Chic Minimalism For Your Wardrobe was one of the very first articles I wrote on this blog, and to this day my #1 post.  I am always looking for a way to free myself from the norm, express myself creatively, and feel beautiful and at peace with myself in the process.  I’m not exactly sure why my wardrobe is such a big part of this agenda but somehow it is.  It could be my strong love of fashion and expressing one aspect of my creativity through fashion.

At the beginning of my minimalist journey I downsized from having over 300 clothing articles including shoes, bags, and accessories to under 100 pieces.

Decluttering my closet was an amazing experience resulting in redefining my personal style more than I imagined and allowing me to release my compulsive consumerism.  Currently I’ve come to a place where although my wardrobe is more functional and fabulous than it has ever been,  I still desire to downsize even more mainly to make laundry days easier.  I can hardly believe that is my main reason but it is.  I’m also aware that even with my more minimal wardrobe there are items in my closet that I still haven’t even thought of wearing.

As time has progressed, I’ve also rebelled against the normal minimalist wardrobe of only classic neutral basics, and now prefer brighter colors and not so classic cuts especially after my long fall/winter season of layering black.

I’ve discovered that I’d rather wear a slouchy off the shoulder tee versus the classic version, wide leg or harem pants versus the classic trouser, 70’s and 80’s cut denim versus a boot cut, layering long floor skimming skirts versus the pencil skirt, and a wild print dress although I do love my sexy little black dress.  My style has evolved into layering, color, print, texture, and unique jewelry with a few basics here and there.

My fashion sense has changed so much over this past year although I started with wardrobe basics in the beginning a few years ago.  We look to magazines, style guides, and others to inspire us in terms of fashion and they do.  I truly enjoy fashion blogs and my two current faves are Where Did U Get That and Fashion Toast.  Yet when we simply copy what we see instead of finding exactly what we love and how fashion relates to our personality, we get into fashion ruts.  It helps to have a clear agenda and knowing what specifically works for your body and lifestyle.  Once you’ve created your personal style, you have a bit more freedom to use fashion for artistic expression while picking up a few fun pieces to really spice things up while your at it.

The minimalist wardrobe for some is about decluttering, others finding a clear defined style, and some the perfect way to detach completely from consumerism all together.  No matter what your reason, it is all good.

I’m realizing that we make new radical choices to free ourselves, not put more restrictions on ourselves.  It is fun to see how well I can function with less and less.  Fashion is a form of my creative expression so my definition of minimalism and how it looks may be a bit more artistic and not as practical as I had originally intended, yet the number of clothing pieces are certaininly going down.

With that said I know my minimalist journey continually takes me to really understanding and defining my life free from what others dictate.  If you are interested in a step my step process of decluttering your closet, and creating that simple wardrobe definitely read Chic Minimalism For Your Wardrobe.  Also don’t get rid of your favorite vintage jacket or outrageous red stilettos just becaue they aren’t practical.

Practical clothing is great and functional, but who only wants function with everything.  Leave that to your one set of dishes.

(Image by Free People)

Stay Connected with Minimalist Beauty & Subscribe with bloglovin’. Also Join the Community on Facebook & Twitter. For more about Dawn Michelle go here!