Minimalist clothes shopping

Minimalistic wardrobe shopping.


I have a feeling I am not the only one, who doesn't know what to wear, or more precisely, has nothing to wear, standing in front of a closet full of clothes, every single time.

When we feel we have nothing to wear, we usually go shopping. But for some reason, it never changes the fact that we still have nothing wear at the end.

Here are some tips to minimize and simplify your clothes shopping experience,

Make a list. This is by far, the most important part of any shopping experience. When you have a list, you know exactly what you need. You have a target for your shopping and you will not waste time browsing aimlessly in between tons of stores and clothes.


Respect your list. Look for and buy only Items that are on your list. It is very easy to get side tracked. But be careful and try to focus on your list only. This way you will go home with exactly what you need and won't forget something. Remember! If you don't need it, don't buy it. ( If you need a black pair of pants and a summer short sleeve shirt, don't go buying a dress and a pair of shoes, just because they are on sale and you like them)


Classic look. Look for classic looks rather than latest styles. Styles come and go. They actually come and go pretty fast. But classic looks never get out of style. If you enjoy wearing the latest style, get one single piece and mix and match with you classic wardrobe. For example one or two pairs of skinny jeans can be matched with almost every top. Classic clothes are always beautiful and never out of style.


Best quality. Can't even tell you how many times i found my dream piece of clothing and fell in love with it and after the first wash, it was all ruined and looked really bad. Look for the best qualities . Preferably natural fabrics. Good quality clothing last and looks good all the time. After all, you can not look polished and classy in something that looks faded and stretched. Not to mention the wasted money.


Natural Fabrics. Natural fabrics feel good, breath better, carry less chemicals, are biodegradable at the end of their lives and cause less allergies and eczema. As the buyers, we have a lot of power to make a difference. By buying natural fabrics, we make a choice to reduce our society's attachment to petroleum and plastics and reduce the non biodegradable waste.


Mono color. Try to stay with mono color fabrics. They match everything. Single color clothing could be easily mixed, matched and upgraded with accessories. They are very versatile. They also look good, pleasant and classy and visually calming. (You can't really match a floral top with another floral bottom.)


Comfort. Make sure you buy items that are very comfortable. Don't buy something just because it looks good. Always make sure you try the item on before buying. If an item is not comfortable, there is a very high chance that you will wear it maybe once and then it is going to sit in your closet for years to come.


Versatile. Look for items that can be used and paired with other items in your closet. Mixing and matching will be a life saver when you are staring at your closet having nothing to wear. You can get a new look each time by simply exchanging tops and bottoms.


Accessorize. In a simple and classic wardrobe, items can be easily upgraded with accessories. Instead of buying a new top for a night out in town, you can add a nice necklace to almost any shirt and avoid adding a whole new shirt to your closet. Stay away from over the top bling accessories. Instead, get some unique and nice pieces that can accentuate a classic wardrobe.


Love it. You have to absolutely love an item before you buy it. If you are not 100% in love, do not buy the item just because it is on sale. Keep looking. If you don't love an item, it is not worth the time, money and space you dedicate to it. Chances are, you are not going to wear it as much. No matter how inexpensive it is.


Age appropriate. Make sure you buy age appropriate items. Don't forget to grow up. Do not look in junior department if you are let's say 48 years old. There are plenty of beautiful classy looking items that are youthful and modern and still age appropriate. Wearing teenage clothing does not make you become one if you are not.

Minimal trending. As i mentioned before, you don't need a whole new wardrobe every season just to be trendy. Buy 1 or 2 items to follow the latest trend, if you like to follow trends. Make sure you don't invest too much on them, you can match them with your classic items in your closet. Don't forget that they might go out of style before you get a return on investment from them.


One or two are enough.You don't need many of the same items. If you have a good black belt or a nice black dress, you don't need another one. Just accessorize the one black dress based on the circumstances. Try to get used to having one or two of something. Two pairs of good looking, nice fitting jeans are better than a closet full of them when you only wear the two that are your favorites.


No sales racks. Stay away from the sales racks. Try to find something you really need, not just browse and choose things you don't even need or like. If you know you will not get distracted and too excited, sales racks can be a good place for nice bargains. But you have to make sure you are not going to d up buy many items just because they are on sale.


Set a budget. Before going shopping, make sure you have a set budget. It is better if you have an allowance and put money aside monthly in an envelope for clothing. This will reduce the chances of over spending and also make you feel comfortable buying things you need without any worries or guilt about money.


Layer.Try to buy items that you can layer. If you own let's say 5 extra heavy and warm sweaters and live in California, this can not be your only winter wardrobe. Try to buy more items that belong to the in between seasons of Fall and spring. You can always layer with jackets and tops. It will look good and it could be altered base on the temperature needs.

Consider vintage. This is by far, one of the best things you can do for the environment. Consignment stores have many brand new items which ended up in closets from sales racks and stayed there for a long time and finally went to consignment stores. The clothing and fashion industries are very damaging to planet. We buy and discard too fast not even thinking where the items will end up going to. Unfortunately, many end up in landfills and since they contain plastic, they stay in landfills for many years to come. Don't be a part of this problem.


Shopping diet. Once you have a nice closet and are satisfied with it, go on a shopping diet for a
whole year. The first time I did it for a whole year, I loved it. It helps you value what you have. Also you use your wardrobe to the max. It is easy to find items and saves you tons of money. Try it!


Purge. Always purge at the end of each season. Check this for tips on how to do it. After your purge, do not buy any more. Wait till next year, when you reorganize that season's clothing, you will know what you really need. Make a list and buy what you need then.



Happy clothes shopping :)
Paris