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How to be More Minimalist When You Love Stuff

How to be a minimalist when you like stuff

Not to be all dramatic or anything, but I recently experienced a life changing epiphany.

We have too much stuff. Like, way too much. I’m talking borderline hoarding levels of too much stuff.

If anyone ever needed any proof of this fact, all they’d need to do is open any one of the cupboards in my house, before watching an avalanche of crap pour out. You can’t open drawers without the contents jamming it as you pull and almost every available ledge, shelf or tabletop houses at least one pile of unopened post, or pieces of lego and hair ties and grips. The latter of which, miraculously disappear whenever any hair actually needs putting up.

If you were being kind, you might call the house ‘lived-in’, but if you were being honest, you’d call it chaotic.

The problem is, we’re a household of people who like stuff, but what I’m beginning to realise is that ‘stuff’ doesn’t make me happy. There aren’t any number of ASOS orders that can improve my self-esteem and trust me I’ve tried a few, and having less stuff just makes life easier.

This realisation prompted me to undertake the wardrobe clean out to beat all wardrobe clean outs this week. Are you ready to see the chaos it created???

Behold.

How to be minimalist when you love stuff

So, armed with Jessica Rose Williams’ Capsule Wardrobe guide, I pulled every single item out of my wardrobes and ploughed through mounds of ill-fitting clothes, until I was left with a new, slim-lined collection of clothing. I highly recommend Jess’ ebook if you would like to do the same. It’s great for helping you to identify what you should and shouldn’t be keeping. I’ve never been so brutal with a clothes cull before and I have to say, it feels really good.

Working through the ebook showed me that I already have a strong sense of what I like to wear. I like stripes, hate bling and prefer a muted colour palette of grey, black, white and a little bit of blue. This realisation made it SO MUCH EASIER to be BRUTAL with what I chose to keep and throw away.

How to be minimalist when you love stuff

Anything bright was an easy and instant no. Things I’ve hardly ever or never worn are gone. The things I’ve been holding on to in the vein hope that I might drop 2 stone overnight are no longer taking up space in my closet or making me feel bad. All that’s left are things I wear all the time and things I’d forgotten I even owned and am enjoying wearing once more. It’s amazing how many gems ill-fitting and unwanted baggage can hide!

It’s weird because despite letting go of what must easily be over 100 times of clothing and accessories, I actually feel like I have more to wear than ever before. It feels really good and it’s now so much easier to pick out something to wear in the morning.

How to be minimalist when you love stuff

Post sort out, I’m still not in the realms of being a true minimalist. The word ‘capsule’ still wouldn’t be suffixed with my wardrobe, but it is a lot more organised than it was before and the clothes I’ve kept are only those I love and that make me feel good.

So my advice to you if you love stuff, but not chaos and fancy trying your hand at that minimalist lark, is just to dive in and give it a go. Have a good long think about your style and what you really like, and once you have that nailed, be brutal and let go of all the belongings that don’t fit that criteria or make you feel good. I promise you, you wont miss them!

Now, please excuse me while I tackle the rest of the house and spend the next few months of my life ebaying everything I own …

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2 Comments

  1. July 9, 2018 / 10:38 am

    I started doing this but just looking in my wardrobe yesterday made me want to have another cull. I get stressed around clutter and mess so the idea of having less stuff appeals massively. I don’t think I’ll have have a strict capsule wardrobe but reading this post makes me want to at least have a more brutal clear out! x

  2. March 6, 2020 / 5:33 pm

    Really well written and useful

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