I’ve spent a lot of time in the last year thinking about how I can minimize my wardrobe, consume less, and also give you guys some inspiration and ideas on how to do the same. Embracing a minimalist wardrobe hasn’t been a cake walk, that’s for sure, but I’ve become really passionate about it and want to keep challenging myself (and you!) to keep it up.
There are a lot of ways you can start “going minimal.” For me, I think the best approach to buying things more intentionally is to take baby steps. I kinda learned after 2018’s shopping freeze that not buying things is easier said than done, but it was fun and totally worth it to become a more conscious shopper.
So, if you’ve been wanting to do something similar, but haven’t been sure where to start, I’ve put together five different ideas for minimalist wardrobe challenges. Some of these ideas you may have heard of, others might be totally new. Either way, I hope you give one a try. And not only to learn to consume less, but to also learn something about yourself in the process!
Try These Minimalist Wardrobe Challenges This Year & Embrace Your Inner Marie Kondo
No shopping challenge:
First and foremost, you can follow my flexible no shopping challenge I did last year. I say flexible because I gave myself a lot of grace in the challenge. Not to give myself space to “break the rules,” but because I didn’t want to beat myself up. The point of the shopping freeze wasn’t to be mean to myself every time I thought about or actually did buy something. It was really just to learn to put thought into the things I was buying, which definitely happened.
My biggest tip for you if you decide to go this route is to customize it to work for you. You know yourself best, so set up your own rules, or guidelines. This will help you set yourself up for success. Check out my no shopping kick-off post here and my series updates here, here and here (in order).
10×10:
Have you heard of the blog Style Bee? It’s run by an amazing and very inspiring woman named Lee. Lee came up with the 10×10 challenge in 2015 during a shopping fast and has continued to inspire tons of people through the challenge to this day! The idea is you choose 10 items to build a wardrobe out of for 10 days. It really forces you to take a hard look at what you already have and reimagine ways to wear each item.
Lee breaks down what items are included and all the rules here if you want to give it a go. I think it’s a great way to ease into reducing your shopping. Plus Lee’s website, in general, is an amazing resource for how to build capsule wardrobes. I’m also a really big fan of Unfancy and how Caroline breaks down her looks, too. Which brings me to the next challenge ideas…
Capsule wardrobe:
You’ve probably heard the term “capsule wardrobe” before, but what does it mean? It was coined back in the 1970s and basically means a wardrobe made up of only essential items. Think basics and staples you can’t live without. A lot of people will build seasonal capsules. So, they’ll have their core pieces for the season and find ways to re-wear and re-style them until the next season.
The trickiest part about capsule wardrobes is they don’t leave a lot of room to try trends, so keep that in mind. If you’re trying to avoid shopping, you’ll have to find creative ways to incorporate trends into what you already own.
As for rules, there really are none. Simply start by sifting through everything you own (like, everything) and choosing a small number of items (this number is up to you, but maybe keep it around 30?) to last you the entire season.
Project 333:
Project 333 took the world by storm about five or six years ago. Kinda before going minimal was the “cool” thing to do. Let’s call it the OG of minimizing your wardrobe. The 333 comes from choosing 33 items or less from your current wardrobe and only dressing in those items for three months.
The 33 items you choose, do include outerwear and jewelry (some challenges don’t include accessories), so you really have to put some thought into what you’re going to need for the three month time period. The project also requires you to box up everything NOT in your three-month capsule and put it out sight. Kind of intense, right? But in the best way, if you ask me!
28 day minimalist wardrobe:
I stumbled across this challenge while I was researching for this post and really liked the video format. It’s a 28-day challenge, but it’s more than just a “buy less and wear what you already have” kind of challenge, which I love. You actually learn how to build a satisfying wardrobe step by step with every video giving you something actionable to take away.
You can start the challenge and watch the first installment here. You’ll learn how to declutter, downsize, organize and design a closet that works for you! Now that sounds ideal, doesn’t it?!
Feeling inspired to take your closet by storm? I hope so! There’s really no right or wrong way to go about minimizing your wardrobe, just start! And please let me know if you have questions because I’d love to help!
