Let’s wrap up the Extreme Minimalism series with a topic that’s always popular: clothing!
It’s been over a year since I wrote More Minimalist Wardrobe Musings. In that post, I asked, “So (laundry concerns aside), what if you could have one perfectly-comfortable, perfectly-designed outfit that you could wear everyday — and nobody cared, or ridiculed you for it? I’m not talking scrubs, or military dress, or a UPS uniform, but something you looked fabulous and felt great in. Would you want that?”
For me, the answer is an emphatic yes! Although I haven’t adopted one yet, I’m completely smitten with the idea of a uniform. I’ve given more thought to what would constitute my ideal ultra-minimalist wardrobe (ie. something I could pack in a tiny bag), and it would include the following:
1. Sleeveless or short-sleeve dress for warm weather.
2. Long-sleeve shirt that can layered under or over the dress for warmth.
3. One pair of pants (trousers for my British readers—don’t worry, I don’t plan on running around in my underwear!)
4. Lightweight but warm (and water-resistant) jacket for cooler weather.
For fabric, I like merino wool, as long as it’s ethically-sourced; it’s comfortable in a wide range of temperatures and easy to care for.
Before you call the fashion police on me, please note that I’m doing a thought experiment here on how little I’d need for a nomadic minimalist life–I’m certainly not suggesting that everyone ditch the contents of their closet and go to work in the same thing every day (though in the spirit of full disclosure, I’d be tempted to do so! :) ).
So that’s my clothing Holy Grail: a sort of modern day wandering monk, in merino wool and ballet flats instead of saffron robes and sandals. Pieces that can be layered for different climates, are versatile enough for a variety of activities, and can be laundered in a sink and hung to dry overnight.
What would your ultra-minimalist wardrobe look like?
{If you’d like to learn more about minimalist living, please consider reading my book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide, or subscribing to my RSS feed.}
Oddly enough, I was just looking at the original post recently. Lovely to see it again! Inspired to have a further purge on my already minimalist wardrobe.
I suppose that I do wear a sort of uniform, since I work from home and rarely have to attend meetings or social functions. I usually wear:- a pair of bootcut jeans (from M&S); a t-shirt with long or short sleeves depending on the weather; a long-sleeved top for cooler weather, from Rohan – made from a manmade, but breathable fabric that machine washes and seems virtually indestructable!
Of course, I do dress up a bit when I go out and about, but this has become my daily ‘work wear’.
I agree on the (organic) merino wool. Wool is dirt and smell resistant, antibacterial and self-cleansing (to a point) so while I change cotton socks and tees every day, wool clothes, even socks, can be worn for three days ;) It’s also wonderful at regulating body temperature. Yeah, terribly expensive, but if you just have two or three outfits, then it doesn’t matter that much…
I am a recent wool convert! I heard so many great things on the minimalist blogs I read I decided to take the plunge with a pair of socks. I am hooked! I now have three pair of socks in different weights and am saving for other more expensive items. As much as I want to ditch everything I have and buy an all new wardrobe, I don’t think that’s a good idea economically or resourcefully either – there is no sense in wasting, as much as I would love to! I wear my wool socks for about three days too. It’s really amazing how well they wear and to put it bluntly, don’t get stinky.
There is something very enticing in the Steve Jobs’s and Zukerberg’s version – 10 identical jeans and 20 identical t-shirts (so what is inside matters most), as well as in the Arabian whites, however, the climate, lifestyle and work requirements have their say. I would probably have something more.
Pony Rider, you are absolutely right, those very expensive merino wool things wear extremely well, so they are not so very expensive, considering. With proper care they are almost indestructible and always look very decent.
My husband is one of those guys…He has 4 pair of identical jeans, 8 grey t-shirts, 5 pair of khaki pants, and 8 collared shirts. He works in an office that requires business casual, but before that he literally only had the t-shirts and jeans for everything. It’s amazing the difference between women and men. No one ever says a word about his attire, and although I have a very minimalist wardrobe, I don’t wear the same thing/colors everyday. I am very tempted to do so though. I do have mostly blacks in my wardrobe and use scarves to accessorize as well.
