How I Built a Minimalist Wardrobe (And Simplified My Life)

I Cut My Wardrobe by ⅓ and Didn’t Miss a Single Thing

Minimalism is something I’ve always been curious about, but never fully committed to. Like many people, my closet slowly filled up over time with clothes I liked, clothes I barely wore, and pieces I kept simply because I thought I might wear them someday.

When I moved to the Dominican Republic, I was forced to live with much less. I could only bring two carry-on suitcases for everything I would need for two years. Somehow, that had to include clothes, shoes, keepsakes, and anything else I couldn’t live without.

While packing, it felt restrictive. But once I was in the Dominican Republic, I realized something surprising: I didn’t actually miss most of the things I left behind.

Over time, however, I slowly started accumulating more clothes again, until my wardrobe once again felt overwhelming.

So I decided it was time to make a change and take minimalism more seriously.

I started watching YouTube videos and listening to podcasts about simplifying wardrobes, to motivate myself. I listen to Gabe Bult on Spotify, and I frequently return to the YouTube video below, by a creator whose boho, earthy style is very similar to my own.

Some other youtubers you may enjoy are Kylie Kawalik and The Minimalists. Watching these videos allowed me to visualize what my wardrobe could look like and made the goal of decluttering feel much more attainable. It helped me understand how to realistically build a minimalist wardrobe.

A minimalist wardrobe is all about owning fewer clothes while making sure every piece serves a purpose. Instead of having a closet full of items you rarely wear, the goal is to keep only the pieces you truly enjoy and reach for regularly. This makes getting dressed easier and reduces decision fatigue.

My Minimalist Challenge

I decided to take the plunge and try limiting myself to 100 items, excluding interior clothing like underwear, socks, and bras.

I chose the number 100 because it felt like a realistic challenge. Some minimalist wardrobes are as small as 30 or 40 pieces, but that felt a little too extreme for me. One hundred items still allows for variety while forcing me to be more intentional about what I keep.

Once I started counting my clothes, I realized how quickly the numbers add up. Shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, workout clothes, and random pieces you forgot you owned start piling up fast. Even though 100 pieces sounded like a lot at first, it suddenly didn’t feel like much once I looked at my entire closet.

While 100 still sounds like a lot of pieces, I encourage you to take a look at how many pieces you actually own in your closet. It’s estimated that most people own between 150 and 200 items of clothing.

My goal was simple: I want to feel excited and happy about all my clothes. I want to know that every piece I own is something I truly love. Most importantly, I want to remove unnecessary clutter from my life.

The 6-Step Decluttering Process

Having a plan makes the process feel much less overwhelming. I created a simple system to help guide the wardrobe decluttering process with more ease.

Here is that six-step system.

1. Assess Your Current Wardrobe

Take inventory of everything you currently own. How many pieces do you have? Are there items you’ve barely worn? Do you have a lot of older pieces, or were most purchased recently?

This step is all about becoming aware of what you actually own.

2. Define Your Style

Figure out what styles resonate with you. What pieces do you naturally gravitate toward?

Do you like earthy boho styles, flowy and feminine looks, vintage pieces, or professional outfits? Do you wear a lot of colors or mostly neutrals? What colors complement your skin tone and hair best?

Pinterest can be a great tool to explore and visualize the styles you’re drawn to. Here are some examples below:

3. Choose Versatile Pieces

I say this with a grain of salt. While it is easier to maintain a minimalist wardrobe when items can be mixed and matched easily, that doesn’t mean your wardrobe has to be boring.

I like to keep a mix of basic and fun tops, as well as basic and fun bottoms. That way, I can pair something simple with something more expressive. The most important thing is that your wardrobe reflects your personality while still being practical.

4. Be Strict and Commit

Commit to a system for deciding what stays.

For me, that meant setting a number limit: 100 items. For others, it might mean only keeping pieces worn at least once a month.

Ask yourself questions like:

• Have I worn this in the past year?
• Does it spark joy?
• Do I feel confident and comfortable in it?

Sometimes we love the idea of wearing something more than we actually enjoy wearing it. Be honest with yourself.

