I discovered minimalism over 5 years ago, and ever since have read books and blog posts, watched YouTube videos, and listened to podcasts related to this topic. I am interested in the idea of living with only the things I find useful or love, but I don’t think I want to label myself a minimalist. I think there are too many people out there who have a specific definition of minimalism – a certain number of items in your home from clothes to dishes.

One of the things I have struggled with over the years contemplating how to carry out minimalism in my life is the fact that I do own quite a lot of clothes, shoes, and accessories. I have tossed around the idea of creating a capsule wardrobe, and it has been an appealing concept to me. Just recently I did yet another closet declutter, and during that process I decided that I am okay with abundance in this area of my life. I enjoy clothes, putting together creative and fun outfits, and asserting my personality through my style. I understand the value in it, and appreciate the decision of others who have capsule wardrobes, but it is just not for me! Today, I wanted to share 5 reasons why I’m FINALLY okay with not committing to a capsule wardrobe.

{{ONE}} I like choices. When it comes to my clothes, shoes, and accessories I like to have choices. I get bored easily with wearing the same thing over and over. If I have a variety of choices, I am less likely to get bored with the pieces included in my wardrobe. I know variety can lead to extra time in the closet, staring at your clothes feeling like you have nothing to wear. But, I truly love and feel amazing in all the clothes that I own. I just don’t overthink it, because I know I will love anything I grab! Also, I wear somewhat of a uniform everyday. That cuts down on the decision making process as well, because I know the basic pieces I am choosing each day.

{{TWO}} I love fashion! Clothes are a creative and artistic expression in my life. I love making things beautiful, whether that’s in my home with cozy decor, in my job organizing a space, or in the outfits I choose to put together. Finding pieces that go together in a creative and unique way is fun for me – almost like a hobby. Adding accessories is the finishing touch!

{{THREE}} It doesn’t make financial sense to me. One of the main things holding me back from pulling the trigger on creating a capsule wardrobe is having regret about getting rid of items and then needing to replace them. I have gotten rid of a lot of clothes over the years, and sold a good bit on Poshmark. I have very rarely regretted the things I let go, however this would be a different situation getting rid of so much! In addition to that, I think if I pared my wardrobe down, it would make it more tempting for me to go shopping. I would get easily bored with the few pieces that I kept, and be longing to mix things up.

{{FOUR}} My closet is big enough. On a practical level, I do have a good sized closet which easily houses the number of clothes I currently own. I do have a fixed number of hangers, and so for that reason I will need to continue to do what I call the “one in, one out rule” in which if I bring something new into my closet I have to get rid of something so all of my items have a hanger or space.

{{FIVE}} Ultimately I am choosing freedom over oppressing myself with some “set of minimalism rules.” Minimalism should not be something that is oppressive. It is something that should actually BRING freedom to your life! I know for a lot of people, they don’t care about clothes. They have other outlets for artistic expression. So, creating a capsule wardrobe for them absolutely makes sense. They don’t like daily putting together outfits, so the capsule wardrobe gives them freedom. For me, there are other ways that I have implemented minimalism into my life, and that has brought freedom into those areas.

Let me know if you have a capsule or minimalist wardrobe, and if so if these reasons make sense to you even if you don’t adopt the same choices.