I love this. Sadly, I am also more of a theorist. I struggle with it in the sense that black totally makes sense in all ways – practicality, suitability, smartness etc. Only I have eliminated almost all black from my wardrobe, now, as I get older and my once very dark-brown hair has lightened and now greying – it doesn’t suit my colouring or my emotional self any more. Although you could do all this with navy, grey, brown or burgundy, it’s never going to have quite the perfect result as black! Sigh.
But uniform, merino, sleek styling (also for fuller figures!) etc. – oh yes.
I have a real problem with all the amount of black clothes that people wear. It’s like being at a permanent funeral. I work in Central London and the summer is lovely because everybody is in colour but as soon as the temperature drops outcome the funeral, ubiquituous black. It’s very depressing on a wet, cold, rainy day. I once went to Austria in winter and was delighted to see everybody in colourful clothes. It cheered me up. Surely it’s possible to be minimalist and colourful?
I agree. Too much black. I really hate to see women wearing black in the summer. And I think a lot of people overestimate how good they look in black. I mean some people do look great in it, but fair skinned people should steer clear IMHO. At least that’s what the What Not To Wear hosts say.
I think a lot of people overestimate how good they look in stark white too. I think a white-white shirt makes one’s teeth look yellow.
Australia is having summer when London is having winter. Maybe that is why you saw the colorful clothes:)
Austria/Australia.
She said Austria:)
You could do greys instead of black, and it would soften it a little, but still have that “smartness” and match with the odd bit of colour. But yes, black is annoyingly stylish and practical. It is so convenient to just fall back on black…doesn’t show the dirt, flatters, matches anything etc…but colour is wonderful.
Colourful jewelry or scarves would definitely help.
Actually, there is one big problem with black, and it’s cats’ hair. Living with two long-haired cats, black is the most unpractical color for me. But I never was a big fan of black anyway, so can cope with that :-)
My husband and I when we got pur cars actually chose black cats for that reason and the fact the it is MUCH harder to find homes for black cats. So we are very happy we can wear black without showing hair :)
I hate black. ;-) Well, not exactly, but it neither flatters me nor do I like how triste it looks.
Unconsciously I turned to navy as “basic” colour, combined with reds (pink, orange, red etc.) and a little green (a bright, light green, something in between green olives and lime, which goes well with warm colours). I haven’t actively chased for the basic wardrobe, but just trimmed my existing wardrobe and am down to very few outfits consisting of (nearly identical) navy sweaters and dresses, navy jeans, brightly coloured shirts and scarves. For shoes, belts, jackets though, I’m not into navy, but a greyish brown/brownish grey. I also own one trouser suit in that particular colour. (and it looks great combined with my navy sweaters and the other colours.)
I rather have my “uniform” a little more colourful (i.e. I wear three colours every day – that muddy grey, navy and either red, green or orange). Still, I limited myself to these colours in these combinations (I own no red sweater or navy scarf) and don’t have to think about clothing very much.
I will be forever in blue jeans and fitted tee shirts. I will retire in 5 years and I’m in the process getting rid of all work clothing except jeans and tees. I am a person with less than 100 pieces of clothing so I’m on my way.
I don’t think I’d like just 1 outfit that I wore everyday, but a small set of say 3 to 5 core outfits, where the individual pieces all matched with each other, would be bliss. I’ve had my eye on the versalette for a while now – 1 piece that can be worn 20-something ways. I’m still working minimalising what I have so I don’t need to be adding anything right now, but maybe some day.
This is my ideal as well. During one of my pregnancies, this is essentially what I had and it worked so well for me since it all mixed and matched. Made laundry easier as well.
The main consideration for me is…does it wash well and can it go in the tumble dryer!
I love the uniform idea! Right now as a SAHM, my perfect uniform would be jeans and a fitted long sleeve t-shirt with my moccasin shoes. On colder days, I love to add my blue north face jacket. I’m sure once winter hits, I will need to add a couple layers and switch to boots. In warmer weather, I could just modify to capris and a short sleeve fitted t-shirt with flip flops. This will obviously change someday when I return to work. But for now, I feel comfy, not sloppy, and I can easily play on the floor or run around the park.
