Planning a minimal wardrobe centers around two major principles: versatile pieces and an investment in quality. You should be looking for items that pair well together and suit an overarching personal style, comprising of worthwhile investments and timeless pieces, which make you feel comfortable and confident. Here are four major steps to help you plan your minimal wardrobe.

Define Your Approach

What are you hoping to achieve? What does a “minimal wardrobe” look like to you? Defining our personal and individual approach to building a minimal wardrobe is a crucial step in achieving our goals; how can we build a minimal wardrobe without knowing what it looks like and how it should function? The key areas to focus on are: personal style, colour palettes, fit, form, and function. Start by developing ideas on what you want your minimal wardrobe to look like, how it fits in with your lifestyle, and how you can achieve that. Do you need a complete overhaul? Or are you just looking to make everything a little more cohesive?

Create A Catalogue

Taking stock, writing down an inventory, and cataloguing every piece of clothing you own is both insightful and helpful when planning a minimal wardrobe. Counting each individual piece will allow you to see exactly what you have, what you need to buy or replace, and how you can make improvements. It’s also an eye-opening experience; we often think we have a lot less than we do and once catalogued we are able to see just how much excess we have in our lives.

Detox Your Existing Wardrobe

Even if you’ve done this recently, regularly “detoxing” your wardrobe is a good habit to get into; every few months take a look at the contents, see what’s working and what’s not. Building a minimal wardrobe is a process, mistakes will happen and since we’re individuals, our personal style will change and evolve over time and our lifestyle will place new demands on our wardrobes.

When detoxing your wardrobe, ask yourself these key questions:
• Do I wear this regularly? If not, why?
• Does this item fit into my overall style?
• Can I create various outfits from this one item?
• Is it comfortable? Do I feel good wearing it?
• Do I love wearing this item or do I just like the way it looks on the hanger?

Write A List

One of the most crucial steps in planning a minimal wardrobe is to key track of key pieces your wardrobe is missing, this serves as a reference point when you’re considering new purchases and prevents impulse buying. This list can be comprised of specific pieces you’ve already found and want to buy, more like a traditional “wish list,” or something a little more open to interpretation. It’s important to keep it updated to keep your minimal wardrobe on track. If you're looking for guidance on planning a cohesive wardrobe, check out this post.

Buy With Caution

Finding ideal pieces to add to your wardrobe can be tricky and might take a little while to find, which is frustrating when you feel your wardrobe is lacking something. It’s important to be patient so you find clothes that make you look and feel good and are in keeping your personal style. Every piece in your wardrobe should be as near to “perfect” as possible in terms of quality, style, and fit; biding your time, being patient and stubborn when investing in new items, will benefit you and your wardrobe in the long run. Always buy with caution.