Have you ever stared at your enormous closet while feeling like you had nothing to wear? Unfortunately, we often act on that feeling by going out and buying something else, which temporarily makes us happy.

The issue is that the joy rapidly passes away, and a few weeks later, you find yourself in the same position in front of your closet.

What if we told you there was a method to overcome the curse of consumerism? Adopting practices associated with a ‘minimalist lifestyle’ is one way to do it..

Owning a small selection of comfortable clothes you love is considered part of a minimalist fashion approach. This is a more sustainable way of life and can make you happier.

What is minimalism fashion?

The term "minimalism" refers to a way of living in which you only possess and utilise items that have some use in your day-to-day activities. The concept of a simple life is broadly stated, where you only own items that you genuinely treasure and require to get by each day.

What does that signify in terms of clothing?

Minimalist fashion entails stocking your closet with items that fit you well and you love.

Simplicity is crucial when it comes to minimalism, so its important to have a small collection of items in your minimalist wardrobe.

How did minimalism influence the fashion industry?

Fashion minimalism is much more than just the use of one colour or a simple trend. It is an aesthetic that is closely related to a wider range of social developments and is constantly recreated and modified to match various fashion eras.

The fashion business has been cleverly influenced by minimalism for some of the following reasons:

  • Minimalism is a great option economically. In fact, millennials are saving money by creating smaller, or even capsule, wardrobes. Although buying items with exquisite tailoring and premium materials is pricey, minimalists often spend a little more on their clothing and view this as a long-term investment.
  • Minimalism saves time, it’s simple and easy. People want to look amazing, but they don't want to spend their entire day doing it. As a result, minimalism is every working person's ideal lifestyle, which is why so many people are adopting it as a way of life as well as a fashion trend.
  • Minimalism leads to consuming less and more sensibly. By building a carefully picked minimalist wardrobe, you may replace passing trends with timeless elegance and wear your clothes for much longer thanks to the high quality. People continue to recognise that minimalism is not just practical, but also the more sustainable path to adopt.

Top 5 steps to create a minimalist wardrobe

You must get rid of all the clothing you no longer need if you want to have a minimalist wardrobe. However, to stick to the theme of sustainability, it's best to donate these clothes to someone who needs them, rather than throwing them away. Here are some helpful hints to get you started with building a minimalist wardrobe:

  1.   Look at what you have carefully.

Take all your clothing out of your closet and examine each piece carefully as the first step in developing a basic wardrobe. You need to ask yourself - Which items do you never wear? Do you have a specific reason for keeping this item?

When organising your closet, be sincere with yourself and only keep the things you genuinely adore and use.

  1.   Be less sentimental.

When we organise our wardrobe, we frequently become overly nostalgic since each item either makes us think of all the wonderful occasions we've worn it or makes us think of the person we wanted to be when we purchased it.

But how often have you worn that "special" clothing item? It’s time to store it away if you don’t want to dispose of it entirely.

  1.   Remove it from your room.

Do not simply leave the bags in the corner and handle them later. Choose your course of action for the clothing such as selling them or donating them. Whatever you choose, get them out of your way as soon as possible.

  1.   Invest in classic, high-quality items.

After organising your wardrobe, it's time to determine whether you are still lacking any essential pieces of clothing. Prepare a list of what you don't have after looking at what you do have. This will prevent you from making impulsive purchases. These classic pieces of clothing can be long-term investments that are simple to style.

  1.   Reorganise your dressers and closet.

Surprised to see how much more space you have? Going through your closet to find an outfit will now seem considerably easier. You can always arrange your clothing again using a certain colour scheme or by putting items together according to your preferred styling. Your wardrobe will appear fashionable and minimalistic as a result of this organisation.

What are some essential items you must have in your minimalist wardrobe?

Making do with the least number of things possible is the cornerstone of minimalism. Therefore, less is more when building a minimalist wardrobe.

There is no magic quantity of garments you must have in your minimalist wardrobe, but you should go through your closet and only save the things you use more than once a year.

Having said that, the following are some essential items of clothing you can have in your wardrobe:

  1.     Two sets of well-fitting jeans in neutral colours.
  2.     Traditional long-sleeved shirts.
  3.     Simple, well-made sweaters.
  4.     Two or three high-end blazers.
  5.     Turtlenecks.
  6.     Casual dresses and skirts.
  7.     A single professional outfit.
  8.     Two to three pairs of athletic clothing.
  9.     Few pairs of premium quality underwear.
  10.     Two sets of heels, flats, sandals, and shoes each.

What are the benefits of minimalism in the fashion industry?

Fast fashion results in many problems. There’s massive amounts of waste, an extensive use of materials derived from fossil fuels, widespread use of cheap, poisonous colours, and unfairly paid labour. Minimalist fashion attempts to reduce these issues by encouraging shoppers to buy and use less clothing items. 

While promoting a sustainable way of life, minimalism also helps you in fighting back against the anxiety and stress caused by the constant need to keep up with the ever-changing fashion trends. 

At the end of the day, minimalism helps the fashion industry in creating better quality sustainable products while maintaining profits and causing less harm to the environment through fast fashion.

The UK’s fashion colleges have started to include the concept of minimalism in their fashion courses, in response to the demands of the fashion business in the hopes of fostering the development of sustainable fashion in the future.

The London College of Contemporary Arts' Bachelor's in Fashion designing course was developed to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in building a sustainable fashion industry.

Click here to enrol in this course right away and start working in the fashion industry!