5 Mar 20

A Minimalist Wardrobe Tour

A Minimalist Wardrobe Tour



I’ve had a sustainable minimal wardrobe for several years now. I said goodbye to fast fashion in 2015, thrift for what I need whenever possible, and support independent designers as much as I can. Tracking my wardrobe has helped in various ways.


  • it’s shown me exactly what I own and how much
  • it's helped identify things I should get rid of
  • it’s made it easier to see gaps in my wardrobe
  • it’s identified the favourites I always wear
  • it’s put a stop to frivolous spending

I recommend you audit your wardrobe in this way. Although having a list of everything you own might seem excessive, it shows you just how much you have. We have a tendency to severely underestimated the amount of belongings we own and this is a foolproof way of taking responsibility for our possessions.


This is the entire contents of my wardrobe. Less than 40 items including clothes, shoes, and bags. Not including lingerie, base layers, and accessories. For some people my wardrobe will appear shockingly sparse. Others will wonder why I call myself a minimalist at all with such a vast amount of clothing. It is what it is. Simple living looks different to everyone. I’m not an extreme minimalist and a single pair of shoes, one coat, and a handful of t-shirts and jeans just won’t cut it for my lifestyle.

What I have serves me very well for where I live and the lifestyle I have. I find many minimalists don’t tend to prioritise having a social life or self-expression through style, but I do. Spending time with my friends and my partner is important to me, and I like to dress up for these occasions. I'm a self-employed jeweller so I don't have a work uniform, which provides me with freedom in my day-to-day wardrobe.

Last updated: March, 25 2023


Minimal Capsule Wardrobe



I've worked at curating an all-seasons wardrobe over the last few years that can be worn throughout the seasons. I don't believe in off-season storage so everything I own is always accessible in my wardrobe. It's finally at a place that I'm very comfortable with.

If I were to be starting from scratch, I wouldn't go out and buy every single piece I own now but I'm glad I have them. This is what my beginner capsule wardrobe would look like with all my favourite, most worn pieces.



A Minimalist Wardrobe Tour

I’ve linked to the actual item I own whenever possible, an alternative if the original isn’t available or an ethical option if it’s an old fast fashion purchase. 'Added' means a new purchase made by me, 'gifted' means an item gifted to me by a brand, and 'thrifted' means a second-hand purchase.



Outerwear

  • Rain Coat, Stutterheim (gifted, 2019)
  • Double Breasted Coat, Vintage (thrifted, 2021)
  • Puffer Coat, Zara (thrifted, 2022)
  • Drape Trench, Everlane (gifted, 2021)
  • Hooded Anorak, Vintage (thrifted, 2022)
  • Bomber Jacket, Vintage (thrifted, 2022)
  • Blazer, Arv (gifted, 2016)
  • Boxy Double-Breasted Coat, Donoo (thrifted, 2022)
  • Boxy Coat, Zara (thrifted, 2021)
  • Double-Breasted Coat, Great Plains (gifted, 2016)

Knitwear

  • Sleeveless Roll Neck, Ralph Lauren (thrifted, 2021)
  • Crop Cardigan, Boden (thrifted, 2017)
  • Chunky Cardigan, Everlane (gifted, 2018)
  • Tie-Neck Jumper, Vintage (thrifted, 2022)
  • Rainy Cloud Vest, ASOS (thrifted, 2022)
  • Happy Sad Vest, Lazy Oaf (purchased, 2021)
  • Mockneck Jumper, Vintage (thrifted, 2021)
  • Olive Jumper, Vintage (thrifted, 2022)
  • Boxy Vest, Zara (thrifted, 2022)
  • Floral Vest, Lazy Oaf (thrifted, 2022)
  • Turtleneck Jumper, Vintage (thrifted, 2019)
  • Knitted Vest, Vintage (thrifted, 2022)

Tops

  • Box Cut Top, MUJI (gifted, 2018)
  • Linen Shirt, Everlane (gifted, 2022)
  • Prep Shirt, Everlane (gifted, 2021)
  • Faces Shirt, Monki (thrifted, 2022)
  • Way-Short Shirt, Everlane (gifted, 2022)
  • Embroidered Shirt, Vintage (thrifted, 2021)
  • White Shirt, Vintage (thrifted, 2016)
  • Oversized Shirt, unknown (gifted, 2022)

Bottoms


Dresses

  • Strap Maxi Dress, Monki (thrifted, 2021)
  • Tiered Maxi Dress, Zara (thrifted, 2020)
  • Wavy Waist Dress, Ganni (thrifted, 2022)
  • Midi Dress, Pretty Lavish (thrifted, 2022)
  • Strapless Dress, Baukjen (gifted, 2020)
  • Wrap Dress, Ganni (thrifted, 2022)
  • Wrap Dress, COS (thrifted, 2021)
  • Pointed Collar, Ganni (thrifted, 2022)
  • Green Babydoll Dress, unknown (thrifted, 2021)
  • Wrap Dress, COS (thrifted, 2022)

Bags


Shoes

  • 1461 Shoes, Dr. Martens (purchased, 2014)
  • Loafers, Grenson (gifted, 2020)
  • Strap Sandals, Dr Martens (thrifted, 2021)
  • Sandals, Birkenstock (purchased, 2015)
  • Slides, Birkenstock (thrifted, 2020)
  • Colourful Sandals, Teva (purchased, 2021)
  • , Everlane (gifted, 2020)
  • , Everlane (gifted, 2020)

Jewellery



Sustainable Jewellery

Occasionwear Capsule


Outerwear

  • Trench Coat, All Saints (thrifted, 2009
  • Blazer, ARV (gifted, 2016

Dresses


Shoes

  • Wood Sandals, The Nude Label (Gifted, 2020)
  • Kick Off Sandal, Lazy Oaf (purchased, 2022)

Bags

  • Clutch, Ted Baker (purchased, 2016)
  • Jute Handbag, Ellyla (gifted, 2020)

One of the biggest lies about having a minimalist wardrobe is the idea that you’ll never make another mistake about what to buy again. Yet no matter how carefully we consider our purchases, mistakes happen. Not everything works out the way we expect it to. Our lives change, our style grows, and we find ourselves with clothes we no longer want or wear.

But what I can see from keeping track of my wardrobe is how cohesive it has become over time. Having been intentional about what I acquire with a clear colour palette in mind, I've allowed my personal style to develop and in the process I've created a wardrobe that's versatile and sustainably made.



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