How To Minimize Your Wardrobe in 30 Minutes or Less!

Minimizing my wardrobe has been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. Today I’m sharing how my closet went from chaos to streamline in less than 30 minutes, and how you can minimize your wardrobe, too!

Have you ever tried to minimize your wardrobe?
When we started on our journey to minimalism, I knew I wanted to majorly purge my clothes. I’ve tried so many times to minimize my wardrobe. I’ve read all the articles about capsule wardrobes, and tried all the tricks. Nothing. Stuck. My closet would quickly fill back up, and I still felt like I had nothing to wear. I bought the clothes other bloggers recommended. I tried the brands others loved. None of it worked for me. Until one magical day when the idea of creating a wardrobe from the clothes I ACTUALLY wear came into my head.

It was a total light bulb moment for me. I found myself gravitating to the same 4 shirts, and 3 pairs of pants. Why not build my wardrobe around the clothes I actually wear, and love? It just makes the most sense.

Here’s exactly what I did

• The very first thing I did was gather up the few pieces of clothing that I wear, love, and feel nice in every single day. I had 4 every day shirts, and 3 every day pair of pants that were my “go tos”. This became the base of my wardrobe.
• Next, I thought of all the things I typically do in a week. Homeschool, house work, baby chasing, farm work. I asked myself the question, “do these clothes support my lifestyle?” Yes. Yes, they did. Then I asked, “are there secondary things I’d need clothing for?” Yes, yes there were.
• I then made a second category for clothes I’d need occasionally, like clothes to run errands in (you know, the ones without baby stains and farm smells), and the clothes I’d need for church twice a week. I pulled these pieces out of my closet or dresser drawers and laid them with my foundation pieces. All in all, I added a couple of nicer shirts, and a few of my favorite dresses for church.
• I added in a pair of pajamas, some clothes to paint in, and the clothes I wear to exercise in. Wardrobe built.

What about the rest of my clothes, you may ask?

Whatever was left in my closet or drawers was bagged up, and put into quarantine. This gave me the opportunity to live with my very minimal wardrobe for a few weeks before I made the final commitment. It also gave me the opportunity to see if there were any holes I needed to fill in with a few new pieces.

Since I minimized my clothing in February, I have added two new shirts, and gotten rid of even more than what I started with. I really think it’s been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

A few tips before you get started…

• Be brutally honest with yourself. Does it fit? Do you love HOW it fits? Is it versatile enough to go with other items in your closet? Don’t just keep a piece of clothing because you kind of like. Only keep the things you know are a win every time you wear it!
• Stick to the timeless, classic pieces. Minimizing your wardrobe doesn’t mean you can only wear black, but it does mean you should find timeless pieces that are always in style. Solid color shirts are almost always a classic, but if you’re a print loving person find a style shirt in a print you love that won’t be “out of trend” next season.
• Stop shopping. I know. It’s hard, but trust me, when you build a wardrobe you really love you won’t need to shop. If there are holes in your wardrobe you need to fill, make a VERY specific list and look for ONLY those things. No matter how long it takes, stick to your list!

I’d love to hear if you’ve ever minimized your wardrobe and what works best for you!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by and spending a tiny part of your day with me!

Here’s an image to pin for later…