When we made our overseas move to Germany I left behind a lot of my less versatile pieces (blouses or dresses that could only be worn for certain occasions and with one pair of paints or something like that) and instead brought only a set of short-sleeved shirts for warm weather and a set of long-sleeved shirts for cold weather (with 2 button-up sweaters in navy and white that could be matched with almost all of the tops). Included in my 9 short-sleeved shirts were 5 that were the exact same v-neck from Target. Those shirts with jeans have been my “uniform” while we’ve been here. It’s worked well and they are versatile and look good on me. I think I’d prefer a higher-quality shirt, but for only 7 or 8 US dollars, they’ve held up pretty well–some for over 3 years now.
I’m teaching in Japan this fall, and I have to wear professional clothes. But I limited myself to a few pants, blouses and three jackets. On my off days I wear a couple of t-shirts, a pair of jeans, a pair of casual trousers, and my running gear (not at the same time!). But before I came, I experimented with wearing the same “outfit” for several days in a row. No one seemed to notice and it was liberating and easy to just put back on what I wore the day before. Undies excepted. I like the outfit with the accented scarf.
This reminds me of the uniform project. It is about how one woman wore one dress that she designed for 365 days. She used all sorts of accessories to make the dress look different. You can even buy the pattern to the dress on the website. I do not think this was a minimalist project, more a performing arts project, but there is much for the minimalist to glean from the experiment. I liked the page where she shows off how different accessories made the dress look so different.
I’m starting my minimalist way in the subject of clothes. I’m in the 333 project. That means I’ve chosen 33 things (clothes, shoes, gloves, accessories), made the list and promised to wear only them for 3 months. It’s my first step inj minimizing the wardrobe and I feel good with it!
I would love a uniform type deal. Mine would be a long ankle length skirt, possibly leggings for cold weather underneath, a top and a jumper, and maybe matching wristwarmers and hat. I am vegan and would like a UK made outfit (handmade by someone better at sewing than me) that has vegan materials sourced as much as possible in the UK and ethical. I’d want it to be colourful as I had a friend who was very anti black clothes and so I rarely wear black and dislike it. I have been looking for a dressmaker for ages who could design me something along that line, but so far with no luck . . .
Hmmm . . . living in a climate that can go from minus 30 Celsius or lower to 35 plus Celsius or higher, I’m not sure. I am severely allergic to wool in any form so merino is out and I am all about comfort. My ‘druthers would be fleece jammies for winter, sleeveless cotton nightie in summer but, if I actually had to go anywhere I would have a long black travel skirt from Tilley’s (wash in sink, hang to dry in hours, never needs ironing) with a dressy easy care t-shirt for summer or a dressy sweater for winter, both in a bright colour.
Wonderful idea.
My husband was in the military for 30 years, both children attended parochial. School from K – 12, it was so easy.
All those years in uniforms has continued to influence their closets
I’d be perfectly happy to have a “uniform” for work. Why not? In some industries, it’s a requirement. Mine would consist of a gray all season dress that I would wear on its own in the summer. In the winter, I would layer with a long sleeve t-shirt or cardigan and some tights. Then I’d add some accessories and a scarf to personalize the look. So basically a variation of what miss minimalist posted! :)
I was given a dress this summer that has become my work uniform- I put leggings underneath it and a jumper on top if needed. The best thing about it is that it has pockets- practical! It is linen mixed, but lined, so cosy enough when it gets chilly but cool enough in the summer
What a great post, and very timely, too. All summer long, I wore a uniform, of sorts…a sleeveless, knit Eileen Fisher dress in black washable crepe. I tossed on one of several lightweight linen cardigans for day and a shimmery silvery shrug for evening. Did my family get tired of seeing me in this? Yes! Did I get tired of it? A resounding NO! It helped that I have three of the same dresses—one to wear, one to wash and hang dry, and one standing ready to go. I always felt clean, put-together, and less stressed about not having to choose what to wear. That said, this was my weekend wear—during the workweek, I was still burdened by an overabundance of clothing and choice. That’s my goal as I approach fall and winter…what can my uniform be, and how far can I stretch it into the working week.
