Are you guys tired of my simple outfits yet?
(Don’t worry, that’s a rhetorical question…)
The idea I’ve been mulling over lately when it comes to my closet: Do I want to be stylish or minimalist? Can I be both? I think I want to be a stylish minimalist.
The idea of owning less is really, really attractive to me. I think it’s because in some ways it seems freeing. To me, owning fewer things = less encumbered and fewer decisions. It also seems to promise white space, in my mind and in my home.
I recently listened to an interview with Joshua Becker on the RobCast (thanks Brenna for sending that my way!) and I think I’m ready to start some form of minimalism. I really like Becker’s approach by way of ‘rational minimalism’ which is “not cumbersome, but freeing based on your values, desires, passions, and rational thinking.” He describes it as elevating what is important in your life and subtracting the things that distract you from it.
A quick heart check, and the ‘things’ I come back with as important in my life are: family, time, resources, and experiences. So for me, I am going into the idea of minimalism with some goals in mind: more time, more money, more focus.
At the recommendation of one lovely reader I’ve decided to start small, with one conquerable area of my life/house and expand from there. Baby steps, right?
[top, Jamie + the Jones (M/L) / jeans, old (similar) / shoes – NEW! c/o Sandgrens – full review coming next week! / bag, thrifted Dooney & Bourke / necklace, BYCO]
Happy Friday to you!
xo,
Andrea
Welcome to minimalism! I’am so excited for you. What area will you start with? I did my bathroom first (now I have a one system Joshua encourages), and my closet!
Cute outfit. I ordered my first pair of Toms sandal clogs a few weeks ago and can’t wait for nicer weather to wear them!
Have a good weekend!
Hi Jodie! Yes, I’m taking your advice to start small. First: my dresser (it’s very cluttered) and next my car or my bathroom.
I think I’m finally ready for this too. I’ve always had this tendency because I hate clutter and seeing things not get used. And now that I’ve spent some time adding decent stuff to my wardrobe (it really needed some help after too many years of bargain hunting and avoiding buying basics) I am finally getting the feeling where I have lots to wear yet less clothing, and it’s kind of an intoxicating feeling.
We did a huge purge of our household stuff two years ago when we moved into a house half the size of our old one, and its made it so much easier to not buy too much stuff and to pass things on when we don’t use them because we simply don’t have the space to have more! But it does take some vigilance since I also have some major materialistic tendencies :)
I love this – having lots to wear yet less clothing is kind of an intoxicating feeling. What a great perspective!!
I totally hear you Tawny on the merits of living in a smaller space. We downsized when we moved to Portland, I almost never go to stores like HomeGoods because I literally have no where to put that kind of stuff. So win-win! It’s really encouraged me to thoughtfully decorate with meaningful items. Which of course takes a lot more time, but I suppose that’s a good thing.
Love this! Will be listening to that podcast asap! I’ve been slowly working my way toward minimalism for almost a year now, starting with decluttering. The way I’ve been approaching it, is anytime a purchase comes up, I pause and think it through rather than just swiping the card. I think a big part for me is trying to be more sustainable as well – somehow minimalism and sustainability seem to fit hand in hand for me, and I’m seeing the benefits of both!
As I find myself making similar steps to a more minimal and sustainable lifestyle, I’ve found my favorite blogs (like yours!) are the ones that are full of simple outfits on repeat. I love the inspiration as a way to find new and fun ways to be happy with what I have and as a resource to find great brands when I do happen to need to buy something new. Which I guess is a long way of saying, love this post, keep them coming :)
Thank you so much for this Bev, your comment has truly made my day! Thank you for affirming me, sometimes I wonder if people will get ‘bored’ and need to see new all the time, but that’s just not my reality nor my approach. It’s a good reminder to be authentic and not worry so much. :)
I for one, love seeing the same pieces worn in different combinations. It’s wonderful inspiration to try something unexpected. My summer project is to declutter our house. Now that my closet is in pretty good shape I realize how much of my stress comes from our stuff. It just feels crowded even when everything is out away. I haven’t decided if I’m going to tackle one room at a time or one type of item throughout the whole house. Let’s be declutter buddies!😉
This post sums up my current feelings! I am currently paring down and replacing items in my wardrobe, with basics that I love! The freedom of a smaller closet is beautiful. Next up is our home. With a busy toddler, I’m frustrated by a seemingly clean house, that looks cluttered. My husband agrees, and we have made it our mission to be mindful of our purchases. We are slowly paring down other aspects of our home along the way. Slow and steady wins the race!
Breanna, I feel ya! I have a toddler too (and two bigger kids), and when they are awake the clutter struggle is real. But when I have less clutter in general (like in my kitchen and on my countertops) I seem to have more patience for theirs.
Your mantra is perfect: slow and steady DOES win the race!
Thanks for sharing the Robcast ep, I just finished listening to it. I’m reading a book about garbage right now and tip-toeing into sounds pretty good right about now. Consuming less also means wasting less and gaining as you said more time, more money, more focus!
Yes! Three things I certainly want more of! Good luck in your quest to cut down.
I have very little clothing because I have never been interested in clothing. I also never stock up on anything. I try to give away one or two things every time I get something else. My friends find it amazing that we never have more than 4 rolls of toilet paper in the house or one extra bar of soap. Most of my clothing is second hand or free things my kids get at conferences.