The Amazing Benefits of Owning Less Clothes in Your Busy Life
Are you shopping and buying too many clothes because you think they will make you happier, more fashionable, and more popular? I say owning fewer clothes can do all of that and more. Let me show you how.
Do you know why you buy new clothes every season, every year? When I was a kid, I would witness my mother coming home from a day of shopping to look in her closet and realize she had purchased the same item she had already owned.
I did not think much of it because she could always return it to the store.
Now I wonder what state of mind would cause that to happen. In my post “Over Consumption & Food Waste In America,” I discuss some possibilities. I hope it was social programming and not unhappiness that caused this, as I remember my mother always being strong and happy.
I found that creating a Minimalist Uniform Wardrobe works for me. It has brought me more happiness and saved me time and money almost daily. I will show you the fantastic life-changing benefits of owning fewer clothes, and they may not be what you think.
We are bombarded with clever marketing campaigns every day and everywhere, reinforcing the lie that more is better. More can also be too much. Overall, marketing is not bad as long as it is not geared to get you to do what you should not be doing.
Here are some of the quick benefits of owning fewer clothes:
- You will instantly have more money in your pockets or purse.
- You will have more time to do the things that add quality to your life.
- You can see what is in your closet and not have to go on a treasure hunt.
- You could organize your clothes and eliminate that clutter (yeah, I see it, don’t try to hide it).
- There would be no stress getting dressed in the mornings, and you would save a ton of time.
- You will not have to feel guilty and hide some purchases (this happens with some people).
You can go to the extreme like me and edit down to the absolute minimum items in your wardrobe, or you can buy into owning fewer clothes to declutter the excess in your closet, save more time and money, and feel better about the situation.
Here are a few tips that worked wonders for me on my journey to owning fewer clothes.
1. Come face to face with the possible problem.
You have read this far, so I believe you want to change the situation. By owning fewer clothes, let’s start on the road to less stress, more money, more time, and happiness.
2. Wear fewer clothes. No, don’t be an exhibitionist.
Focus and follow me here. LOL. This is an easy one. How much of that junk in your closets do you wear anyway? You have your favorites, then you have just-in-case items, and then there are items you just like. Stick with what you love and wear.
3. Downsize, Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, and Restore.
Yeah, do all of that and more. By embracing this process, you will save time and money in many ways. Don’t just throw things away; truly embrace the process. Some things you don’t need and what is old to you may be new to someone else.
What is not worth much and no longer has value to you may hold value to someone willing to pay for it. Also, sometimes, giving to someone in need will make you both happy.
If you don’t wear it, do you really need it? How many times do you have to move something you haven’t worn in years to get to your favorite items? How many items don’t fit?
4. You only need one.
Not all the time, but it works a lot of the time. How many winter coats do you need? Try only having one pair of sneakers, a black dress, black shoes, a belt, a swimsuit, a backpack, and so on. Sometimes, more than one of the same trials of the item is in excess.
Adjust accordingly and allow what your lifestyle can handle. It will be easier than you think. Just think of the time, money, and stress you save without buying multiple items you don’t need.
The less decision fatigue you experience in the morning when mixing, matching, and managing a large wardrobe, the more worthwhile it will be.
5. Stop impulse shopping.
Don’t shop because you are unhappy, don’t shop because your programming says to, or just because the date on the calendar says you are supposed to.
Break the shopping habit for 60 days. You have more than enough stuff to meet your needs without shopping for 90 days or more. Let’s give 60 days a test run.
Once you complete the 60 days, you will find you do not need to shop. The reward for your disciple is that the impulse to shop will greatly diminish.
6. Stick to your budget.
You know you have a budget; sticking to it should be easier once you adopt these principles. If you are good, you will be under budget every month and reap the rewards.
More time and money to spend with loved ones. Or bills. Yuk! You choose.
7. Make quality purchases.
Only buy quality clothing that you need. Don’t let your decision be solely about price; don’t fall for sales. Don’t get plugged back into the sales marketing trick. Buy only what you need and love, even at a higher price.
8. Sales are the Devil, LOL.
Not really. Sales serve a purpose when and only when they fit into the overall plan of owning fewer clothes. Sales are designed to entice us to buy what we don’t want or need.
Trust me, the large retailers do not care about you and yours. That is not bad; it is just business—numbers on a spreadsheet.
9. See what you own and love at a glance.
You can look in your closet and see what you own and love at a glance. We only wear a small percentage of what is stuffed in our closets regularly.
After you Downsize, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Restore, you will be better off with no adverse effects.
10. You are what is inside, not what you wear.
This is correct. You are what is inside, not what you wear. It’s not like what you are is what you eat. This is different. You can look at pictures from 10 years ago and be ashamed of what you were wearing.
Check your High School yearbook. LOL.
You can still look good at work with a small wardrobe of quality items that mix and match well to create the illusion of a much larger wardrobe.
Now go out there and dazzle them with your brilliance in your birthday suit (just kidding . . . . you don’t have to dazzle them).
The Benefits Of Owning Less Clothes
If you follow the 10 suggestions or at least their spirit, you will have less stress, more time, and more money without much sacrifice. I believe that leads to more happiness.
Once you implement the Owning Fewer Clothes program, you will love looking into your closet in the morning. You can mix, match, and put together a dazzling outfit without touching anything just by looking at your favorite visible and readily available items.
What will you do with all of that extra time in the morning? What will you do with all the additional time you have gained by not thinking about shopping, internet shopping, window shopping, or shopping at the mall? How much money will you save?
How much will you spend this week and weekend on clothing?
Most of us own the clothing we need for a year or more. You don’t need to shop every year for summer, winter, spring, and fall.
You fared well last year and can use what you already own to fare well for years. Use that time and money saved to make memories with friends and family, doing something you all love. This is all a benefit of owning fewer clothes.
Hey Dogotek
Nice article, I admit to having a lot of clothes I don’t really use and is like you said, it becomes a treasure hunt when you need to pick something quick and leave for work or out with friends.
I do see the benefits of having a smaller wardrobe, but I’m a sentimental guy and tend to keep old clothes from when I was younger lol
Great work on pointing out things we usually miss or confuse as something normal.
Alright Ruben, it’s time to give those Batman PJ’s from your childhood to a young fan and put a smile on their face. You can stop buying clothing for a while to thin out your wardrobe to what you wear and really like or not. LOL. Think of the time and money you will save.
Great article. Too many clothes has never been my problem but your article is informative and a good read.
Thanks Jim. Clothes and fashion is not my thing either but I kept getting clothes for Christmas and Birthdays and ended up with too much clothes. LOL. All I ever brought was work clothing.