Ha! Got you for a minute, didn’t I? This is absolutely 100% not my closet. But it is the recreation of someone’s closet that was on display at the Met until last month. It’s a thing of beauty, isn’t it?
I’m sure some of you find it terrifying. So much white! So limiting! This is true, but I love the idea that someone really dressed like this. And maybe some day I will too.
But today is not that day. Because today, this is what my closet looks like:
It doesn’t have a classic minimalist look. It’s not all white or gray or black. I also have a lot of (black and white) shoes and things are pretty crammed in there. I was initially hesitant to post these photos because they’re not pretty. The lighting in my bedroom and closet is crap and it doesn’t look as neat and tidy because its not monochrome. Nevertheless, here it is in all its imperfect glory.
I only have clothes in here that I wear and I know exactly what I have. It might not be as impressive as Sara Berman’s closet at the Met and it’s not as beautiful as those capsule wardrobe clothing racks you see all over Pinterest, but it’s the real deal. I might have straightened the hangers up a bit and vacuumed the floor, but other than that, this is what my minimalist closet looks like.
Just for fun, I’ll include some detail shots.
The only purses I own hang on a over-the-door purse organizer on the back of the door:
For years I’ve been using a large cork board to hang my necklaces. You can see it here in an old post. It worked for a while, but it also took up precious wall and floor space in my tiny room. So after a few weeks of looking around shops and online for jewelry organizers, I settled on these two peg acrylic necklace wall racks and hung them on the back wall of my closet. Best $20 spent all month!
I find that people think minimalism means owning nothing – or owning exactly 33 items of clothing – but that’s not the case. Minimalism is about only keeping items that you use and love. While my closet isn’t zen and monochromatic, it only contains items that I wear frequently. No random, moth-eaten sweaters or one-time-use dresses hanging out in the back gathering dust. Now that’s what I call a clothing success story (insert high five emoji here)!
First, I LOVE seeing real closets. Others may be Instagram-worthy but they are almost entirely unattainable for most folks. I’d rather see what people do with spaces similar to my own. Second, I also have two of the acrylic jewelry holders (mine are for necklaces and bracelets) and I love them in an unholy manner 🙂
Totally agree re minimalism. I also like seeing real closets. Mine is still a work in progress but it’s going in the right direction.