The minimalist wardrobe : Support/progress thread

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Here we go, BEFORE AND AFTER! New vertical organizer and wooden hangers! I love the hangers, they look fantastic and so much neater than the mishmash of plastic hangers I had. In the last pic to the right is my winter jacket and a few work out tops only. I'll eventually put the workout stuff in my dresser.

BEFORE
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AFTER
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So neat!!! Great job, like totally simplified the style and color palette of clothes and also shows what a difference with wooden hangers
 
So neat!!! Great job, like totally simplified the style and color palette of clothes and also shows what a difference with wooden hangers

Yes, I got rid of quite a few tops with colorful prints or florals. Only kept one pretty, floral top (for instances when I need to be fancy). I read a book called "The Curated Closet" (which I highly recommend!!) and it went over choosing your color palettes and such, and I decided I wanted my main colors to be black and white, with spatterings of gray and an occasional colored top. I own about five graphic tees as well, which I'd like to reduce to just one or two. Still a little ways to go! Thanks for the comments! :D
 
Yes, I got rid of quite a few tops with colorful prints or florals. Only kept one pretty, floral top (for instances when I need to be fancy). I read a book called "The Curated Closet" (which I highly recommend!!) and it went over choosing your color palettes and such, and I decided I wanted my main colors to be black and white, with spatterings of gray and an occasional colored top. I own about five graphic tees as well, which I'd like to reduce to just one or two. Still a little ways to go! Thanks for the comments! :biggrin:

I've also read that book, and liked it. You've made a lot of progress, very quickly.
 
I've also read that book, and liked it. You've made a lot of progress, very quickly.

It was a good read! YEah, I'm not attached to my clothes and luckily only really like a couple of simple styles. It was an easy and quick process for me. I listed the items I owned to figure out what items I still wanted or needed. Figured out I need a winter coat with a hood that is also fully rain repellant. Also a plaid button up to wear as a cardigan and more shoes. I'm going too fine tune some other categories, like my graphic tees and outerwear like pullovers, but other than that my closet is pretty much just how I like it.
 
Here we go, BEFORE AND AFTER! New vertical organizer and wooden hangers! I love the hangers, they look fantastic and so much neater than the mishmash of plastic hangers I had. In the last pic to the right is my winter jacket and a few work out tops only. I'll eventually put the workout stuff in my dresser.

BEFORE
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AFTER
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What an amazing transformation! The hangers make such a difference! I also have all wooden hangers in my closet...I switched out all the hangers about a year ago from heavy duty plastic to natural wooden ones. My closet looks like a boutique now. ;)
 

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What an amazing transformation! The hangers make such a difference! I also have all wooden hangers in my closet...I switched out all the hangers about a year ago from heavy duty plastic to natural wooden ones. My closet looks like a boutique now. ;)

It does look like a boutique! The wooden hangers really elevate the whole closet, especially upgrading from a bunch of mismatched, ugly plastic hangers (as in my case lol).
 
Great thread.:smile:
I am by no means a minimalist - yet.:smile: In fact, over the last few years, I have come to realize that I like more choices in certain fashion and beauty categories such as winter coats, blazers and perfumes. Conversely, in most other fashion and beauty categories, I like to fall back on the same few items and prefer and even need simplicity and streamlined choices.

Once I accepted this seemingly contradictory aspect of my closet, I began to look at what was superfluous in my closet, what I needed to have around me, and what I could live without more easily. Basically, I told myself that just because I like having more options in certain categories doesn't mean I cannot simplify and curate my wardrobe in other areas. And even in the areas where I like to have some variety, there is room for curation.

To begin with, I realized I simply did not need an array of jeans in different washes, rises and styles. I now have four jeans for winter and three for summer - maybe this is still not minimalist but it works for me.

Another area is footwear. I love footwear, but I have realized that I tend to gravitate towards the same few choices, and so this realization helps me keep my footwear closet very streamlined. Since I live in a place with four seasons and very cold winters, the overall footwear closet is still larger than ideal but I think carefully before adding a new pair to make sure it will be used.

Sweaters - especially chunky knits - were overflowing in my closet. I liked the look of them but the chunky ones were too bulky when worn under coats, unless the coats were oversized. So I reluctantly let a lot of them go as I realized that I preferred the thinner knits for layering.

There is a lot of blue in my wardrobe and my pants, skirts and blazers mostly tend to be solids in neutral colors. However, I love to weave a little bit of color and pattern into my wardrobe and usually do that with my tops, more so in summer, and also with my summer dresses.

A simple, uniform style of dressing helps as well. In fall/winter, it's mostly pants or jeans with a top, and a blazer, jacket or coat. When it comes to coats and blazers, most of them are neutral, and the few that are in different colors pair easily with a monochromatic outfit. In summer, I have summer dresses, two to three denim skirts and shorts, and A-line skirts in neutral colors, topped with T-shirts and blouses.

I have a small collection of comfy lounge wear/home wear, which I love. In summer, this often consists of a skirt and a T-shirt or tank top. In winter, it's usually a knit pant/legging with a long sleeve T-shirt.

Well, I had intended for this post to be much shorter but I just kept typing and it kept going, LOL. Ultimately, my wardrobe is still a work in progress, and will probably continue to be so for a while.
 
I am in the process of transitioning all my hangers to wooden ones after seeing some of the pictures in this thread. So I removed many items from my closet and have put back a few items on the wooden hangers I already had, while I wait for my order of wooden hangers to arrive.

