Simple Wardrobe

Talking of minimalism reminds me that I have reached the zen state in one aspect of my life - clothes and shoes. The rule I have adopted is very simple.

You can only have "X" number of items of clothing. The x is what you are comfortable with (it can be any number, smaller the better). And the x splits into a, b, c for types of clothing and so on. So a simple wardrobe could be:

10 Formal Shirts
5 Formal Trousers
5 T-shirts
3 Shorts
etc. etc

While the concept is deceptively simple, it's harder to implement than what you think. The key is to maintain the X constant. So if you plan to purchase something new, an old piece of clothing has to give way. And it has to be of the same type. So a trouser can only replace a trouser and so on.

I have been using this system for last 2+ years. I look boring cause I keep repeating my clothes, but at least, I have reduced my clutter, and I am happier with my wardrobe more than ever before. And the best part is - every piece of clothing is something I love and comfortable in. And I no longer do random purchases because I see things on sale!

Fake Minimalist

So we moved again. Again??!! Yes again. And I went through the notions of packing, throwing, repenting buying and cursing myself for all the stuff we own. And while I thought I had become a minimalist since the last time I moved, I figured that was just a notion.

The good part is - there was no significant increase in stuff since the last time we moved (28 boxes). The bad part is - I still have a lot of stuff (28 freaking boxes of what??!!). Minimalism is harder than you think it is. While I have severely cut down on my purchasing habits, it's next to impossible to reduce what I already own. And trust me - I have already minimized my clothes and shoes. So the boxes I am talking about are everything else but clothes and shoes.

I think true minimalism comes when you actually manage to throw away 80% of the stuff you own and live in the 20%. So here we go again. Back to square one. Minimalism is a journey and I have just begun.