The fashion industry is known for its ever-changing trends, causing many people to feel the need to update their wardrobes regularly and potentially accumulate clutter in their closets. So, after creating a Minimalist Wardrobe, you may wonder how to retain and maintain your Minimalist Closet clutter-free.
The good news is that Minimalist Closets are low maintenance and faff-free anyway. Keeping them exciting and stylish is easy as your Minimalist Wardrobe is created with your Personal Style preferences, aligned to your lifestyle and needs, and contains only the clothes you love and need. Therefore, you won’t want to change them as often.
Nonetheless, this article provides six easy tips to help you keep your Minimalist Closet clutter-free, timeless, and organized.
Adopt New Minimalist Closet Rules And Stick To Them
Despite the easy maintenance, there are several ways to keep your Minimalist Closet clutter-free. Below, you will find some straightforward and practical rules that can be applied to any Minimalist Closet, whether you have a Minimalist or a Capsule Wardrobe. As long as you follow these simple but effective rules, your Minimalist Closet will stay clutter-free effortlessly.
70%-30% Ratio Rule
Most commonly, Minimalist Wardrobes have items in them with a 70% to 30% ratio:
70% of clothing in a Minimalist Wardrobe is year-round items such as shirts, denim, layering, professional wear, versatile dresses, etc. The pieces that we can wear all year round.
30% of clothing is usually more seasonal or trendy pieces. These would be things like winter coats, or summer dresses, or shorts, depending on the season the Capsule Wardrobe is created for.
When you have a Minimalist Wardrobe, it is best to avoid trends. However, if you still want to add a few trendy pieces, try not to overdo it and exceed this ratio. If you keep adding something new for every season or event, the wardrobe will quickly return to an excessive burden. So, avoiding trends or excessive shopping is the best way to keep your Minimalist Closet clutter-free.
One In, One Out Rule
It is easy to clutter your closet again if you shop with no strategy.
Understandably, fashion tendencies change, and so does your style. You may not have the same clothing for the rest of your life. Even with timeless pieces, you may want to refresh and replace some things at some point.
The easiest way to keep Minimalist Closet clutter-free is to follow the popular rule “One In, One Out.” It is what it sounds like – you have your established Minimalist or Capsule Wardrobe already, so shop only when you need or want to replace something. When adding a new piece in, take an old one out. So, the best is, before buying a new item, ask yourself:
- Which item from the existing ones will I replace?
- Does it go with my current wardrobe?
- Will I wear a new item more than the old one?
Following the One In, One Out rule, you will keep your wardrobe fresh and stylish and have a variation of clothing without owning too much.
Reversed Hangers Rule
Another great way to help you keep your Minimalist Closet clutter-free is to hang your clothes on reversed hangers.
Hang all your hangers in the opposite way to the usual way you’d hang them.
Whatever you pick and wear, when putting it back, hang it back on the hanger facing the usual way. At the end of the season, check which hangers are still reversed (turned the unusual way). They are your clutter, as those items you haven’t touched or worn.
The items that are hung in the usual way stay in your wardrobe as you wear them. But it is probably time to say “goodbye” to things hanging on reversed hangers, as evidently, you haven’t worn them the whole season.
Keep Your Minimalist Closet Organized
An aesthetically pleasing wardrobe helps retain and maintain a Minimalist Closet that is clutter-free. Cleanliness and order help to overview your wardrobe easily, have a beautiful and functional space, and follow the rules above naturally.
Matching Hangers
Get the same nice-looking hangers for your wardrobe. They will help your Minimalist Closet look aesthetically pleasing and more organized.
Choose the color you prefer:
Organize Your Clothes
Instead of hanging your clothing randomly, organize your clothes by color, style, season, or any other criteria more applicable to you. This will help you to find things easier and enjoy the dressing-up process more. See some examples:
Get Storage For Loose Items
Get storage bins, drawers, or shelves for your shoes, accessories, underwear, or other loose items. Ensure the little storage matches your Minimalist Closet décor to make it aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable.