BTW, for lightweight and durable merino wool pieces, I always choose Eileen Fisher. Her clothing is expensive, but in terms of cost per wear, it’s a real bargain. I’d far rather have 5 expensive EF sweaters than 50 of another, cheaper brand.
Thank you for a great discussion.
i have worn a uniform of sorts my entire life. grade, high, and then nursing school-and beyond. and i love every minute of it! even when i went “plain clothes” in other work areas i still kept a uniform of sorts. black pants, grey or black long sleeve tee tops (ll b–n) that can be pushed up when warm and black flats or black clogs. i have always carried the same and later reincarnations of the c—h basic bag in black. my winter gear is an all weather black hooded coat with a zip in liner and snow boots. i also have a charcoal grey fleece vest for in between. altho i usually wear silver bead studs and a gift watch from dh, i will sometimes add color with different stone earrings, like turquoise. knitting is my minimalist hobby (I own only one pair of needles!), so i make lace yarn scarves for myself in any and every color.
of course i live a pretty relaxed sort of life. the few times i’ve had to dress up would simply be a variation of my uniform. hey i got married in a ivory lace tee, black velvet pants, ballet flats, and a quilted shoulder bag!
there is great comfort in uniform dressing and this is a no-brainer at it’s finest.
Wow one pair of needles! That’s impressive. I have a box full of needles. Not very minimal of me but I do use them all
And I thought my needle stash was decently small! I too am impressed by one pair of needles! I am gradually switching towards interchangeable circular needles, but I still have several different cirkular needles in the smaller sizes and I think that as long as I keep knitting small stuff in fine yarns there is no way of getting around it.
Wow, that is impressive. Got me thinking, anyway! I don’t think I could manage one pair. It would have to be one set for socks and one for sweaters, maybe 2.5 and 4 mm…!! A long way off right now, though…
Being a bloke, I tend to wear the same thing every day anyway ;-) Black and blue for the win! I think my wardrobe is pretty minimalist as it is — most of the items in there are underwear. If I don’t wear something for a while (or can’t squeeze into it any more), I give it away. Ah, the simple things :-)
My ultra-minimalist wardrobe would include a summer dress, pair of jeans, tank top, and a hoodie. I like to keep things young and casual, so this method usually works for me. I HATE accessories, even scarves (and really have no need for them where I live), so I prefer single items that look good by themselves rather than having to dress it up.
What a coincidence. I’ve been daydreaming about an ultra-minimalist wardrobe, and (barring the fact that I would want the dress to have more colour rather than just black) the clothes I had in mind were almost identical to what you described here :) Except that I am never confident about clothes hang-drying overnight, so unless I had constant access to a dryer I would have 2 copies of the shirt, dress and pants.
Every morning I put on one of 5 identical pairs of exercise pants and a t-shirt. I workout in the morning. That is about as close as I get to a uniform. If I had a choice I would wear jeans and a black t-shirt every day.
First, of all i clarify i am not a hardcore minimalist, I am just beginning my journey. But I am experimenting with the concept of a minimalist wardrobe. A handful of pieces are in neutral tones, I just don’t think minimalism has to be monochromatic. I would add some minimal jewelry or accessories. In my personal experiments, the same outfit looked totally different with a scarf or a necklace.
Yes, that is so true! I like your ideas (clearly, I’m not hardcore on the minimalism either!)
Thank you for this post! I am returning to the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. Just today, I went shopping *uugh” for something to wear to the office. You’ve given me some great ideas here. I don’t like spending money on clothes, nor do I want a lot of them. I like the idea of a uniform of some sort…as long as it covered my…
It’s funny that you posted this stuff from Icebreaker because I have been looking at their page this morning, but have also been drooling over these merino pants from Ibex for a few months and now they went on sale: http://www.altrec.com/ibex/womens-izzi-pants They are so similar to the Icebreaker ones! I work outside at Portland’s Saturday (& Sunday!) Market every weekend and I think they would be cute and feminine and also keep me warm, but I keep hemming and hawing over them if I really “need” them. But they are so nice-looking! Ugh. :-D
I loved reading this post!
