The Evolution of a Wardrobe – Living Minimally

I promise I’m trying really hard to get better at blogging. You know, keeping you guys updated more frequently than every two months. Ooops. Honestly, it’s because I don’t really feel like the day to day stuff is very interesting so why bother writing about it? In reality I’ve been crazy busy and just haven’t made time for it. Anyway. I’ve been wanting for a while to do a series of posts on the process that I’ve gone through to minimize my life. Moving into a 16ft travel trailer was no tiny feat. I’ll start with how I minimized my wardrobe. You know what I’m talking about. All of those clothes in the back of your closet that you haven’t worn in years? That teeny tiny bikini you’re never going to fit into again? Those bajillion college hoodies you ended up with? Disclaimer – this article is primarily directed toward women. I can’t offer much expert advice on men’s wardrobes, sorry.

Step 1

The closet in the Casita is tiiiiiiiiiny. Like, teeny tiny. Barely more than a cupboard. I’ve seen kitchen cabinets with more space. So, I don’t have a lot of room to hang clothing. I don’t have much space anywhere in this camper for a lot of clothes. I realized I wasn’t going to be able to keep much clothing and was going to have to really plan my wardrobe with some conscious effort.

The Purge

Now, I have moved several times in the last few years. My first move, back in early 2015 when I was leaving Athens, involved a major purge of all clothing I didn’t wear, didn’t need, and didn’t want. This was the first step, and the easiest. It was easier to toss or donate anything that:

• Didn’t fit
• Had holes that weren’t worth patching
• Was ugly
• I had no idea who’s it was or how I ended up with it
• Was a duplicate where no duplicate was needed

… than it was to pack and move it into storage. So I did just that. Those bajillion old sorority tees? Those really lose their appeal after college. I actually packed these up and gave to my mom; she’s going to have a t-shirt quilt made out of them. Something useful. Those 30 college themed hoodies? I didn’t really need ALL of them. Those “flared” jeans from 2011 that went out of style four years ago? I was never going to wear them again. The tiny sundresses from my first summer in college? I’ll never FIT into those again. I got rid of it. ALL of it. I didn’t keep anything that was old/outdated/didn’t fit/I didn’t really like (even if it was a gift)/was a duplicate.

The Purge, Take II

Once I had purged about 40% of my wardrobe based on the criteria listed above, I moved everything I wasn’t taking backpacking into storage. I went on a 3 month backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail and only wore two outfits. Talk about a reality check – how many clothes do I actually need? Turns out not many. When I returned home, I had my mom mail me a box of clothing that I had left with her specifically for the purpose of returning to society. It contained specific articles of clothing that I thought I’d need to transition back into daily life after the trail: a few dresses (I love dresses), some leggings for lounging, a tunic or two for dressing up the leggings, a hoodie, a bra, a couple pairs of underwear. This was all I had for the next few weeks and it was plenty.

On my next major trip home, my mom and I went through my [still] massive boxes of clothing that were in storage and got rid of even more things. At this stage, I was really starting to consider how many of each type of thing I needed. For example, I didn’t need 4 different solid red dresses (I went to UGA and we wore dresses on gameday… so I had a lot of these). One would suffice, so the others had to go. I didn’t need all of these novelty tees I’d collected and inherited over the years. I kept a couple of my favorites and got rid of the rest. I kept one “nice” outfit that I could wear for interviews or dressy occasions and donated every other “fancy” outfit I had. The hardest thing for me to part with was my dresses… I really love dresses and wear them ALL the time. I kept more than I should have, but it’s a work in progress.

Shoes

Ok girls, I’m gonna say it. You’ve really gotta get a grip on this shoe thing. YOU DON’T NEED 30 PAIRS OF SHOES! Why do you think you do? Who told you that? Seriously, this “girls love shoes” thing is just consumerist bullshit trying to pressure you into spending money on things you don’t need. Ok, rant over.

Let’s talk about getting rid of shoes. I didn’t have many shoes to begin with, because I never bought into the girls and shoes thing, but I still had too many. For example, I don’t need 5 different pairs of flip-flops. One nice leather pair will do. I don’t need 3 different pairs of running shoes… especially that old worn out pair. Here’s a hint: sneakers wear out around 500 miles… if your running shoes are older than a couple years they are donezo anyway. Toss ’em. I definitely do not need three pairs of Chacos. Keeping them (OK, I did “loan” one pair to my sister, so now I only have two).

What other types of shoes do I need? It depends on my job and hobbies. I hike, so I need a pair of hiking shoes. I need a nice pair of dressy black flats for occasions such as interviews, funerals, weddings, etc. And perhaps a pair of strappy sandals to dress up a sundress for a nicer night out. I also kept a couple of pairs of winter boots. That’s it, though. That’s literally all of my shoes:

• One pair dressy black flats
• One pair strappy sandals
• Two pairs of Chaco sandals (one for hiking, one for casual wear)
• Two pairs of hiking shoes (hiking shoe and trail runner – serve two different purposes)
• One pair of nice leather flip flops (which I’ve since gotten rid of)
• Two pairs of high-top winter boots
• One pair of everyday sneakers

Ten pairs of shoes. *Gasp*.

