, although I usually forget to put this on before venturing out.

–Have sleeves and hems tailored appropriately – I have odd proportions and typically have to have sleeves hemmed to fit properly. Rather than having them ill fitting, I make sure that clothes, especially business attire, are altered, and that buttons and trims are maintained to keep a nice tailored, professional look.  This is money well spent.

I would love to hear you you maintain a simpler wardrobe.

shared at Works for Me Wednesday and Frugal Friday