I live in Illinois, but I’m getting ready to travel to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to keynote speak at an international gathering. I’ll be there for five days and plan to take my laptop and a single carry on. My clothing pieces are black, white, and taupe — classy, yet easy to mix and match.
After years of traveling for work I adopted a “uniform” of black turtleneck shirt in winter and crewneck in the summer and black pants with a different suit jacket for each day in a bright color. My customers would remember the color of the jacket and not notice I wear the exact same color top and bottom every day. I now live in Florida and my office is air-conditioned so my clothes are cotton but long sleeved. Always black top and bottom with the jacket or colored kimono type jacket. This has worked very well for me over the years. If I did not have to look respectable during the week I would adopt my weekend uniform of jeans, black tee-shirt or turtle neck and flip flops all week long!
I have what is essentially a minimalist uniform, and I love it: lightweight wool long-sleeved tshirts, pants (with functional pockets!), and a sweater.
My colors are currently black and grey, and I figure I will move more into the greys gradually as my hair turns greyer.
The lightweight tshirts are great, as I can roll up the sleeves in the summer, and they wear really well, even on hot days in the 90s (F). I put on a sweater when it’s colder.
Although my tops are ethically-sourced merino wool, I have yet to find flattering, good quality pants with functional pockets I can wear year-round. I have flattering pants I really love, but their quality is such that I have to replace them twice a year…
For shoes, I found an awesome pair that convert from mary janes to ballet flats. I wear those from May to October. Winters are complicated with cold temperatures, cold rain, and snow – I’m on the hunt now for a pair of flat boots (for wide feet) I can wear from October to May!
My “uniform” (which I generally wear to work) is a black A-line skirt, mixed and matched with a few tops in colours that suit me, and with different sleeve lengths (my preferred is half-way between wrist and elbow) and a cardigan for when the air conditioning gets a bit much at work.
I love Clarks shoes, which cover my toes yet are sandal-ish enough to avoid sweaty feet in this hot climate (Hawaii), and they have a very low platform, so not quite a ballet flat, slightly raised, which adds to the comfort and elegance. They are so comfortable I can sprint in them! My only sorrow is how old they are getting and the style is no longer trendy so impossible to find.
My non-work “uniform” is almost the same, but I switch to a denim A-line skirt and a pair of leather flip-flops!
I notice very few minimalists include demin in their wardrobe, which interests me. While I wear the about “uniforms” about 85% of the time, I HAVE to have a pair of jeans too. To me, they go with anything, don’t look as drab as black can in some situations, and just feel great to wear.
Anyone else find they could not be without their jeans?
Yes Henny,
I live in my jeans all winter with long sleeve teeshirt and wool jumper best uniform ever.
Just curious, Henny, as to which island you are on. I just returned from Kauai and it was lovely. :)
Love it! My waredrobe is one place where I have difficulty pairing down. I live in a climate where it gets to nearly 40 degrees C in the summer and down to nearly -30 degrees C in the winter. I work in a job that requires its own waredrobe, and it involves being indoors and outdoors all year around. I’d love to hear any suggestions for a situation like mine.
I live in the same type of climate and as I am a skirtwearer my base wardrobe consists of skirts and short sleeve tops in cotton and wool or short sleeved jersey dresses. At the moment they are paired with thick, colourful tights and a cardigan + scarf, gloves and coat when I go out. When winter comes I add wool leggings and socks and another thin woolen sweater (forms a twin set with the cardigan) and/or a wool cami, a warmer coat, hat and mittens. If I’m going to spend the whole day outside, or do winter sports I wear woolen leggings and snow bibs (?, not really sure that’s what they are called). In summer I wear the skirt and top without tights and cardigan, but as I love thin summer dresses, I have a couple of those as well (my neighbour calls them my version of shorts). I also use scarves, pulse warmers and leg warmers as needed year round. My mom dresses more or less the same, except she prefers trousers.
Maybe that helps?
Forgot to mention a couple of things. First of all, layering is gold in varied climates and small wardrobes as two thin sweaters are often warmer than one thick. Wool is a champion layering material as it wicks moisture away from your body and resans heat very well. Secondly, I use layering even when it comes to footwear, working with inserts and thin woolen socks, my walking shoes for example have cotton terry inserts in summer and wool fleece inserts when it gets colder. In the summer I wear them with bare feet, when it gets colder I wear them with tights.
