Cath and I have always felt that minimalism and living with less, shouldn’t be thought of as a specific “look.” Living with fewer things does not mean your closet will look perfectly monochrome or your kitchen will have absolutely nothing on the counters.
Minimalism looks different for everyone. At least, I think it can.
And so here is where I make that argument that you can dress like this:
And have a house that looks like this:
And still be someone who is trying to be more a conscientious consumer.
It makes sense that the Minimalist trend coincided with the aesthetic trend of neutral palettes in both fashion and interiors. But if you look at the amount of color and pattern showing up in Instagram, on Pinterest, magazines and current fashion shows, I think it’s safe to say that that “look” is waning, if ever so slightly.
And I love it! I love a very neutral, clean look too, but I’m equally excited by the exuberance of saturated color and swirls of patterns clashing together.
Though this look is more layered and often more “cluttered,” I don’t think that means it’s because you buy more or have to buy more to achieve that look. In some ways, this more bohemian style works really well with using what you already own. Seriously, pull everything out of your closet and put it together — either on your own body or on your couch. Voila! Boho-ization!
(The street style pics in this post are Phil Oh’s via Vogue)
(I particularly fancy what these Gucci ladies have going on this and last season):
In fact, that’s what I’m trying to do. Instead of wearing more color and pattern by running to the shops, I’m scrounging through my closet and figuring out how to combine my existing clothes that didn’t appeal to me when I was doing the black and white thing. I have made some trips to Goodwill to mix it up a bit more, but I’m not interested in adding to me closet’s girth. So I’ve been weeding out things at the same time.
I haven’t gone full Gucci 2016 just yet, but you can see the style change happening in the pic below. On the left is an outfit photo from early spring and below right is from just a few weeks ago:
These pics do a pretty good job of summing up how I was dressing and how I feel like dressing now. And who doesn’t love a little layer challenge come fall.
Are you guys feeling it? That change in the air?
If you are a monochromatic gal/guy for life, or have been missing your inner bohemian, I still think you can live with less. I’ll try to prove it the next little while and keep you guys updated on how my style progresses and whether I’ve slipped into buying more stuff just so my life looks like Justina Blakeney’s.
I am very much a jeans and t-shirt girl when it comes to clothes, so tend a little towards a very laid back yet “uniform-y” type wardrobe, i throw colour in, but mixed in with a lot of black, dark blue and white.
When it comes to my appartment, I definitely tend towards the eclectic, colourful and slightly messy and definitely not a monochromatic and minimalistic look. I have become a lot more concious about what I buy, eat and do and hab scaled back, KonMari-ed my place and gotten rid of the excess clutter, so in that way I live with less.
While I love the monochrome interiors in magazines, I don’t actually feel comfortable or at home in them so have come to accept that it isn’t for me.
I think there were so many capsule wardrobe and minimalist style folks who actually had a lot of stuff. So it makes total sense that the opposite can be true – a more baroque or quirky style without a bursting closet. I do think the more layered look is more forgiving with sizing and you can definitely get by with more pre-worn/vintage/re-use stuff than the minimalist aesthetic, which was about new, quality and cut.
I came here (a little late) to leave basically this exact comment! Capsule wardrobes also seem to focus on seasonally dressing and most minimalist bloggers I read ironically suggest “investing” in new things every few months!
I had a friend with a white sofa and I never sat on it. Not once. That’s all I can think about with minimalism. I agree with MichelleK – appreciate it pictures, would never make my place look like it!
I really like this post. Late to post. I am a binge reader. However, I think that if you have pieces you love and they represent your style (whatever style that is) then you don’t need very many.
I tend to wear more blacks, greys, and dark colors, so my clothes usually match. However, I also have a few statement pieces (not seasonal, all year) that I throw in a lot. I would prefer to use a funky scarf to update my style than buy a whole new patterned dress. You can do a lot of shopping in your own closet.
I think one of the hardest things for me is seeing what I actually wear. There are lots of things I really like, but due to my lifestyle, body type, or comfort level I just know I will not wear it enough. This has helped me be more aware of what I own and keep.
That’s exactly what’s hard for me too, Clare! Figuring out what I honestly will wear. Just because i think something looks beautiful doesn’t mean it will work on my body or with my lifestyle. I tend to go for comfort over style since my endometriosis surgeries even though prior to that I would have sacrificed comfort every time. It’s good to stay aware and true to how you really want to be dressing regardless of how tempting something is! Thanks for reading, Cuz!
xoxo, Lar