When our parents were children, it was a rare event to receive new clothes. Sometimes it was a change in the season or the outgrowing of hand-me-downs, but having something brand new to wear—outside of Grandma’s annual Christmas sweater—was a luxury more than a given. However, at the beginning of the new millennia, fast fashion arrived on our streets and clothes became exponentially more affordable. Trend cycles lasted weeks instead of years, shopping became a veritable hobby, and global clothing chains laid claim to stores in every strip mall.
But, of course, there is a dark side to fast fashion. The reason that clothing from fast fashion labels costs as little as café coffees is that, somewhere along the production line, people and the environment have paid a hidden price. The true cost of fast fashion was revealed in 2013 when the Rana Plaza clothing factory in Bangladesh collapsed. The world was shocked by the deaths of over a thousand workers and the deplorable conditions that they had been manufacturing clothing in.
She’s Got the Look
As educated consumers, people are now looking towards a more conscious fashion style, avoiding the human exploitation and environmental pollution of mass-produced labels. Mindful consumers are moving away from the toxic reruns of constant desire and gratuitous spending and tossing out the questionable values of throwaway culture. Indeed, fashion always functions in cycles and the minimalism trend is back again.
Minimalism as a philosophy is about shedding the superfluous and decluttering your life, leaving yourself with less stuff and therefore less stress. Slow fashion represents minimalism in the fashion movement. It is the antithesis of its fast and frantic counterpart and challenges the modern consumerist narrative. Instead of rushing to the stores to keep up with the Kardashians, slow fashion subscribers choose to buy less items but spend time choosing their purchases more wisely.
Minimalism is more than an aesthetic. A minimalist wardrobe is not filled with only muted cream clothing or A-line dresses with clean lines. In fact, it does not matter which pieces of clothing live in your closet, only that they are the ones that you will actually wear and make good use of for years to come. Did you know that most people only wear 20 percent of their wardrobe regularly? The rest of your neglected wardrobe could do so much more than turn musty if donated to the underprivileged or sold in a garage sale.
The first step towards establishing a minimalist wardrobe is to sort out what you already have. While the KonMari Method invented by organizing expert and author Marie Kondo is not minimalism per se, it offers a helpful way for us to decide what to keep and what to give away. The KonMari Method encourages people to live only among items that they truly cherish. “Does this spark joy?” is a fantastic question to ask yourself when faced with the myriad of items that have been pulled out of your closet.
When curating your wardrobe, keep only the clothes that you adore and know that you will wear frequently. From this foundation, choose other items that supplement and enhance your style. Clothes of varying textures and lengths that can be layered together will offer you creativity and flexibility, particularly as seasons change. Minimalism does not have to be monochrome (unless that is your thing), so feel free to include some color to spice up your selection. However, it is beneficial to choose a color palette beforehand to ensure that your clothes will mix and match easily.
Diamonds on the Inside
Just because minimalists do not subscribe to excessive consumerism does not mean that they cannot enjoy wearing jewelry. The minimalistic approach to jewelry means more versatile and timeless pieces with a focus on quality over quantity. Instead of buying piles of overstated jewelry because a certain celebrity was seen with something similar, invest in high-quality pieces that illustrate elevated simplicity and style. Classic gems such as diamonds represent enduring beauty and will never lose value or go out of fashion.
Minimalism when it comes to jewelry is only adorning yourself with items that compliment you as a person. You can have a ring custom-made or wear an heirloom watch as an accent piece, as long as each item of jewelry has deliberate meaning to you. By avoiding mindless overconsumption, your jewelry becomes something that you carefully curate, designing a distinctive look that truly embodies your personality.
Versatility is another important consideration when it comes to a minimalist jewelry box. Layering is not only applicable for clothing items but is likewise a great way to style your embellishments. Layered necklaces that fall at different lengths can change your look from classic to modern or casual to formal. Stackable rings and bracelets can be tuned up or down, depending on the occasion, while always creating a clean and sophisticated look.
The modern minimalist does not need to forgo fashion to achieve a chic and striking image. Fast fashion is like a shroud that gives all its followers an uninspired and homogeneous aesthetic. Through the mindful selection of clothing and jewelry, minimalists can achieve a unique style that is not only alluring but also amplifies who they are and what they believe in.
