What do you have?
I have:
3 pairs jeans
3 pairs carhartts
1 pair quilted carhartts
3 smartwool shirts
3 tank tops
5 t shirts
3 long sleeve shirts
3 sun dresses
and too much stuff I keep around for special occasions or something.
Early Retirement Extreme Forums » Lifestyle Questions
minimalist wardrobe
(16 posts)-
Posted 1 year ago #
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I have...
2 jeans (one for flats, one for heels)
2 dress pants (charcoal and black)
5 l/s and 5 s/s knit tops (black, charcoal, grey, white, navy)
5 tanks in same colors
4 thin cashmere sweaters (grey, charcoal, tan, deep purple)
scarves (maybe 8?) to make the outfits look different
running clothes
4 pairs of shorts (2 dress, 2 for gardening)
tan short trench
black long trench
black wool coatand a green shirt I keep for St. Patrick's day :)
Posted 1 year ago # -
I am nowhere near being minimalist, especially when it comes to clothing. I don't want to give anything away, because it's still good and has at least some sentimental value. I'd rather just wear everything out. That doesn't really seem to happen, especially when I find out more ways to make my clothes last longer.
@riparian: Wow, I'm surprised you're able to be so minimalist with clothing. Don't you need a lot of clothes to stay warm in Alaska? Also, what are carhartts?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Not minimalist here. However on review:
Of my 25 "winter" shirts - the newest is 4 years old
Of my jeans - none are less than 6 years old. About 7-8 pairs.
Pants - khaki's etc - all are 6-8 years old.
I have 3 tailored suits that were hand me downs from my father in law, tailored by mom in law that still fit - their in the range of 12-15 years old.
Socks and underclothing in the 2-4 year range...
Shoes. Hmm, newest set ( keen sandals ) are 4 years old. I'm wearing Timberland shoes that are .. 8 years old atm.
My not-winter wear ( mostly shirts ) fall in a range from 4 to 12 years old.
So, I'm more of a durability and re-use owner versus minimalism. Each seasons wardrobe fits in a closet about 72 cu ft, with off season clothes packed in plastic in an attic.
Posted 1 year ago # -
@beyondthewrap, I guess I wasn't thinking of outside clothes at all. The smart wool has eliminated a lot of layering tho. For outside I have a town coat (poofy fake down), a carhart fleece lined vest, a giant alyeska parka from the 80's, carhart quilted overalls, awesome dumpster boots, thrift store hats and gloves. Then in the shed I have spare dumpstered boots and snowsuit things.
Lately I've been wearing quilted carhart pants with smart wool long underwear, smart wool shirt layered with a long sleeve shirt and carhart vest if I'm working outside. If it's super cold or I'm going far I wear my parka too.
Carhart is a brand that makes incredibly durable clothing out of a canvas like (but tougher) material.
Posted 1 year ago # -
As a minimalist who is intentional about his wardrobe, I love this question:
1 pair jeans (really nice designer jeans)
1 pair sweatpants
1 pair cargo shorts
2 pairs workout shorts
14 t-shirts
2 polo shirts
21 pairs of underwear
21 pairs of socks
3 sweaters
2 hoodies
1 suit (dark grey) w/ 2 buttondown/tie combos
1 belt (I'm 28 and I've had it 11 years!)1 pair dress shoes (for the suit)
1 pair casual shoes
1 pair flip flops1 pair hiking boots
1 pair hiking pants
2 pairs wicking shirts1 winter coat
1 fall coat
1 rain jacket
1 fleece underlayerThe reason that I have so many socks, underwear, and t-shirts is that I dislike doing laundry.
If I thought there was something on this list I could cut, I would. If a get a new version of something I already have, say a new sweater, I get rid of the worst of the existing ones.
In general everything on the list is the highest quality I can find. Who cares what an individual item costs when you have so few?
Posted 1 year ago # -
My hat is off to you minimalists! This is an area of my life I look forward to gradually simplifying over the course of the next few years as I find myself needing to replace things.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm more of an aspiring minimalist. After some struggling, I've settled on the rule that if I haven't worn something in a year, I have to give it away.
