Having a minimalist wardrobe comes with many significant benefits. In fact, there are zero downsides to it. A minimalist wardrobe should never limit your life, remember?
As our article on the definition of a minimalist wardrobe says, anyone can have one, regardless of lifestyle. The same holds true for the benefits of a minimalist wardrobe: anyone, and everyone, with a minimalist wardrobe will experience a plethora of even life-changing benefits.
Admittedly, making your wardrobe minimalist—depending on the current state of your wardrobe—can take a lot of time and effort.
At the same time you’re giving up those deceiving little shopping highs that our brains have learned to crave, which isn’t easy either.
But if you’re ready to put the initial work in and let go of short-term dopamine boosts, read on to see what perks await you.
Increase confidence by wearing only your favorites
One of the biggest reasons you don't wear some of your clothes is that you simply don’t like wearing them. Those white jeans might have seemed great when you bought them, but now they just don’t feel like you. The only time you’ll put them on is when you’re guilt-tripping yourself into it.
The whole point of a minimalist wardrobe is to get rid of clothes you don’t wear, which means that you’ll only be left with what you enjoy wearing—your favorites.
Whatever you do, and wherever you go, you’ll always be wearing your best clothes, simply because you don’t own anything else! Suddenly you’re never in situations where you’re second-guessing your outfit.
Also, you never have to wonder whether or not your outfit is trendy enough when you don’t follow the trends blindly. That's the power of personal style.
Wearing only your favorites and a style you’ve developed just for yourself is a hack that significantly lifts your baseline confidence.
More energy to live your life
A cluttered wardrobe makes outfit choices difficult. When you haven’t thought about outfit combinations, and when you’re forced to choose between mediocre pieces you’d rather not be wearing at all, you’ll get struck with decision fatigue—or even decision avoidance.
Essentially we all have a set amount of decision power we can use every day. Every decision we make drains that energy a little until we either make poor decisions or avoid them altogether.
That’s why it’s crucial to avoid making unnecessary decisions, or at least make them as effortless as possible. Simplifying your wardrobe makes outfit picking easy, and fixes a constant energy drain from our lives.
Eventually you’re going to be content with your wardrobe. Sure, it might never be perfect, but at some point you’ll notice that you’re not thinking about buying this or that all the time. Your wardrobe is just there, doing its job—without being managed constantly.
Yes, we’re all about wardrobes here at The Minimalist Wardrobe. But the main idea is to optimize your relationship with clothes, so that you can start living your best life.
Shopping becomes more fun—and less expensive
Having a minimalist wardrobe doesn’t mean that you’re never shopping again. Clothes will need to be replaced eventually as your life keeps changing, bringing new wardrobe needs.
Remember when we said you’ll be sacrificing the quick dopamine boosts you’re getting from shopping? The truth is that while you're getting less of them with a minimalist wardrobe, it feels many times as good when you do buy something—and that feeling lasts for ages.
Buying something you’ve thoroughly thought about and researched—something which fills a real need in your wardrobe—is incomparable to seeing a cool-looking shirt on sale and buying it because it was 30% off.
“I’m so glad I bought this” is a real feeling you can get after years of buying something, when it’s something you’ve truly needed and used.
To top it all off, you’re saving money! Even if your new clothes would be of higher quality and more expensive, you’ll buy so much less and have your clothes last longer, that the end result will always be net positive.
Less space needed
Obviously, a smaller wardrobe requires less space to store your clothes, which means more options when looking for new houses or apartments or more storage room in your garage.
Even if you’d end up using the same closets and racks for your clothes, at least everything isn’t all crammed up. Not all space has to be filled to the brims.
And you know what? You can start packing less for trips as well. When your clothes mix and match effectively, a small amount is enough for many outfit combinations, and you don't need to bring five bags to a four day holiday.
Doing your part for the environment
The fashion industry causes carbon emissions and pollutes freshwater. Eliminating unnecessary clothes shopping and investing in pieces you’re going to wear for years reduces your environmental footprint.
It’s not a matter of buying secondhand or sustainable fashion vs. buying less—you can do both. Buy only what you need and, whenever possible, choose preloved and sustainably made.
With all the personal benefits a minimalist wardrobe gives you, this is a rare case of a true win-win. You win, as does our planet.
You’ll start seeing benefits instantly
Getting to a wardrobe you’re 100% happy with can take a while, but fortunately you’ll see some benefits right away.
The moment you decide that you’re done with mindless shopping is the moment you start saving money.
Discarding a few clothes you don’t use gives you more space immediately.
Deciding that it’s fine to wear the same outfits over and over again—without worrying about judgment—empowers you at that moment.
Last, but certainly not least, the journey itself is incredibly rewarding.
Read on to learn how to get started.