How to Simplify Your Wardrobe: Organization & Minimalist Essentials

Simplified clothes closet

I have a smaller closet in my cottage on a farm. I have tried to simplify my closet clothing line to seven to ten items per leg. So seven to ten things to get me through an entire year. 

If it's a dress or a skirt, I try to pick only my favorite items I enjoy wearing each season. For pants, I usually go a little bit over because there are so many different seasons, but I try to keep that number from seven to ten. 

I have more casual clothing like work pants and jeans. I've also got some short sleeve shirts and a few long-sleeved shirts. One thing I encourage as you move towards simplifying your closet and moving towards minimalism is picking solids. I'm not going all black; that's just not my style. I do pick colors that I enjoy. 

What I'll do is I'll take those solids and then add in some color or some accessories, like a really cute necklace or a cute scarf. That way, it extends your closet and clothes, and you can change them out with different scarves.

I have some cardigans and also some jackets that I wear regularly. That is my simplified minimalist, hanging clothes. 

Bottom dresser drawer

Next, I will share with you the clothes I have in my drawers, starting at the bottom. 

I just refreshed it and reset it for the winter. I've got my winter pants, sweatshirts, and long-sleeved shirts for going out in the snow. I also have a few warm pajamas.

Middle drawer

In my next drawer, I went through and simplified and decluttered my workout clothes. I found that I had multiples of different shirt colors. So I went through and chose a couple of long and short sleeves and then the t-shirts and workout shirts that I love that I will wear. That's the key: figure out which clothing items you love and eliminate the ones you don't enjoy wearing.

So I went through and kept my workout pants, but also I do wear leggings to bed sometimes or under skirts or dresses. I have quite a few leggings and then some tank top shirts that I'll wear under a blouse. 

Top drawer

For the top drawer, I recently just decluttered. I had three containers 

of socks. I bought bins at the Dollar store for organization and placed them on the right side of my drawer.

I went through and saved some black socks and white socks and got rid of probably about five to ten of each color. I've only kept the style that I like and decluttered the rest. I also keep a few pairs of warmer socks and thick tights for cold temperatures. On the left side of my drawer is underwear. 

Scarf organization

I also keep my scarves in this drawer. It may look like a lot, but using accessories simplifies your closet and clothing line. I have a ton of different scarves that I change out depending on my outfit. 

I wear my black top with a different scarf or my navy top with a different scarf, and I don't have to buy and have as many shirts. Instead, I interchange my accessories. 

Simplified wardrobe

Hopefully, that was helpful so you can get ideas for how to create a simplified wardrobe. Choose seven to ten items you absolutely need and love that you'll wear. Just pick the ones that you know that you will wear. If you have storage bins, put all your winter gear, your spring, and summer, in them as you change out the seasons.