Creating a Minimalist / Essentials Only Wardrobe

I have always considered myself somewhat of a minimalist. I like simple design and get anxious when there's too much clutter. With that said, I've also been a trend-seeker most of my life. I'm immediately attracted to things I see on blogs or in stores and feel an immediate need to buy more. It's the consumerist mindset that I've grown up, but my minimalist self and my consumerist self have always battled it out. Lately, I've been inspired by other minimalists to start narrowing down my clothes and accessories to only the essential items. This looks different for everyone so here are a few tips on how to decide what to keep in your closet.

1. Get rid of anything you haven't worn in a year.
Whether the item is no longer trendy, doesn't fit, or never quite looked right it's time to get rid of it. If you are holding onto items thinking you will fit into them again, keep this in mind. Once you lose the weight you'll want new items anyway instead of the old ones that are no longer in style.

2. Choose a color palette.
Personally, I rid myself of anything that was patterned. I found that I wore those items less because they were more difficult to style. Go for a simple palette with neutrals like gray, black, and white. You may also want to add in other colors you like such as pastels or navy, but decide on just a few and get rid of the rest.

3. Categorize everything.
Group your clothes by category such as t-shirts, tank tops, sweaters, jackets, etc. Make a list of each of the categories and how many things you think you need in each. I suggest keeping only 3-5 items per category. You may also find that there are a few things that you need. Just make sure that you are purging items before you buy anything to fill in the gaps.

After purging a huge amount of clothes I narrowed my wardrobe down to these essential items.