When you think of minimalism, what’s the first thing that springs to mind? For some, it’s a design that dictates the absence of clutter and embraces clean lines, blank space, and a pale, faded, light color scheme. For others, it’s a white room with a few pieces of furniture, mostly from IKEA or some other Scandinavian brand.
But, minimalism is so much more than an Instagrammable aesthetic. It’s a way of life and philosophy in its own right, the one that focuses on what’s truly important and essential. Now, imagine if we applied the concept of minimalism to our wardrobes. It would make our day-to-day lives so much easier! The truth is, many of the items we have in our wardrobes aren’t really necessary, and the beauty of a minimalist wardrobe is the fact that you always have something to wear. The question is: what do you do when you’re a minimalist and your partner is on the other side of the spectrum?
Below, five tips to help your man embrace a minimalist lifestyle and build a capsule wardrobe of his own.
Slim it down!
First things first, you’ll want to create a blank slate so you can see what you’re working with. Statistics show that around 80% of the items in our closet go unworn, so we only wear as little as 20% of our clothes regularly.
That 80%… it has to go. To start the decluttering process, prepare a couple of boxes, and then empty the closet into a pile. Go through the stuff, sorting each item into a particular box. Mark the boxes with maybe, keep, and toss. If the items from the maybe box go unworn for six months, you can be sure that it’s time to let them go.
Embrace time-honoured essentials
A minimalist wardrobe is a wardrobe you can rely on whenever you need to get dressed quick regardless of the occasion. It reduces decision fatigue, it saves time and money, and it’s better for the environment. But, most importantly, a minimalist wardrobe is the one that puts classic, timeless, versatile pieces before trendy, I’ll-wear-it-once-and-forget-about-it pieces.
Now, when it comes to embracing time-honored, dependable essentials, you want to get back to basics. Think simple, everyday pieces of high-quality that can be worn over and over again on multitude of occasions. Think jeans, casual tees, flannel shirts, Oxford shirts, chinos, and sweatshirts. The rules? Go for simple design and buy within a complementary color palette so that he can get the most use out of his wardrobe.
Invest in minimalist accessory staples
Many people think that, just because someone is a minimalist, they can’t be fashion lovers and therefore, their outfits must look bland and boring. The thing is, a minimalist closet serves as a foundation made of classic, timeless pieces onto which accessories are added.
These are not just any accessories, though. Minimalist accessory collections are, like minimalist wardrobes, carefully and meticulously curated. They’ll often consist of staples such as a pair of timeless sunglasses, a classic watch, or a minimalist cardholder wallet that complement a capsule wardrobe and go well with everything. It’s details like these that can make his minimalist outfit look so much more expensive without him even trying. On the plus side, investing in minimalist accessory staples will make sure they stand the test of time.
Help him come up with a simple everyday uniform
There’s a reason why many successful men prefer to keep their wardrobes on the minimalist side. Getting up in the morning without worrying about what to wear helps set the tone for a productive day and lets you focus on things that actually matter.
Steve Jobs’ turtleneck-and- jeans combo is a great example of a no-fuss, simple everyday uniform. Use that as an inspiration to help your partner find his. Feeling monotonous? Switching out accessories can be a great way to spice up an outfit, add visual interest, and make a combination feel fresh and new.
Think twice before adding something new
Because a minimalist wardrobe is based on very edited staples, it may be difficult for your partner to resist the urge to add something new every now and then. This is where you want to be extra careful – a couple of impulsive purchases later, and you’re back where you started.
To avoid having a wild, untamed wardrobe, your partner should ask himself things like how long the garment will last, how often he is going to wear it, and whether he already owns something similar. Also, make sure he follows a “one in, one out” policy as this will prevent unnecessary accumulation of clothes.
Wrapping up
As you can see, minimalism isn’t necessarily about absence of all fashion add-ons and accessories. Rather, it’s about being a smart dresser and making the most out of what you already have. With these tips in mind, you’ll manage to help your partner streamline his wardrobe, eliminate non-essentials, and embrace time-honored, versatile pieces that will make his mornings so much easier and simpler.
