If I were to accurately classify myself and my habits, I’d call myself a wannabe minimalist. (For the purposes of this post, I wish I could call myself a “closet minimalist” for the pun, but oh well.)

I don’t like to keep a whole lot of “junk” around my living space, and I’m quick to get rid of items I don’t use regularly. For the most part, I’m pretty good at discarding clothing I don’t like/want/wear, though there have been a few articles I’ve had a hard time parting with over the years despite never using them. I’m not quite sure how a cardigan can have sentimental value, but some of mine definitely do – lol.

The idea of a capsule wardrobe has really appealed to me over the years, but my black-and-white, all-or-nothing personality has made me a bit wary of tossing out 3/4 of my closet for fear of wanting those sentimental sweaters back one day. I also had this sort of uneasiness about wearing and re-wearing the same few tops over and over. Wouldn’t I then just be ruining my favorite shirts by wearing them out?

Finally, though, I bit the bullet, found a capsule wardrobe that appealed to my style on Pinterest, and packed up most of my clothing. Here’s what inspired me to finally take the plunge:

• I’m moving in two weeks, and needed to pack up my clothes anyway. What better time to experiment with a minimalist closet? (I saved my extra clothes in boxes rather than getting rid of them.)
• I realized that I wear the same few items over and over again, anyway.
• Seeing clothes in my closet that I don’t really like, and that don’t make me feel great, make me frustrated and irritable when I get dressed. Less is more.
• I was tending to wear junky gym clothes daily rather than taking care of myself by wearing flattering clothing that looks nice. I packed up all but a few pairs of leggings, tee-shirts, and sports bras.
  • (In no way do I mean to suggest that women NEED to dress a certain way. However, I find that when I dress frumpy, I feel grumpy. It takes the same amount of time to put on leggings as a hoodie as it takes to put on leggings and a dress. But I feel so much better when I wear the latter!)

The fashion and beauty industry profits off of making women feel badly about themselves. We’re constantly told that we need to look, act, and dress a certain way. While there’s absolutely no need to buy designer clothes in order to feel beautiful, I have definitely found that I feel more confident when I wear clothes that look nice and fit me well. Many women I work with share that they are reluctant to buy clothing they like, or feel good in, because they intend to lose weight or “get in shape” before they “waste” money on clothing for their “here and now” bodies. Ladies, there’s nothing wrong with your body, and it doesn’t need to change. Your “here-and-now” body is worthy of honor and respect! Amazingly, caring for your body with flattering clothes might actually make you appreciate it more as it is right now!

This is the picture I found on Pinterest that inspired me. I already owned almost all of these items, and made a few substitutions with items I didn’t forsee myself wearing (I’m not big on white button-down collared shirts, so I subbed a different white shirt.) I also substituted green jeans for the gray jeans, and a beige tee-shirt dress in lieu of the black skirt (which I don’t own, and wouldn’t likely wear.) I also kept a few extra sweaters because I tend towards the cold side, and in Chicago, I’m convinced that winter lasts through April. Same goes with the absence of the black heels. Heels and I just don’t get along.

In general, I’m pretty excited to see how well I like having a minimalist capsule wardrobe. I’m hoping it makes getting dressed easier, and inspires me to put a little more effort into my appearance on the daily.

Have you ever experimented with a capsule wardrobe? What was your experience like?