Minimalism: Why I Don't Like "Capsule Wardrobes," And My Own Tips

 I don't like to be limited to a "capsule wardrobe." I find the concept boring. If everything goes with everything else in your closet, how much variety can you really have?
I occasionally find something that does not look at all like the other things in my dresser, but that I love. And I don't want to be limited to having only one "style" of clothing or sticking to one color theme.
I do want to have only a relatively few favorite pieces, but another part of me wants variety, so it becomes a matter of balancing my two wants. I also sometimes feel like wearing "butch" or "plain" clothing, and sometimes more feminine clothing. It becomes even more complicated when I like something, then I don't, and I put it in the donation box, then really want it and take it back out. I just try to get better at knowing what I like, through trial and error.
Here are my thoughts on a wardrobe which I try to keep minimalist, but also try to accommodate to my changing preferences and many personal styles:


1) You may have more than one personal style. I certainly do. I have what I consider "butch" button-down shirts, some bohemian-inspired pieces, bright and colorful "gay" pieces (in both senses of the word), lots of purple, and some pale pink. But I still go through my stuff all the time to see what I don't like anymore. Just remember that you do NOT have to choose only one "personal style." You can choose several, and if something new strikes your fancy, then you can choose that, too.

2) Forget putting together "outfits." Choose some jeans or a black pair of pants, and wear the same pair until it needs to be washed. I like to do this, and I don't care about choosing what pair of pants to wear all the time. The same thing goes for shoes. I have the same pair of boots, sandals, or tennis shoes that I wear all season, pretty much, until occasionally I wear a different pair of boots. But mostly, I wear the same pair of pants and the same pair of boots all the time, and I like it that way. I often wear the same coat over and over again, too. Everything needs to be simple. Black slacks and blue jeans go with pretty much everything, but if you enjoy brightly patterned pants, as I sometimes do also, a white or black shirt will probably go with them. Keep the pants and shirt together, if that's the only time you wear that shirt.

3) Don't choose from among all your tops every day. Choose a few favorites, to wear over and over, until you tire of them, then choose different favorites. This is what I like to do. I don't wear the same thing two days in a row, though there's nothing wrong with that, if it's still clean. But I like to focus on a few pieces at a time, like my small purple collection. I don't have to worry about choosing pants every day, either, since most of my shirts go with my pants already. I can wear the same pair of pants until I get tired of them or they need to be washed. Same goes for shirts, to an extent.

4) If you love everything you have, "one in, one out" is not necessary. I recently surprised myself by going into a thrift shop and buying five new-to-me tops, after months of not shopping for clothes at all. But I loved all of them. I had been wishing that I had more purple tops in my wardrobe. But I also love everything I have at home. So...I have five new tops now. I don't go by the "one in, one out" rule. I don't shop for clothing a lot, especially compared to how much I used to. And I'm very picky when I do. I also really enjoy going through my things, including clothes, so I don't worry about "one in, one out" when I go through things relatively often.

5) Use the Rule Of Immediate Consumption. Instead of "one in, one out," I use my own Rule of Immediate Consumption. I ask myself, "Would I wear this right now, if I could?" And with all five tops, the answer was yes. Sometimes, even with this rule, there is more than one item that you want to wear right now. But all of the other tops I looked at, I put back, because I would not wear them right away if I could.

6) I sometimes take a picture of the clothes I get rid of, along with a picture of the tag with the company name, in case I want to get it back. I can order it online. And if I can't find it, then at least I know I tried, and I will probably feel better about that. I may even be able to make something like it, if I have pictures and find a pattern. 

7) If something doesn't fit, but you still love it, take pictures and try to find a different size of the same thing online. Get rid of it in the meantime, since you won't wear it anyway. Or if you sew, you can try to alter it, though be sure to find matching or complimentary fabrics if you're making it longer or looser, or else you won't want to wear it. If it is itchy, fits too snug no matter what size, or is otherwise uncomfortable...well, I'm afraid there's no redeeming it, unless perhaps it's loose and cool enough to wear a long-sleeve shirt underneath.

8) Sort the same two or three times, in different categories each time. For example, you can sort all the purple shirts together, comparing the category to see if any look like an inferior or less-favorite version of another purple shirt. Then, put all the shirts together, and compare your favorite purple shirt to your favorite orange shirt. In each category, which one would you grab the most, and by how wide a margin?  You can repeat this process as often as you wish, with as many categories as you wish or can think of. You often find clarity about an item when you have the right things to compare it to. For example, it may be your favorite of the purple shirts, but maybe you like the color orange better. Or maybe you love purple, but when comparing all the purple shirts together, you don't like them all equally. When you find the right thing to compare it to, you learn much more about whether you like it, than you would otherwise. So compare it in several different categories and piles before deciding about it.

Above all, remember to do what works for you. Sometimes you are not yet ready to get rid of something; someday you probably will be, or you will discover that you really do like to wear it, after all.
I hate when minimalist experts tell people to be ruthless with themselves. If you enjoy trying to make your life simpler, as I do, then slowly it will get simpler. And if you practice, you can find out what you truly want to keep, and what you want to get rid of. You can get to know yourself more. And your things will reflect you more.