Step 2

Once I scaled down my wardrobe, I inevitably noticed some holes in it. Going forward, I’ll have to replace clothes that wear out. What do I buy? Since I don’t have much space for clothing storage, I’ve really had to think about the versatility of the clothing items I’m choosing. For example:

If I buy this simple black tank top dress, how will it serve me? Well, I can wear it with strappy sandals and some jewelry for a night out with friends. I can toss a lightweight cardigan over it for a conservative summer outfit to wear to a meeting or daytime social gathering. I can layer it over a long sleeve sweater with a scarf to convert it to fall or winter. I can toss a flannel on over it for a “summer evening around the campfire” look. I can justify buying it because it serves multiple purposes.

Examples of things I should avoid purchasing (or keeping):

• Ultra-seasonal wardrobe items – things like a dress that screams summer or a sweater with sparkles in it that I can really only get by with wearing around Christmas/New Years. The goal is that each item in my wardrobe can be worn during multiple seasons and layered for warmth when needed.
• Any holiday-themed clothing –  Christmas sweaters, Halloween tees, it’s really all gotta go. These items are just not versatile enough to have in my permanent wardrobe when space is limited and/or decluttering is a priority. “But what if I get invited to a tacky Christmas sweater party?” Then I’ll go to Goodwill and get another one, then re-donate it once the party is over. I don’t need to keep it.
• Single-use items – I’m gonna use this to describe two different kinds of clothing items. The first is that blouse/dress/outfit that is SO distinctive that I can’t get by with wearing it more than about once a year (think an ultra-sexy party dress or a blouse with a really loud print). These statement pieces have their time and place, but my permanent wardrobe isn’t it (did you know you can rent statement pieces like this??). The second is anything that cannot realistically be layered to create different styles/looks. If I can wear it one way and one way only, I don’t need it. It takes up more space than it’s worth. Example: a frilly, sparkly cocktail dress

• 

  Novelty Items In Excess – it’s good to have a scarf or two in different patterns or materials, and maybe a couple different varieties of belts. These items can add flair, change up an existing outfit, and help with layering. However, I didn’t need 25 different colors of scarves (like I somehow managed to accumulate). I picked a few neutral/favorite ones and got rid of the rest.

• Socks – I don’t wear socks that often. Hardly at all in the summer. One thing I realized is that I had what seemed like hundreds of pairs of socks! And most of them were cheap cotton ones that came in bulk packages. Who needs that many socks? When you don’t have many clothes, you have to do small loads of laundry more frequently. Honestly, even if you wear socks daily, if you purchase a few (maybe 4-5) pairs of high-quality socks, you don’t need more than that. If you do one load of laundry every 3-4 days, four pairs of socks will get you through the week. I also tried to make sure the socks I kept serve multiple purposes. I can walk around at work or town in the same socks I hike in.

Things I chose to keep or things I will buy in the future:

• Open-front tops with sleeves – things like button down flannels, cardigans, anything that I can slip on over something else to create a new look and another layer. Two or three of these provide endless different looks.
• One nice, versatile jacket – for me this is a puffy, packable Patagonia that doubles as a backpacking outer layer AND a piece to add significant warmth to any outfit during winter months. I don’t dress up much, so I don’t need a fancy coat.
• Dresses – Dresses are so incredibly versatile. Wear one alone with sandals to the beach. Throw a cardigan over it for something more conservative or when warmth is needed. Layer over a sweater and leggings for fall evenings and winter. I think 3 or 4 different types of dresses are essential to the minimalist lady’s wardrobe. I also hike in dresses, so I have three hiking dresses (that also double as normal-wear when I’m not hiking).
• Leggings – leggings work as loungewear, casual wear and active wear.

  

  From here on out, I will ONLY purchase leggings that double as active wear (appropriate fabrics for exercise), so they truly are a multi-use item.

• Anything layerable – basic long sleeve tops, tanks, thin sweaters, tunics, etc. This is probably the area where my wardrobe is lacking the most.
• Nice tops/tunics – I had to keep more of these than I’d like because I take gigs as a substitute teacher regularly

Whew. That was a lot of work. Minimizing a wardrobe is an exhausting process, and honestly can take a bit of an emotional toll. However, trust me when I say that in the end it was incredibly refreshing and liberating to get rid of all of that “weight”, figuratively and literally.

On top of paying close attention to the practical function of the items I purchase, I also try to be environmentally and socially conscious. I buy local/American made when I can and do my best to purchase clothing made from sustainable fibers and produced using environmentally friendly methods.

In Other News

The Casita has been parked at my dads having some repairs made (again). It had some leaks, and the wind tore the awning off *angry face*. Also still haven’t gotten the hot water heater working. I’m contemplating a tankless water heater, but those are so expensive!

Since I haven’t been able to pull the Casita around, I’ve basically been living out of my truck. I work for a week or two and then camp and hike for a week or two. I have very literally been living out of a small suitcase for going on two months – and this is “normal” life, not just trail life! I’ll try to get a blog post up soon about my time hiking in Grayson Highlands/Blue Ridge Parkway/Shenandoah National Park last month (oh, and Trail Days!). In the meantime, get to de-cluttering and minimizing your own wardrobe! Comment if you have any fool-proof methods for organizing and minimizing. I would love to hear what works from those who have done it successfully.