Style is always in fashion || Post Idea for week 2

millycf1976(73)

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The MINIMALIST

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"I believe your clothes should be as individual as you are; An expression of you."

I have many moods, and different sides to my personality, so keeping my wardrobe to a minimum has been a struggle for as long as I can remember. However, I do not follow fashion and the latest trends. Instead, I do style; I purchase quality, timeless pieces, that are on a broad spectrum, and that are suitable for my body type.

Some things that are key to me are:

Dressing for the occasion
Dressing appropriate for the weather
Cut, and fit the garment
Material
Colour

My fashion style is mixed; Varying from vintage soul fashion style, rocker fashion style, military fashion style, girl next door, to casual fashion style.

^{You see what I mean about the different sides of my personality?}

The positive thing about this is that I hone these different styles, and I effortlessly, and comfortably switch from a soft, cute style, to a hard, tomboy in combat clothes.

Again, it all depends on my mood, the weather, where I am going, and what is on my agenda.

^{I love camouflage and khaki's; My 2 favourite ones, that I have had for 15 and 20 years. Individual style, that I'll never see someone else in, and they always look fresh and in style.}

Keeping Clothing Items At a Minimum

Living in a small space such as the narrowboat that I live on, helps to keep the number of my clothes to a minimum. This has forced me to maintain a capsule closet, where all my clothing items complement each other, and colours and styles harmonize to make it easy for me to interchange and mix-match my garments.

^{My wardrobe in my narrowboat is under bed clothes boxes.

Autumn/Winter clothes on the left; Jeans and Spring/Summer clothes on the right}

But the question is; How do I pick a minimalist style and maintain my minimalist wardrobe to stay stylish and fresh? 
Without feeling the need to purchase new items?

Simple Garments
I start by having a small collection of basic items, such as plain jeans, neutral coloured trousers, plain tee shirts, and plain sweaters.

Colours
I prefer vibrant colours over pastels, which I associate with my personality.

^{(vibrant = fiery, and feisty vs pastels = meek and gentle).}
My colour scheme consists mainly of earthy, warm colours such as orange, yellow, greens, browns, khaki, black, grey, white, cream, and navy blue.

Monochrome vs Floral
I prefer monochrome, but I will make the exception and wear florals that are a mix of my favourite colours. However, I find I do so more in tropical countries.

Variety of colours, fabrics, designs
Generally, I go for light fabrics that can wash and dry easily.
I also tend not to have items of clothing that are two similar, but I will make exceptions. For instance, these two blood-orange dresses.

^{Vintage dresses, that never go out of style}

My logic behind the decision to keep two dresses that are the same length and colour is that the fabrics are completely different.
One is a lacy, stretchy fabric, which gives it a more casual look. The other is a delicate, silky, chiffon dress with some tasteful studs, which make it a little more versatile - I can dress it up or down.

Timeless Simple Pieces

Just like this top:

A dressy tee shirt...
That looks great on.

For a smart casual occasion, like an evening at the pub; I can easily pair it with black denim and a nice pair of shoes, and I am good to go.

Easily hand-washed, its natural crinkled look makes it a good item for travel.

Keeping my minimalist wardrobe stylish and fresh, without feeling the need to purchase new items, comes easily when I follow these principles:

I tend to buy individual items of clothing.

If there is a wide range of the same thing, chances are my eyes will pass over them.
Therefore, I am not a fan of high street fashion, I prefer vintage or individual boutique shops.

I take particular care of my clothes.

I do a quick scan of my clothes each time I take them off.
- This scan will let me identify any small holes or damage that I can easily repair before they get any bigger. (The same approach to a dental check-up, where the dentist does an x-ray to see if there are any small holes in your teeth so that he can fill them to preserve the tooth). Do you get my point?

I check for spills and stains.
- This gives me the chance to spot treat the area before washing garments.

For example, I have had this dress for 20 years. It never goes out of style. However, it has been in my storage and I noticed the little stains, so I will spot treat those stains before washing the dress in a mild detergent.

I read labels carefully before doing laundry.
- I wash similar colour clothes together in a mild detergent, and dyed colours, I wash in salt, to prevent colour runs, which will ruin other clothes, especially lighter colours.
  I also tend to stay away from items that require dry cleaning.

Sticking to these principles saves me from contributing to the overly "money-wasting" industry of fashion.

Do you think it's easier for men to stick to a minimalist wardrobe?

I invite you all to check out the post ideas for the week with some options on minimalist wardrobe choices for all sexes.

^{PS. Here's a link to one of my first posts with my camouflage looks.}

^{^{All images are mine}}