5. Declutter

Donate, sell, or discard items that no longer serve you.

If something is in good condition, you can donate or sell it. However, selling clothes can take time and effort, and sometimes it simply isn’t worth the extra work.

Often, the easiest option is to place items in your car and donate them to a local charity or thrift store. If pieces are stained, torn, or worn out, it’s okay to throw them away.

6. Organize and Maintain

Once you’ve finished decluttering, organize your remaining clothes in a way that makes sense for your space.

Take a moment to celebrate the work you just did—it isn’t always easy. Then commit to reviewing your wardrobe every three to six months to maintain your progress.

Minimalist Item Checklist

Deciding what to keep is easier when you have a clear framework. Here is the checklist I created for my own wardrobe.

My 100 – piece Wardrobe Breakdown

Workout Clothes – 20 pieces

• Workout tops – 10
• Worout bottoms – 8
• Workout layers – 2

Work Clothes – 23 pieces

• Work tops – 11 pieces
• Work bottoms – 7 pieces
• Work dresses – 3
• Work layers – 3

Everyday/ Casual – 30 pieces

• Casual tops – 13
• Casual bottoms – 10
• Casual dresses/ jumpsuits – 4
• Casual layers – 2

Other – 27 pieces

• Outerwear – 4
• Loungewear/matching sets – 10
• Special purpose/ wildcard – 6
• Swimwear – 7

It doesn’t matter how many pieces you own. You could own 30 or you could own 150. What’s important is that you value and actually wear the pieces that you own. I started with 100 items because it felt like a manageable goal, but I’ve since gotten rid of even more.

Minimalism doesn’t mean owning as little as possible. It simply means being intentional about what you choose to keep in your life. The number itself isn’t what matters. What matters is that the items you own serve a purpose and make you feel good when you wear them.

One thing I quickly realized while going through my closet was how many items I owned that I didn’t actually wear. Some pieces still had tags on them, while others had been sitting untouched for years. I had kept many of them simply because I thought I might wear them someday.

Another surprising realization was how many clothes I kept out of guilt. It was especially difficult to get rid of items that had been given to me as gifts. But holding onto things out of guilt doesn’t help anyone—it only creates more clutter in your life.

One helpful solution is to tell family and friends about your journey toward minimalism and ask that they refrain from gifting clothing.

Decluttering forced me to be honest with myself about what I truly enjoy wearing. Once I started letting go of pieces that no longer served a purpose, my closet—and my life—immediately felt lighter and more organized.

Benefits of Minimalism

There are many benefits to adopting a minimalist wardrobe.

First, you genuinely like everything you own. You no longer experience the frustrating feeling of having a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear. You may have fewer pieces, but you appreciate them much more. You feel happy and comfortable wearing clothes that truly reflect you.

Second, it takes far less time to get ready each day. You don’t have to dig through piles of clothing you don’t like. Almost anything you pick will work. Simplifying my wardrobe has already made getting dressed easier and less stressful. I spend less time deciding what to wear and feel more confident knowing everything in my closet is something I enjoy.

Third, you’ll save money. When you adopt the mindset of “If I don’t absolutely love it, I won’t buy it,” you naturally reduce impulse purchases. Instead of buying cheap items just because they’re only $5, you become more intentional and save for pieces you’ll actually wear often.

Fourth, minimalism can benefit the environment. A huge amount of clothing ends up in landfills each year, even though we already have more than enough clothing on the planet.

Ready to Try the 100-Item Challenge?

Getting rid of clutter can actually become a little addictive. At first, it takes some momentum to get started. But once you begin, you quickly realize how freeing it is and how many unnecessary items we accumulate over time.

What begins with clothing can easily turn into a whole-home decluttering process. If something doesn’t have a clear purpose or you haven’t used it in months, it may be time to donate, sell, or let it go.

I honestly feel much freer with fewer clothes and belongings. There’s less clutter, and it’s easier to keep everything organized and clean. What started as a simple wardrobe challenge has slowly turned into a shift in how I think about what I own.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your closet, try removing a portion of your wardrobe and see how it feels. You might be surprised by how little you actually miss.