Many people think that minimal dressing means small closets, few colors, no prints, and basically black and white life. It could be true for some minimalists who like to stick to monochromes but that does not define minimal dressing.

Tips To Dress Like A Minimalist

1. Go for a focal point clothing item. Build a wardrobe around it. It does not have to be limited in colors. Contrast colors and graded colors can easily help mix and match. Simple accessories or statements jewelry can help you uplift the garment when you step for evening events.
2. Think of minimal dressing as a permanent capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is typically created for seasons for occasions. People have multiple capsules(sets) of clothing in their wardrobe. A minimalist makes one capsule which can support most weathers and occasions when minor additions.
3. To dress like a minimalist, consider timeless pieces. If you want to own limited items, it is easier to do with classic timeless pieces like a white t-shirt, blue jeans, fit and flare dress, an office formal trouser, etc. Trendy pieces can lose its charm as soon as the fad goes away.
4. Think of the environmental impacts of the Fast fashion industry before you say again – “I have nothing to wear.” Minimal dressing not only works in saving money and time but primarily you are helping mother Earth by consuming lesser resources.

Environmental Impacts of Fast Fashion Industry:

2700 liters of water are used to make one cotton top/shirt.

It takes 80 years for a cloth to decompose in a landfill.

Clothing Industry is the second biggest polluter of clean water on earth after oil.

Steps To Minimize Clothes

You would have heard that the first step is to declutter. And if you are able to use Marie Kondo’s “Spark Joy” principle of decluttering, good for you. If it is consuming to understand what sparks joy and whatnot, I suggest this approach that has worked for me:

1. Study your body and what suits you. Start by measuring yourself with a tape and understanding which size category you exactly fit into. Choose a reference brand because several brands have minor differences in sizes.
2. After nailing down the size, keep what fits, and flatters your body. Guidelines to understand what flatters or suits you can be something like the suggestions given above (based on body shapes).
3. The last step of minimal dressing is to stick with the minimum number of items that you “need” and not “want”. Avoid buying after the desired set is created, unless a replacement is required.

Suggestions for styling based on Body shapes:

Triangular – A-line fits, no horizontal stripes
Rectangular – Structured fits, not baggy, tuck in, a dress which has fit on the waist, no vertical stripes
Round – straight fits, not flared, vertical stripes, no bold prints
Hourglass – structured fits, wrap dress or a-line dress, hide the heaviest part of the body, no color block
Inverted triangle – no horizontal stripes for top, wear fit and flare, no closed necks, highlight bottoms

Obese body type – vertical color block, vertical stripes, wear straight fits, no structured garments, try saree, flare paints

I encourage each one of you to seriously and consciously consider the purchase of each clothing and save our planet from the harmful effects of the pollution being caused by the Fast fashion industry.

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