I also meant to say, that I usually treat my woolen leggings as outerwear and take them off when indoors to show off my colourful tights.
I am a stay at home mom so I get to do casual, and I only own about 12 items of clothes, not including outdoor gear and socks and underwear. I do occasionally get tired of my clothes, but mostly find it incredibly freeing to not have to pick out an outfit..
Because I don’t have the extra 80% wardrobe that others statistically have, what I do have needs to work exceptionally well. I also intend to purchase a bunch of icebreaker clothes, and slowly replace what I have now to make it even more functional. And pretty, I like clothes that wear well. It’s a tall order, but if something does not fit the criteria it does not get bought.
I would love to have one outfit I wore everyday but have yet to find something that would work for me. I am a SAHM so my wardrobe is very minimal. I only own 4 pants, 5 tops, 1 dress, 1 cardigan, and 2 pairs of shoes.
Love the uniform.
Jeans long sleevetees and jumper in winter,work long skirt long tee and wool cardy.
Summer shorts sleeveless tee and a couple of cotton dresses.
Colours black white grey.
I never have to think about what to wear I never get bored with what I wear and I dont care if people see me in the same thing year in year out.
This is inspiring! Although I feel like I have made a lot of progress with my clothing and shoes, I still have far, far to go. I really like the uniform idea, in a modified way. Like someone above who commented, I’m a nurse in a community-care setting who wears a uniform of sorts to work–black pants, black clogs, black socks, and then a changing array of sweaters or button-down shirts with a lab jacket over the top. I want to narrow things down further, and get to where I have just a few, flattering, mix and match items in my wardrobe altogether that could be enlivened with scarves and earrings.
I love the idea of the modern day wandering monk, it reminds me of Basho when he described things he had been carrying with him. Japanese monks, even from old times, seem modern for me.
I think a good idea for extreme minimalist wardrobe is a big lightweight scarf-tube that can be worn as a sweater. it looks different all the time and can be elegant and casual at the same time. I’ve been using it for the conferences instead of elegant jacket- it’s easy to be packed and I use it as a scarf when the conference is over. It can even work as a blanket in a plane:)
I love the idea of wearing a uniform (of regular clothes) and already – sort of – have one. I have four identical black skirts that I wear with long or short-leeved shirts, depending on the weather and season. Whereas I used to wear jeans and mostly long-sleeved shirts for years, nowadays I don’t own any jeans. That was the old uniform ;). However, since I haven’t actually decided on a uniform yet, if ever, I have a lovely dusky purple dress that I love to wear from time to time. It’s still a bit more ‘romantically’ feminine in style than I am, but I could see myself wearing it all the time some day. It’s made of linen, so it’ll last a long time, i think.
I actually kind of feel like I am developing a ‘uniform’ or at least a seasonal one! When I first came to Holland I only had a small suitcase so for months wore jeans, flat black boots, and a black shirt/black jumper…but I did run into trouble with this..needing to go to interviews, weather changes, looking a bit gothy (which is fine if that’s the look you’re going for but I wasn’t).
Glad I have a bit more variety now even if in general I wear the same style every day!
I’m retired which helps keep the wardrobe needs down. For three years I wore 3 pair of cotton slacks with functional pockets, 6 t-shirts, 6 long-sleeve shirts, 1 fleece jacket and 1 windbreaker. My socks are partly wool and I wear Crocs year around. (My Crocks are designed for medical personnel who have to keep the messy stuff from falling into them so they have holes in the sides but not the tops so they look a bit more dressy than regular ones.) When I lost weight I replaced the slacks with 2 pairs of jeans. I also have a pair of lightweight sweat pants I wear while washing the jeans. My current dress-up clothes are white jeans with a peach tank top with a lace overlay and sandals. The closet in my new RV is only 24″ wide but that is plenty big enough for me.
