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Pretty Simple Ideas

| Simplifying Homemaking | Moderns Proverbs 31 Woman

5 Easy Steps to Create a Minimalist Wardrobe

by 38 Comments

Guys, I am no style icon. But on occasion, people do compliment me on my pretty simple style. Even more so that I’ve purged my closet of everything I hated and only left items I loved and went well together. (You can read about my closet purge HERE!)

Now when I add anything new to my closet I put it through tougher scrutiny than one of the president’s administration appointments. Below are tips I’ve used to de-clutter my closet, and my make sure anything new I introduced would add to my pretty & simple style.


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5 Easy Steps to Create a Minimalist Wardrobe

5 Easy Steps to Create a Minimalist Wardrobe

1. Only keep items you LOVE.

Before I purged my closet I kept around so many ugly shirts and dresses that I hated, but kept because they were easy to clean or I was just too lazy to get rid of.

But what ended up happening is every time I went to my closet I grabbed what was ugly, but easy, and ended up hating my outfit all day. Meanwhile, I left things that were cute or did look much better on me in my closet because I didn’t want to have to dry clean it, or because I have this weird guilt about using nice things I buy. Still dealing with that but that’s for another time… 😉

So what kinds of clothing items do I love? Anything pretty, floral, or that makes me feel feminine.

What defines YOUR style? Is it pretty and feminine? Traditional and neutral? Edgy? If your wardrobe consists of items you love, it can give a boost to your confidence.

2.  Versatile.

These days I practically live in leggings so, unfortunately, (or do I mean, fortunately?) versatility has come to mean, “can be worn with leggings.”

That means long and easy to throw on. For you, it might mean a certain texture or color that matches other items in your wardrobe. Whatever versatile means to you, make sure any item you keep or buy can be worn in different ways and with different items.

Now when I go to buy a new article of clothing I ask myself whether it can be worn in different ways or one more than one occasion, and if the answer is no – I hang it back up and walk away.

The above dress is one of my new favorites. It’s called the Chambray Alice Wrap Dress from Virginia Dare Dress Company. I wear it on repeat! It’s also pregnancy and nursing friendly for my fellow moms out there. Use my code PRETTYSIMPLEIDEAS for 15% off!

3. Neutral color scheme.

A good rule of thumb when building a wardrobe is to fill it with a lot of neutrals. Of course, you need that occasional statement shirt or pop of color but if you’re only buying brightly colored pants chances are your co-workers are going to notice if you were your fluorescent green slacks with yellow stripes twice in one week.

But neutrals on the other hand, always play well with others and are always in style.

Also, while cleaning out my closet there were a few items I LOVED, but honestly I never wore because nothing matched them. And it didn’t look like that was going to change soon. So, into the donate bag they went (or to my sister) and out of my closet.

4.  Simple.

I like things I can just throw on and go! I don’t really like dealing with buttons, ties, or strings. Buttons ups are the worst. Not only because they take a long time to put on, but I never realize my buttons aren’t lined up until around 3 pm after I’ve been walking around all day with one side longer than the other. Easy to put on and wear is key to a simple wardrobe.

This dress is also from Virginia Dare and is called the Camilla Floral Dress. It’s perfect for work, church, or a garden party.            🙂 You can also get this dress 15% off using my code PRETTYSIMPLEIDEAS.

Minimalist Wardrobe

5. Quality.

I won’t name any names, but there are some women’s fashion stores out there that sell cutesy clothes at a very cheap price – but they are also very cheaply made. To build a solid wardrobe you need items that will last, not that you wear once and find a hole in after getting snagged on your office door. You also don’t want items that lose their shape or shrink after one wash.

Now that – is pretty simple.

If you want to declutter your closet, even more, you may enjoy this article on how to Create Your First Capsule Wardrobe.

How would you describe your style? Let me know in the comments below!

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Comments

  6. Kim says

    I totally purged my closet last year and have been slowly adding pieces to it that have character and are worthwhile pieces. I will have to check out their shop!

    Reply

  8. Emily says

    I always take quality into consideration when shopping! My style has evolved a lot over the past few years. I’d describe it as neutral, simple, and classic.

    Reply

  18. Katie says

    Simple is definitely a good way to describe my style as well. I’m lucky to work in an environment where our dress code is rather casual and I can wear jeans and a t-shirt or wear my leggings in such a way that it doesn’t look like I’m heading to the gym after work (even when I do go to yoga after work). I love so many of these pieces and all of your tips, but especially about keeping what you love! Currently, I’m going through my closet and drawers and trying to wear everything and seeing how I feel in it. I already pulled out the stuff that was a “no” but now it’s everything else. If I wear it for the day and feel good, then it’s a keeper, but there’s always pieces that I start off feeling good but by the end of the day, I don’t feel too great – those go in my donate pile!

    Reply

  20. Brittany Daoud says

    These are really great tips! I feel like I do the same thing, pull things out of my closet that I wear a lot because they are comfortable, but I don’t feel 100% in them. I definitely need to do a closet purge of everything that doesn’t make me feel great. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  21. Lauren Shuster says

    Such a fab post – thanks for the tips! As a yoga teacher it’s easy to get stuck in black leggings all day everyday – your post inspired me to have a little more fun with my outfits 🙂

    Reply

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