the case for less.

Because I still haven’t unpacked all of our boxes after our crazy month of April, I’ve been living on a few pairs of pants and the above tops for the last three weeks. And you know what? It feels fantastic. I’ve got the basic separates: plaid, stripes and solids — what more do I need?

The truth? Very little. I’ve been accessorizing the same outfits in different ways and am surprised to see that I really don’t miss those extra boxes of clothes. As someone who rarely likes to wear the same outfit more than once (this is a terrible habit, I know), I thought it would be much harder to live with just ten items of clothes. But to be honest, it’s freeing.

No more starting at a stuffed closet with “nothing to wear.” No more piles and piles of obscure laundry waiting to be washed. No more pings of guilt when I open my closet door to see items I haven’t donned in months.

Living with less feels really good right now. I don’t know how long it will last, but I want it to stick for as long as it can. I’m considering this my challenge: to keep my extra clothes in those boxes as long as I can. I’ll keep you posted.

  • i love it! i recently downsized my closet as well, and have three boxes that are waiting for consignment. it really is very freeing, and so much easier to choose what to wear! :)

  • I agree that it would be quite freeing. Tempted to dump my drawers! This would be a great way to promote giving the unnecessary to those in need!

  • I totally agree, ladies! am toying w/ the idea of sticking to ten tops only and donate the rest. let’s see if i can do it!

  • I have been wanting to severely downsize my wardrobe lately as well, especially after reading how much Americans spend as opposed to other countries and feeling quite sick about it. And after recently moving and realizing how much stuff I don’t use. Keeping it simple is a motto I think I need to adhere to from now on. Thanks for writing about this! I think it’s an important lesson to learn.

  • I love that I own two of the same tops you have in your 10. Proof that we are wonderful as friends :)

  • This is great. I made it my resolution to not buy any clothes in 2011 and I’ve really stuck to it (minus a nice dress for a wedding I attended). Not only is it fun to be more creative with the outfits I put together, but it also makes my bank account happy!

  • love it. same here on narrowing down and accessorizing. less is so much more and you don’t have to waste time trying to figure out what to wear when they are fewer options!

  • i just recently cleaned out my closet, but i think i can pare things down even more….i’m moving in the fall and am unsure as to what i should take with me. the climate is going to be SO different from my current home.

  • You are my inspiration! We are moving into a smaller house with tiny closets next month and I was just contemplating how I am going to fit all of my “stuff” into the new place. You’ve made me realize I probably don’t need most of it!

  • Be careful, though! You should know yourself well enough to remember that 30 for 30 wasn’t for you, and paring down to just 10 tops sounds even worse. :) Better to just practice the principle of simpler living for a bit without donating your entire wardrobe, growing to regret it, and then having to spend heaps of money to replace what you had. I like the thought, though!

  • This experience you are having is very inspiring, specially when “consuming” is seen as THE way out of the financial and economic crisis. My opinion is that we should focus more on selling (good) services instead of stuff as a way to refuel the economy, but we keep getting messages on how many other things we don´t have, we didn´t even knew we needed, and now must own. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  • hallelujah. i remember seeing this photo on instagram and making a mental note to check out the follow-up post. only now did i finally see this! (how many bonus points do i get for remembering for two months??)

    i am currently going through a giant closet purge and i can testify to the amazing feeling of living more minimally. we have so much stuff we’re getting rid of that i can’t even do it in one fell swoop — i’m taking two big bags to work with me every morning to take to the charity thrift shop and i’m hoping i only have 4 or five trips left. eep!

    anyway, i just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration. once all the clothes and shoes and insanity is donated away, i think it will be about time for a celebration! how is your closet minimalism coming along these days?? <3

  • oh jill, i feel you! to be honest, the closet cleanout is looking good. im still repurposing a lot of my old duds and mixing/matching as best i can. im really loving how empty my closet feels! :)

  • Yay, that’s great to hear! I think it’s kind of challenging to part with the material in life, especially for those who value good design and are blessed (cursed?) with a whimsical, ever-changing aesthetic. But it just feels awesome to come home to a simple, minimal house!

    Do you have any good recs about blogs or writers who subscribe to the less-is-more mentality? I’d love to hear who inspires you vis-a-vis organization and achieving a slightly more minimal lifestyle, haha. (Someday I want to be reincarnated as Benita over at Chez Larsson, but I am so not Swedish or cool enough.)

Comments are closed.