As someone who had to wear a brown polyester/acrylic school uniform complete with tie even though I am female until the age of nearly 19 I never ever want to have to wear a uniform again in my life. I also don’t really understand this artificial counting out of clothes to do a ‘project’ and having a set number of clothes. Surely people should just aim for what they need/can afford/think is appropriate for their lifestyle and job. I do think that the throwaway fashion industry needs to be curtailed – I buy most of my clothes from op shops (charity shops) and give unneeded clothes (grown-out of childrens clothing) to the womens refuge and wear them until they are no longer wearable. I do have a job which demands looking professional as well so I have clothes for work and then when they are no longer looking good I end up wearing them at home.
Icebreaker – merino is excellent! Lasts ages, really warm. But expensive even though I live in the place it originated…
Emma, that is so funny because I am the complete opposite. I loved wearing my uniform everyday, never had to make a choice and gave me 10 minutes of extra sleep. : )
And the funny thing is now my child has a uniform it is great! no more ‘discussions’ about her clothes. much less washing to do. Perhaps I just hated the material and colour of my uniform.
Thanks for saying that about the numbers projects…to me, by making minimalism about achieving a numerical target, they end up creating more mental clutter in their lives and defeat the whole purpose of living simply and in harmony.
I think for some people — like myself — numerical projects are *interesting* ways of investigating oneself and how want wants to live.
By choosing a specific number, you can give it a try, and then see “do I need/want more? or less?” In some areas, I discovered that I want less; in other areas I definitely want more.
It was by putting on a constraint that I was able to see what was what for me.
It’s not so much about what other people do. I think that — considering my work and lifestyle — having a single outfit would be difficult. I have discovered that 4-6 is a good number for me (I outlined what I have below, which is a bit more than I actually need). I tend to wear the same things week-to-week. I prefer to do Dress, dress, dress, skirt/top/cardi, jeans, jeans, jeans (with shirts of course).
Our German chancellor Angela Merkel wears a kind of uniform: black pants, black or cream t-shirt, and a suit jacket in black, cream or a bright colour. I think this is very appropriate and shows that she has more important things to do than thinking about what to wear.
I have tried the “uniform,” and it’s alright. If I’m not traveling, I don’t mind it. I think seeing new places makes up for not looking different from day to day. But if I am settled for a month somewhere, I tend to crave variety in my fashion. I also have a theme color. It’s green. It happened by accident because, I was so obsessed with the color. One day I realized everything I owned matched. Perhaps minimalists tend to be slightly obsessive by nature? My uniform (when not working)> light green yoga pants, long sleeved dark-green t-shirt, black boots, long purple trench coat. Hmmm…. this sounds worse that it looks…I think…I hope…
I would gladdly wear the same thing every day, adjusting for the weather. As long as we are not all wearing the same uniform, I am all for it. I like everyone to look different from each other to show their personality but see no harm in wearing the same thing day in and day out if it is comfortable go for it!
I have a 11 piece wardrobe (not counting shoes and underwear!), for all 4 seasons. I have brightly colored sundresses, with blazers for the winter. I also have a pair of pants, shorts, and a short sleeved shirt. I have a skirt that I wear by itself, or under one of my shorter dresses when I’m at work. Using color, it’s pretty obvious that I don’t own a lot of clothes. People don’t seem to notice though, or they’ve just gotten used to me!
I love the idea of a personal uniform!
I feel so much better that I’m not the only one with a “uniform”. It makes life so simple, saves time and money, and no one really notices unless you look disheveled!
A very timely post, thank you, as I once again eye my shrinking wardrobe.
I love clothes and shoes, and get great delight in creating comfortable yet beautiful outfits – it’s my only artistic outlet! I have, however, dramatically reduced my wardrobe during my recent first few steps along the minimalist path. I now focus on only having pieces I love AND are nice to wear. I like vintage & unusual pieces, and am allergic to black, so would struggle with a uniform. Having said that, I now have a few key tops/jumpers/cardis that match my much more flamboyant skirts/dresses. Progress!
I love silk, just as useful as wool (particularly in a blend). UK readers might want to check out woolovers for silk blends & merino alike – come to think of it I think there are international sales as well.