So the attached picture is not a comprehensive one. Also, I store my knits, sweaters and other such items in a chest of drawers. Out of season clothes are stored in another closet. Once my hangers have arrived and I have everything organized, I will try to post some more comprehensive closet pictures.
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Great thread.:smile:
I am by no means a minimalist - yet.:smile: In fact, over the last few years, I have come to realize that I like more choices in certain fashion and beauty categories such as winter coats, blazers and perfumes. Conversely, in most other fashion and beauty categories, I like to fall back on the same few items and prefer and even need simplicity and streamlined choices.

Once I accepted this seemingly contradictory aspect of my closet, I began to look at what was superfluous in my closet, what I needed to have around me, and what I could live without more easily. Basically, I told myself that just because I like having more options in certain categories doesn't mean I cannot simplify and curate my wardrobe in other areas. And even in the areas where I like to have some variety, there is room for curation.

To begin with, I realized I simply did not need an array of jeans in different washes, rises and styles. I now have four jeans for winter and three for summer - maybe this is still not minimalist but it works for me.

Another area is footwear. I love footwear, but I have realized that I tend to gravitate towards the same few choices, and so this realization helps me keep my footwear closet very streamlined. Since I live in a place with four seasons and very cold winters, the overall footwear closet is still larger than ideal but I think carefully before adding a new pair to make sure it will be used.

Sweaters - especially chunky knits - were overflowing in my closet. I liked the look of them but the chunky ones were too bulky when worn under coats, unless the coats were oversized. So I reluctantly let a lot of them go as I realized that I preferred the thinner knits for layering.

There is a lot of blue in my wardrobe and my pants, skirts and blazers mostly tend to be solids in neutral colors. However, I love to weave a little bit of color and pattern into my wardrobe and usually do that with my tops, more so in summer, and also with my summer dresses.

A simple, uniform style of dressing helps as well. In fall/winter, it's mostly pants or jeans with a top, and a blazer, jacket or coat. When it comes to coats and blazers, most of them are neutral, and the few that are in different colors pair easily with a monochromatic outfit. In summer, I have summer dresses, two to three denim skirts and shorts, and A-line skirts in neutral colors, topped with T-shirts and blouses.

I have a small collection of comfy lounge wear/home wear, which I love. In summer, this often consists of a skirt and a T-shirt or tank top. In winter, it's usually a knit pant/legging with a long sleeve T-shirt.

Well, I had intended for this post to be much shorter but I just kept typing and it kept going, LOL. Ultimately, my wardrobe is still a work in progress, and will probably continue to be so for a while.

OMG, are you me?!
I am also into coats and blazers and have quite a few more than necessary. Right now I believe I own two pairs of jeans. There is a LOT of blue in my wardrobe. I love shoes but I have learnt to streamline and now have so few. And I want to love chunky knits but guess what, they are no good under blazers :P.

I think I have inadvertently gone through the same process you describe. Like, I am always thinking, I need to buy a pair of trousers, even if I am actually happy to wear the same pair day in and out. As if It was an obligation to balance my wardrobe. Then I go shopping and instead of pants I come back with a blazer.
The way you put it makes me see how indeed there is actually lots of sense in it...
 
OMG, are you me?!
I am also into coats and blazers and have quite a few more than necessary. Right now I believe I own two pairs of jeans. There is a LOT of blue in my wardrobe. I love shoes but I have learnt to streamline and now have so few. And I want to love chunky knits but guess what, they are no good under blazers :P.

I think I have inadvertently gone through the same process you describe. Like, I am always thinking, I need to buy a pair of trousers, even if I am actually happy to wear the same pair day in and out. As if It was an obligation to balance my wardrobe. Then I go shopping and instead of pants I come back with a blazer.
The way you put it makes me see how indeed there is actually lots of sense in it...
LOL, I'm glad to know I am not the only one - I don't even need so many blazers and wool coats since my lifestyle is more on the casual side. But I use them as outerwear and since it's cold/chilly here for nine months of the year, I just really need some variety in my outerwear to get me through these long winters. At least, that's how I justify it.:lol:

Blue is a fantastic color for a streamlined wardrobe - it goes with almost everything. There are so many shades and variations of blue which makes it so interesting, and it's a great year-round color.

As for chunky knits, they occupy so much space and can almost fill up an entire drawer. When I re-homed some of them, it freed up so much space in my chest of drawers.

And I know exactly what you mean about going shopping for trousers and coming back with a blazer. I too have done this before with clothing and with other items - I think I should get a new lipstick and nail-polish and have come back instead with a new perfume. :biggrin:
 
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well one pair of shoes out, one pair in...
the alexander wang boots are dead so I bought a new pair of shoes for the spring. cream color leather flats, german brand online only direct to consumer, handcrafted in italy for a very reasonable price. (all my best shoes were made in Italy) So tired of paying 3 times more for a high range highstreet "known" brand with a cheap quality made in china.
 
This may seem like a strange sign of progress, but I bought two new colored bags this week. The reason I consider it progress is that I bought them after realizing I have plenty of grey and black outfits to wear them with. The colored clothes grab the eye faster than the grey and black neutrals, so I didn't realize how many grey and black outfits I had 'til I really did inventory. And since 'I have enough grey and black outfits', that means I don't need to think about buying any more for a long while. And I've found that buying fewer clothes means more money to buy the purses I truly love - and those purses can be worn with multiple outfits.
 
Wow, Inkfade, Antonia and P&P, you have me convinced that wooden hangers are the best!
I have all those slim velvet hangers and although I like them it's so hard to deal with them, especially the ones with the added "hook" thing.
Wooden hangers look so elegant and high end. Thank you for the inspiration. Are they expensive to buy?
 
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