Make, Keep, And Follow Your Minimalist Wardrobe Notes
Make and keep notes for your Minimalist Closet. Make a checklist if you struggle to track what’s coming in and going out of your wardrobe. What are your wardrobe essentials? What is your Personal Style? Your dress code? How do they align with your lifestyle and needs? Notes will help you track your items and requirements for your lifestyle.
If you have created your Minimalist or Capsule Wardrobe using the UNIQUE YOU Minimalist Wardrobe Planner Workbook, you already have all the necessary notes. If you don’t have your workbook yet, grab your copy here:
This comprehensive, step-by-step, easy-to-follow guide covers all the topics that help you build a cohesive and functional Minimalist or Capsule Wardrobe that will bring you joy, peace, and confidence in your daily life!
It is a tool you can refer to whenever you need to refresh your wardrobe or have a dilemma at the shopping mall.
Take Good Care Of Your Items
Everything we have in our Minimalist Closets is purposely selected and are items we LOVE and care for. So it is sensible if we want them to last longer, we need to take good care of them. Here are a few tips on how to take care of your clothing:
Follow The Instructions
Not only read the instructions on how to take care of the item but also follow them. It is common – we forget to read labels and instructions on how to care before buying an item, or read a label and forget what it says before adding it to a washing machine.
Many of us don’t read the care instructions at all! I have done it so many times in the past! I did not read the instructions and machine-washed it when the label clearly said: “Hand wash only”. This ruined a garment, and I had to replace it. So:
Hand wash your delicates!
Clothes washed by hand will prevent possible damage in a washing machine and last longer. Especially items made of delicate silk, wool, cashmere, and merino wool… need extra care if they are dear to you. So make an extra effort to enjoy them for longer.
Wash By The Colors
How many of us had accidentally or sometimes lazily washed a white top with blue jeans and got a new color top?
Separate and wash clothing light with lights, dark with darks, or particular colors with similar tones.
It is simple to sort clothes by color. You can even use these laundry baskets with three compartments to help you separate clothes and simplify the process.
Treat Stains
Accidents happen… Save garments and treat stains. Wash them right away! Don’t leave your clothes in the washing basket unwashed for long. It will damage the material even more and will most likely become unfixable.
Avoid Dryers
Dryers are only damaging garments. Natural drying is so much more gentle and better for clothes. In many cases, when an item is air-dried, you don’t even need to iron it that much.
Iron With Care
Iron with care, and even better, invest in a good steamer! Steamers are fanatstic tools! They preserve clothes. Kill odors instead of sealing them to a material like iron. They remove creases quickly and even reduce allergens.
Use Dry Cleaners Service
Dry cleaning is one of the best options to take care of your garments. It removes tough stains with minor damage, preserves delicate fabrics, and improves the longevity of your clothing.
Make Friends With Your Local Tailor
Time passes, we change, and our styles and bodies change, too… instead of replacing your favorite clothes, check with your tailor if they could be mended. You will not only be able to enjoy your special items longer but will make your tailor happy, too. Supporting local businesses is a lovely thing to do.
Review Your Minimalist Closet Regularly
If you have been struggling to follow the rules above and your shopping has been more frequent than anticipated, review your wardrobe and detox it regularly.
I don’t shop much, but I still review my wardrobe twice a year. This is when I create my Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Capsule Wardrobe.
Reviewing your Minimalist Closet regularly lets you keep track and know precisely what is in your wardrobe, helping you reduce shopping, maintain your closet, and keep it clutter-free.
Remember Why You Are Doing This
If you ever struggle or are about to give up on a Minimalist Wardrobe, remember why you are doing this and all the benefits that Minimalist Wardrobes bring to your life.
It brings us joy and confidence to have a functional and organized wardrobe, owning only the clothes we love to wear. This not only helps reduce waste on the planet but also creates fresh space in our closets and lives, making us more satisfied with our Personal Style and space. By achieving this, we are able to glow in other areas of life and focus on what truly matters.
Get in touch if you ever need help with your Minimalist or Capsule Wardrobe. I will be thrilled to hear from you!
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