I’m in the rockabilly subculture, and although I’m doing a pretty good job of keeping my home clutter free, my wardrobe is a different story. It’s easy to be a wardrobe minimalist with modern clothes, but with 1940 s and 1950 s clothes, it’s very difficult. each vintage outfit is like a piece of art, and as aresult does not “play well with others” in the closet. I have pared down my wardrobe a lot, and now own some basic black dresses that i can accessorize, but that’s really just for work. Our dresses are our pride! I’m trying now to rotate my wardrobe – for every new dress I get, I eBay or comsign or give away another. It’s okay, but I do dream of having a true minimalist wardrobe like the one you described!
While I love the idea of these ultra-minimalist wardrobes, they always strike me as exceedingly impractical. I look at the model and think “well, she’s very fashionable, but she also looks like a person who doesn’t really have to DO anything.” I mean… I look at the activities in my day to day life and then I look at outfits like that, and the gears in my brain start to throw off smoke.
What does she wear to run, or cycle, or lift weights, or haul groceries a few miles from the store? What does she wear to shovel snow, or manure? What does she wear to paint the garage, or bake bread, or scrub toilets? What does she wear when it’s over 100 degrees, or twenty below zero?
I suppose if one must conform to the rules of fashion then a uniform would be the way to go… I guess I just think it’s preferable to craft a life where being fashionable is not required! :-)
My uniform is similar to this. If I’m right, the model is wearing: bra and undergarments, yoga tights/tank, dress.
If you take off the dress, you can run, cycle, or lift weights (or do yoga class, play roller derby, do parkour, etc. You can even go swimming if you want).
To hawk groceries a few miles, I just keep the dress on. No point in taking it off anyway. I wear my normal clothes to do shopping, which means the uniform is fine.
For snow, manure, garage — I would get coveralls. My friend is in vet school and she shared with me the wonder of coveralls. How wonderful they are. One coverall goes a long way, too. :)
To bake bread (or cook) or scrub toilets, it’s either same as running or same as groceries. I don’t know why you would need “special” clothes for this. I wake up on Thursday mornings, shower, dress, get my kid dressed, make breakfast with him, then clean my toilets. Then I take that same outfit (yoga tights, tank, dress) and go teach a yoga class, then I take my kid to the park, then come home and cook dinner, then tidy up after dinner, do stories, etc, change into my PJs. Easy.
When it’s over 100 degrees, this sort of outfit actually works well. Keeping the skin covered in heat keeps a person cooler. Merino may not be the first choice, but honestly, I am usually cooler than my friends in their near-naked states when I go to the desert or when it was over 100 in PA those several summers.
I’ve never been in 20 below zero, but these basics with then the right over-gear for antarctica would be fine.
I think you’re just protesting the idea unreasonably. No one is asserting that one should wear this in 20 below (or 100 degrees), but if you want to wear it mucking horses, then why not?
Had similar line of thought as you EcoCatLady. Agree that the one outfit wardrobe isn’t practical for everyone if you want to be physically comfortable or be respectful of dress codes in a wide variety of situations/activities. I guess it depends on lifestyle. I have one of the dresses and the top in the photo, as well as tights and scarves. While the outfit is great for many if not most activities, one 15 mile hike that includes scrabbling over rough boulders or branches and tights would be shredded (along with some skin) and feet would hurt without a hiking boot. Some business meetings are more formal than a stretchy or slouchy dress over tights and respecting that doesn’t bother me. If you travel overseas for work or occasionally eat at a formal restaurant, then there are those considerations as well. Plus I notice nice clothes stay in good condition longer if I don’t work out in them or wear them to cook (or shovel manure!). Doesn’t mean having to own a lot, but it means more than one outfit for people like us!
I agree with EcoCatLady – minimalism without functionality and without being able to express myself doesn’t make any sense.
I was raised up wearing a horrendous uniform in school and very few choices of clothes on the market. It felt and it was “Orwellian”. To this day I still cringe when I see black clothes – they feel so impersonal. I stick to a warmer palette – earth colors which make me feel balanced and happy. After all it’s about what makes me happy.
I love wool, its warmth, the cozy feeling it brings – not to mention that it is healthier than any other synthetic fiber. Cotton, wool, linen, ramie and silk are more expensive, but are healthier for the skin, last longer and have a better quality – price ratio.