8 Reasons to Wear the Same Thing Every Day!

This idea is new to me but I think I might love it. It’s called, “The Capsule Wardrobe Movement” and interest is growing. Here’s why and how you might try it for yourself.

We have become obsessed with fashion and its ever changing mood. And we are drowning in the desire to pursue and have. Can you imagine though, what might happen if you made a decision to just stop. Even if only for half a year? Just. Stop. Buying.

Becoming Minimalist reminds us if we owned fewer clothes:

  • You would have more disposable income.
  • You would have more time to live your life.
  • Mornings would feature less stress.
  • Your closets would be well-organized and uncluttered.
  • Packing for trips/vacations would take less time.
  • Laundry days would be easier (not necessarily less, but definitely easier).

Would you have to wear the same outfit everyday? No, but then again, why would it matter? There are some very successful people who choose to own less and wear minimally. Ever notice how President Obama only wears blue or gray suits?

Here’s a summary of why you should try this lifestyle, from our friends at Becoming Minimalist:

1. Fewer decisions. The more decisions you have to make, the more the quality deteriorates. For those of us who need to make significant decisions every day, even one less could lead to better decisions for things that really matter.

2. Less time wasted. Until you purge, you have no idea how heavy your “things” are. With a limited wardrobe, you’ve got added time in the morning, or before date night, etc. Time is important and we waste much of it on stuff that doesn’t matter in the long run.

3. Less stress. Here’s a fun story: art director Matilda Kahl, wears the same outfit (silk white shirt and black trousers) everyday. It’s less stress and second guessing throughout the day. I can’t imagine.

4. Less wasted energy. Even men are beginning to realize that it’s a waste of energy to pick out a new outfit everyday. Large wardrobes require more decision-making, maintenance, and organization. And if you add expensive clothes that need to be dry cleaned, you’ve added time- again.

5. Feeling put together. Most of us know what this idea means because we open our closets and see loads and loads of things we bought (because we just HAD to have them) that don’t match with anything else we have. Many of us are therefore always on the hunt to make that one piece a part of the larger organism. Not with a capsule wardrobe. When you go through and keep only what works best with the majority of what you already have, you’ll find that those non-versatile, second thought, trendy pieces have no place. You won’t even miss them.

6. Iconic. More from the article: “Alice Gregory is a writer living in New York City. Last year, her piece for J. Crew magazine brought a new word into my reasoning for wearing a uniform. She called it “Iconic. A cheap and easy way to feel famous.” She continues, “A uniform can be a way of performing maturity or, less charitably, impersonating it. A uniform insinuates the sort of sober priorities that ossify with age, as well as a deliberate past of editing and improving.”

7. Less expense. In 1930, the average American woman owned nine outfits and today she owns 30. That’s part of the $1,700 the American family spends annually on the cost of clothes. Now, imagine you are buying very high end clothing and multiply that by 10.

8. More peace. From the article, “Last month, Drew Barrymore wrote an article for Refinery 29 highlighting her new stage of life and relationship with clothes. ‘For starters, I’m almost 40, and the 20s clothes don’t make sense anymore. And, after two babies, the 30s clothes don’t fit anymore. I am at a clothing crossroads, and it’s a painful one at times.’ To counter these feelings, Drew put herself on a closet diet limiting her wardrobe and only buying items thoughtfully. Months later, her closet is ‘sane and happy.’ Getting dressed is no longer a battle. And her fashion sense is ‘now calmer and more peaceful.’”

It’s an interesting concept and one I think I’d like to try. I imagine it would be best for me to start out small, like make the decision to follow these principles and not buy anything for a couple of months. I must admit, there’s a shirt in my closet that I purchased when I was abroad. I like it but I don’t love it and I almost never wear it. Perhaps that will be the first item to go.

XO- Erin

Source: Becoming Minimalist