Traveling teaches us so many lessons about life and necessities. I always come back so reflective of what I really need in life.
On my trip to South America and Madrid, I actually over-packed. I was quite disappointed in myself in that arena. I packed 8 tops and 6 bottoms for South America thinking it will be hot, so I will need to change often, and being that I was there for 2 and a half weeks. However, I ended up wearing the same 4 bottoms over and over, and the same 5 tops. I did sweat like crazy from the heat, but I had access to water, soap and a clothes line, so I just washed my tops and bottoms twice when I was there. This also taught me the importance of good quality materials because one of my skirts that I rarely wear was in bad shape after 2 washes. To my credit, what I was smart about in packing was all black and white clothing, save for 1 red top and 1 blue top. I did so because I went for a funeral, and for such a situation, I did not want to be bothered with worrying about matching my clothing. However, it affected me after even more because it was so freeing, and really allowed me an extra 15 minutes (+ an extra 10 save because I didn’t do makeup and such) to do important things for my family each morning, such as make sure we all eat.
I was in Madrid for 5 days, and I packed an extra boot in case we go out (in addition to the one I was wearing) and sneakers for sightseeing. Well, I never wore that extra boot, and it was just added weight for no reason. Since, I was staying at a hotel and did not have access to a clothes line, I packed 6 bottoms and 7 tops. I only wore 3 bottoms, and 4 tops because I really didn’t care if people in a foreign city saw me in the clothes 2 days in a row. We were there to have fun, and just get away from the chaos in my life due to tragedy and stress. The last thing on my mind was if I looked perfect or to garner attention. I was with my husband anyway, so who cares, especially when he takes 5 minutes to get dressed himself, and likes when I dress no fuss.
What I learned from that trip was that I should have stuck to my color scheme that I packed in South America. While I packed clothes that match at least one other item, a lot of the items were not worn because the teal and red colors were just too loud, and took so much thought. I love that Europeans dress so subtly, and look so elegant, in subtle colors and styles, and that was a lesson to me as well. When there is less things to match and less care about garnering attention, and more attention paid on being comfortable and looking appropriate, people look so elegant and effortless. I love being American, but we can learn a lot from Europe in this regard. It was in the high 60s to 70s there, and I didn’t see girls in short skirts or shorts without tights or stockings because they are more conservative. What a relief it was to see people not wearing just tights and a short tee shirt. lol. The tights as pants thing drives me nuts because they are an accessory, not pants. At least wear a tunic or short dress/skirt with it. lol.
Over the past 2 years, I have reduced my clothing by only having silk, cotton/silk blend and merino wool since my skin is very sensitive and these fabrics last longer.I have also reduced my clothing by sticking to just a few colors in addition to neutrals, and trying to have interchangeable pieces for work and casual, which has been a but of a challenge because my work is so conservative, and I dress very casually. I also did capsule wardrobes and make sure each of my tops match with 1/3 of my bottoms, but it still wastes time and takes up room in my closet. All of these methods are discussed in this blog, and they are great starting points for those who are new to the minimalist path, revisiting it, or are having troulbe deciding what to donate and what to keep.
I was annoyed at myself that I wasted so much space packing excess clothing during traveling. All my items fit in a duffel bag, but they were wrinkled because they were stuffed so tightly. Half the number of items would mean that it would have been easier to carry, less time thinking about what to match/wear, and neater looking clothes. One of my minimalist roadblocks has been reducing my clothing even further, though I have about have less than 150 clothing items (not including socks and undergarments) total, which accommodates 4 New York seasons and multiple lifestyles (work and casual). Yet, now we can pare even further down by adding a few more rules. Here is my plan to pare down my wardrobe further:
COLOR IS THE KEY
My color scheme is red, black, dusty peach and ink/ultramarine blue. These are colors I have liked since I was 10, no matter what trends or fashion gurus say. I feel like they are me, I am drawn to them, and I feel good in them.
My tops are all red, nude/dusty peach or ink/ultramarine blue.
My blazers and cardigans are all black, grey or black and white print
I wear only grey, black, pinstripe or navy on the bottom.
Shoes and bags are black and leopard.
As a result of my minimal color scheme, all my tops go with my bottoms.
I avoid white, tan and other light/pastel colors because there is still a goth in me from my teenage years, and more so because they get stained easily, especially in New York. I do have a few white shirts, but they go under my black blazers, and hence, avoid stains. I do have one dark teal dress, one eggplant purple dress and one hunter green sweater dress, which are out of my color scheme, but since they are dresses, I don't have to worry about matching.
I don't feel bored at all with my limited color scheme, but feel like myself with everything I wear, and take less time getting dressed as I don't have to worry about matching so much. To break things up once in a while, I have a few fun accessories like scarves and skinny belts in leopard, red, pink and blue. Scarves also take up little space
FABRIC/QUALITY
Go for the best quality. It will mean less clothing clutter and time saved from having to shop.
I have learned over the years that it is better to buy one pair of lightweight wool slacks that will last you years than 5 polyester ones for the same price that will wear out in a year. I wash my wool slacks on the gentle cycle or hand wash and hang dry because they are lightweight. They can be worn in the summer or winter.
I restrict my wardrobe to just the finest merino wool or cotton for pants and silk and silk/cotton, silk/cashmere blend (cotton by itself deteriorates after a few washes), cotton lace and cotton velvet for tops and sweaters.
Synthetics are bad for sensitive skin and the environment because they don’t decompose and they ware out faster so that means more items added to the landfill, and they also cause harm to workers in production. I know that wool and silk production are not always humane or environmentally friendly, but there are a lot or organic efforts out there if you can afford them. I cannot afford all of them at the moment, but I try to buy a few items only that will last a long time, so that I am not contributing too much to these negative effects. I also shop vintage often via ebay or thrift shops. End of the season sales are also a great option to get great quality at a good price.
MULTITASK YOUR WARDROBE
I hate having clothing in so many different categories, i.e. work, formal, casual, etc. It means more items, less space in the house, and more thought on deciding what to wear. While, I cannot eliminate clothing when it comes to the seasons because we have four seasons in NY, I am going to start wearing my work clothes casually, and get rid of some of my tee shirts and casual sweaters. I will wear pencil skirts with work jersey type blouses, silk blouses, and camis that I wear under blazers. I will also wear my jeans with blazers, silk blouses and camis from work. That should trim my items down a bunch.
You can choose whatever color scheme and such works for you, but having some guidelines and rules helps a great deal in streamlining your wardrobe. I think you can still look elegant without much thought in the morning or at any time, and while maximizing your space, and minimizing your cleaning time. It just requires some thought and work now. Now I am off to declutter my closet further. Don’t forget to tell me your experiences.
Om Shanti.
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