April 24, 2020 | REVISED November 16, 2020

Less is more can be a difficult concept to get behind, particularly in the world of fashion. Accumulating more and more things faster is so much easier than it ever has been. Closets are easily filled with one-hit wonders, bursting from sheer volume.

Taking a minimalist approach to your wardrobe means redefining the rapid fast fashion purchase cycle. It is a movement to make closets manageable again and to consider the versatility and timelessness of a piece of clothing before adding it to your closet.

Are you still on the fence as to why you would bother paring down your wardrobe? Here are 5 reasons why minimizing the items in your closet might be well worth your while.

By saying goodbye to the items that bog you down, you buoy yourself up to the things that matter. A closet inspired by minimalist fashion gives you precious time back. By prioritizing clothes that will last through fads, seasons and years, you set easy guidelines for your purchasing decisions.  

Not only does shopping get easier, but other parts of the process do, too. Consider yourself the Marie Kondo of your wardrobe. By minimizing the quantity you own, you also make it easier just to keep track of what you have. And fewer clothes also mean less mess to sort through, which is always a plus.

Instead of stressing over your pants, you can spend time with your plants and your people. You can live for all the experiences and the people you love, instead of with the stacks of clothes you regret purchasing.

Every piece of clothing made takes a toll on the earth. This makes it important to extend the lifetime of each item you add to your closet and to purchase clothes made with materials sourced consciously from the environment.

This is definitely not the ethos driving every clothing brand out there, so make sure to do your research. Shopping for quality rather than quantity gives you more time and money to commit to brands that show commitment to a sustainable process. This is just one of many ways to step up to the plate and protect our planet.

Remember that minimalist fashion is not about sacrificing or dulling down your style. Minimalist fashion is about finding a wardrobe that speaks to you. You can play with patterns and colors and textures, all while keeping the versatility of your outfits in mind.

While base tones are the palette many people find easiest to work with, vibrant colors can be just as essential to your style. Learning how to make the most of your wardrobe and how to make it uniquely yours is an incredibly rewarding challenge.

Perhaps our favorite part of paring down our wardrobes is knowing just how effortless it can be to navigate our outfit selection. If you keep only what you love to wear, the pieces remaining are the pieces that you feel the most confident and comfortable in.

You will always have the flexibility to spice things up when you want to. But for those days where your brain has reached its capacity, you can lean on your tried and true basics like a modern-day uniform or capsule wardrobe.

To reduce the total amount of clothes you need in your closet, consider the items you add to it. Look at your wardrobe through a lens of functionality, durability and style versatility.  

These are some of our favorite minimalist closet additions:

• A classic button-down blouse that styles well with everything, from blue jeans to work slacks.
• A pair of pants that looks as good in the office as it does at happy hour.
• The most flattering and functional pair of bike shorts.
• A white t-shirt that shines on its own, but also pairs as a perfect layer.
• A simple, versatile wrap dress that you can wear for travel, work, relaxing and all the occasions in-between.
• This 5 in 1 wrap top that’s a perfect fit for your picnic date or yoga class.
• A pair of leggings that work for just about any occasion.

We hope we’ve planted some inspirational seeds for your minimalist wardrobe - but we also know that pictures can speak a thousand words. We created the #OutfitRepeaterChallenge with that in mind because our ADAY community loves to lean on each other for inspiration. If you are looking for some minimalist fashion or outfit repeater inspiration, we made this page for you.

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