The main irritant these days are my 'fancy' clothes. I'm curious how you guys deal with that (women especially). I have all these clothes that got acquired for weddings/first dates/annual work Christmas parties/interviews/random-fancy-event-I-couldn't-get-out-of and they just sort of sit there....irritating me. I try to re-use them as much as possible but I can't show up at all my Christmas parties in the same thing every year and so...
Avni
Posted 1 year ago # -
Inspiring thread.
This is one area where I hoard. Once I finally do achieve ER(E), I probably won't need to procure clothes for 10 years at least.
I've also kept clothes in smaller sizes because I am slowly losing weight. I'll get rid of the bigger clothes as I no longer need them, but I appreciate the inspiration here.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I too have been on a diet and have lost some 80 lbs over the last two years...but have reached a plateau over the last 6 months..have to reduce the calories further but will wait till the first of the year.
As long as I can still buckle my belt comfortably on the last notch I cut in it I know I'm not gaining any back.
But as for clothes....have way too many and don't usually buy anymore but have an aversion to getting rid of something that still fits reasonably well...yes I like baggy...its COMFORTABLE.
Because I do ride a motorcycle I did break down and buy a set of quilt lined Carhartt pants I can put over my regular street clothes when the weather gets cold.
Carhartt is an old brand of very well made clothes for working people (read: Manual Laborers") and worth the money IMO.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I could do better here. I am just stoked I can fit everything into my one normal closet. No dresser (I have hanging drawers for under things), just one clothing rod and a shelf on top. I keep all seasons in my closet too, no out of season rotation.
3 pairs of jeans
probably about 10 pairs of dress slacks
5 sweaters
5 button down shirts
7 blazers (from a former job where it was expected)
2-3 dresses (haven't worn in years, but yet, cannot throw away!!!)
3-4 skirts
21 pairs of underwear, socks, maybe 10 regular bras, 4 workout bras
4 pairs long underwear
about 5 casual wear shirts
maybe 7 junk shirts/t-shirts with stains, etc
3 long sleeved shirts
BUT... about 21 pairs of shoes... I don't know what I was thinking.Posted 1 year ago # -
I've become an avid thrifter in the past year, and once I found a few nice items, I no longer liked most of my wardrobe, so I'm slowly transitioning it. Not very frugal, but at least it's mostly from thrift stores. I'll tag something with an * if I intend to replace, + for get more, - to get rid of.
1 pair jeans *
2 pair pants +
1 pair shorts +
2 gym shorts
10 dress shirts -5+2
5 T-shirts -2
1 polo shirt +
2 sweatshirts
1 sweatpant
6 sweaters -2*4 (if I can find quality cashmere, I'll replace what I have)
5 dress socks
Lots of other socks: hiking, athletic, invisible
5 pairs underwear
2 jackets *1
2 coats
1 snow pants
2 long underwear sets *
1 suit*
1 tux
5 sport coats -1
~10 pairs of shoes -2Posted 1 year ago # -
akratic - do you wear jeans to work? If so, do you wear your one pair for 2 - 3 weeks straight before doing laundry?
Posted 1 year ago # -
@frygirl Yes.
Times I'll wear something between washes:
jeans, hoodies: 15-30
underwear, socks, undershirts, workout clothes: once
shirts: 1-2Most people wash their jeans (and their hair) too often. Washing these things every day is worse for them than washing them less frequently.
Here's the article about the guy who wore his jeans for 15 months without washing them: link
Posted 1 year ago # -
I like your minimalism akratic.
This might be tmi for this place, but I love when I wear jeans for long enough that they take on that slick, water resistant sort of sheen (of course I don't wear those jeans when I go to town).
Posted 1 year ago # -
I might win the award for the most shirts here... I have enough to last me for many many years. I keep most of them in boxes in my closet, just waiting around for my other shirts to wear out.
On the number of times you can wear something before washing, the clear option for shirts, socks, etc. is WOOL.
This time of year I can wear a wool shirt (a baselayer, so it's against my skin completely) for more than one week and it won't get dirty/smelly. The main reason I wash mine is because they are long-sleeve shirts and the sleeves get stretched out from wearing and from the times that I push the sleeves up. A short sleeve could probably go 2 weeks.
I just got a pair of wool socks and I think I can wear them for at least 2 days. I often wear two different pairs of cotton socks in one day.
Posted 1 year ago #
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