Photo by Tamara Bellis from Unsplash at https://unsplash.com/photos/TkwBK8nbA8I
Are you craving a minimalist wardrobe? Are you tired of your cramped and bursting cupboards? Are you tired of cheap and disposable fashion items, the kind where the faux leather started peeling and bubbling because you got caught in the rain? Would you like more space and actually be able to see the clothes hanging in your closet? It’s time to start afresh. Minimalism is the new black. We live in a world where more is finally too much. Psychology professor Barry Schwartz argues that having an infinite number of choices is paralyzing and exhausting. We are all too familiar with the meme where a woman stands in front of an overflowing wardrobe and complains that she has got nothing to wear. It turns out that having too many choices and too many things to choose from is actually making us unhappy. That and the constant worrying that what we have is never good enough or will last through seasons and trends, hence onto the next thing we need to get.
The world was not always like that. Fast fashion and factory-produced stuff was not normal, until the industrialization age. It could be about hankering after a simpler age, where there were less things, less choices and things were made for people to use, instead of for people to keep as a status symbol. The lockdown has nudged the world another step into minimalism. Locked in their homes for days, weeks and months, people realize they need more space. Wandering into basements and attics unearthed stuff to throw out, wardrobes to clear and cupboards to empty. Stuff bought on impulse, because they were cheap and it seemed like a good deal at that time, all needed to find new homes through a yard sale or donation. In the past, clothes were made to be worn, sometimes every day. Bags and shoes were made to last. Instead of looking like new all the time, aging was worn with pride and stories were told about how long the items have been with their owners and how well they have stood the test of time. When you buy something that will last because it has been made with quality materials and thought and care has been put into the design to make it timeless, it also has a higher recycle value, when you or your lifestyle change. When you buy less, you can buy better.
Making the Right Choice
When we needed to go out and make a refuel run to the supermarket while masked during the lockdown, we require one, maybe two canvas tote bags. But the world is opening up again and much as we would prefer to slouch around in PJs the whole day, life is moving on again. Given the opportunity to start afresh, the question to ask is, “What do people really want?”. Is it that bag on sale that might just complement the colour of the jacket bought at another sale? Or is there something classic and durable that can match many different outfits and occasions? What are the top bags that would fit into a minimalist lifestyle? What does that even look like? It might seem like an easy question, but the truth is that we have been so used to fast fashion that is unsustainable for the environment and for the people who are employed to produce it, that it is hard for us to imagine something that we use through the years and is present on every occasion.
Making the right choice takes time. It is not about going to a sale, grabbing a bag because it is time-limited and going home and realizing it was another impulse buy. Though things do not and should not represent us, they should at least make us think about who we are, how we live and what we need to help us live better. What kind of bag will suit your lifestyle? Do you travel and entertain a lot and have to be on the go from morning meetings to evening dates with minimal fuss? Or do you work from home, with the occasional meeting uptown, after which you pick up groceries on the way home? Are you a soccer mom and you sit on the parent-teacher committee and need something practical but classy? What you like in reality and what you like in theory can end up being different things. You may love how a certain color or design looks in the photos, but held up against your skin, it doesn’t exactly look the way you thought it would. Think of it as a second chance to develop your style. The two keywords you need to keep in mind as you start your minimalist journey are: quality and versatility.
