Simple/Minimalist living - Clothing?

[MamaPyratekk]

I didn't know exactly where to put this, so hopefully this is in the right forum.

For those of you who strive to live a more simple and minimalist lifestyle, what does your wardrobe consist of?

I'm currently 8 months pregnant, so obviously none of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit right now. The thing is that after buying a few maternity clothes (a couple of shirts, a pair of pants, and a couple of skirts) I'm realizing that I much prefer just wearing basic outfits and having clothes that all can be mingled together instead of complete "ensembles". When I was going through my pre-preg clothes I also realized that many of them are getting to be in bad condition or they just aren't "me" any more. I know that once I have the baby my in-laws are probably going to do what they did last pregnancy and when I started needing maternity clothes...and that is giving me money to buy some new clothes. I have been considering just buying simple things like a few polo shirts, basic "nice" shirts, etc in various plain colors and then a few basic skirts and a pair or two of nice khaki pants. But part of me feels like maybe I'm taking this Simple/Minimal living too far lol.

So does anyone else dress very simple and modest like that or is wardrobe not something you take into consideration with living this way?

Hope that all made sense, I'm a tired mama (^_^)

[Oliver's Mama]

Well, I think my closet is fairly minimal, however, I don't consider my wardrobe to be simple and modest. I like to buy fun, fashionable pieces, but, I make sure they can do many jobs: a fashion-top that can be casual with jeans, or dressed up with dress pants.. a cute cami that looks great on its own or can be worn under shirts in colder weather for a nice layered look. I just make sure not to buy anything that seems too trendy, so it can be worn for several years.
Having a wardrobe of just a few pieces that can go far and be used for many outfits doesnt mean it has to be a basic white tee or uniform khakis.

[Blucactus]

Two guidelines I go by: Only keep what you wear (this varies greatly depending on what your lifestyle is like. I have messy little kids and am a SAHM, so I have a couple seperate catagories of shirts. Everything is comfy and fits well, but I have sleep-or-dirty-work-around-the-house shirts, wear around the house on a normal day shirts (ususually are minimally stained), wear out n about shirts (in better shape but wouldn't break my heart if they got ruined) and special occasion shirts (those are the ones I really don't want ruined by grubby kid and life messes!!). Try to buy it secondhand if possible. If I notice I am not wearing something regularly, there is no use to keep it. I put it away & it eventually gets donated.

[hellyaellen]

i guess i do something like that.

jeans and tees for me (tanks in the summer). i have like two pairs of pants 1 jeans and 1 khaki and a couple of shirts. and i wear scrubs at work so those are really easy to mix and match too..... i just keep to aa few colors (pinks, greens, purples and blues)

i don't hesitate to borrow dh's t-shirts either although he has had most of his longer so some of them are getting a little too worn in for me.

i do have some skirts and dresses too for religious services or other more formal events.

but my everyday ensemble is a pretty limited number of pieces

i forgot to add that yes, its intentional...... my jeans wore out so i bought another pair but just one..... some things i haven't even needed to replace, my black pants, my favorite summer dress..... not saying i won't at some point but i do declutter the wardrobe constantly

[CortLong]

I have a fairly simple wardrobe. Basic, solid colored skirts and normally solid colored shirts. I also have a pair of overalls for working (like in the yard).

[Hippie Mama in MI]

Here's what I do.

1. Buy new shirts on clearance, 10 or more at a time.

2. Wear the crap out of them for about 3 years.

3. When the shirts become dirty or faded, toss them into a big sack and save them.

4. When you need to buy more shirts, don't. Instead tie dye the ones you have saved. Presto! A dozen "new" shirts.


Also works with sweatpants and jeans (they get recycled into work clothes and then into shorts).

[Siennaflower]

I kind of do this, and I do prefer to mix and match vs buying ensembles. I have a couple sets of "bum around the house" clothes that are yoga pants and t-shirts, which double as work out clothes. I have 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair khaki pants, 2 pairs of capris (one khaki, one denim) and a brown skirt which I pair with about 6 blouses that will match any of my bottoms. I have a dress for weddings or 'fancy' outings, a couple sweaters in basic colors, and a wool pea coat for winter. Pretty much everything can be dressed up or down with shoes, jewelry, etc. It was very freeing to let go of all the clothes that I didn't absolutely love or had fit issues with. And my side of the closet is uncluttered and very peaceful. Now if I could just get dh to get rid of at least half of his huge t-shirt collection, the closet would be perfect....

[wendyland]

Originally Posted by FlutterBee

I kind of do this, and I do prefer to mix and match vs buying ensembles. I have a couple sets of "bum around the house" clothes that are yoga pants and t-shirts, which double as work out clothes. I have 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair khaki pants, 2 pairs of capris (one khaki, one denim) and a brown skirt which I pair with about 6 blouses that will match any of my bottoms. I have a dress for weddings or 'fancy' outings, a couple sweaters in basic colors, and a wool pea coat for winter. Pretty much everything can be dressed up or down with shoes, jewelry, etc. It was very freeing to let go of all the clothes that I didn't absolutely love or had fit issues with. And my side of the closet is uncluttered and very peaceful. Now if I could just get dh to get rid of at least half of his huge t-shirt collection, the closet would be perfect....

My husband has a bizillion t-shirts. He has these really thin old ones from college with paint on them. He still wears them. I've gotten used to looking at him in gross looking t-shirts. I don't even flinch anymore.

[marimara]

I dream about doing this, really do. But I have a lot of clothes (even after constant decluttering) that I claim to "love". My rule was don't keep it if you don't wear it or don't love it. Some items I have never worn, some only a few times but I "love" them. One of the problems is that I recently moved from a colder more temperate climate to a hot, humid southern climate. So it's like I have 2 wardrobes, one for colder weather and one for the mostly hot/humid weather now. The other thing is we are military so there's a possibility of moving back to a colder/temperate climate in a couple/few years from now. I struggle with this. Maybe by watching this thread, I find what I need to make the switch...