10 Minimalist Rules That Cleared 90% of the Clutter from My Wardrobe

If you have a closet full of clothes but still feel like you have nothing to wear, congratulations. You've just come face to face with one of the biggest paradoxes of modern history. But what if the problem isn't actually your clothes? What if the root cause of your messy and overwhelming wardrobe is actually the rules you use to curate it? I've spent the past 10 years mastering the art of minimalism and studying the psychology and neuroscience of decluttering. And it might surprise you to hear that even though I'm a minimalist, I've learned that while owning more clothes isn't the answer, owning as little as possible can be just as bad. And every single one of you watching this video has a sweet spot somewhere in the middle that I'm going to help you figure out in today's video as I share 10 rules for a clutter-free wardrobe you adore and that saves you time, money, and peace of mind. Even if you're not a minimalist, let's dive in starting with number one on this list, which is to know how to calculate what I like to call your MVQ. One of the biggest complaints I hear about minimalism is that reducing the number of items you own too much can become toxic or limiting to the extreme. And even though I'm a minimalist, I actually respect and 100% agree with that sentiment. We've all seen those videos of minimalists sitting on the floor in an empty room or opening a kitchen cupboard that has a A single bowl inside. And while there are certain categories where you can get by by owning one or even nothing, in other cases owning the bare minimum can actively make your life harder or worse instead of better, which in my opinion completely defeats the purpose of minimalism. And that, my friends, is where calculating your MVQ comes into play. I was inspired to create this minimalism rule while I was digging into psychology and economics as part of my frugal living and minimalism journey after learning about something called the law of diminishing returns. The law of diminishing returns basically means that adding more of something can make your life better up to a certain point, but then after that, adding more can actually make things worse. So when it comes to your wardrobe past a certain point, that means more clutter, more decision fatigue, and more inventory than you can manage. So like I said, to counter this law, I created the MVQ rule, and MVQ is an acronym that stands for minimum viable quantity. So to illustrate the MVQ rule, let's take shoes as an example. It's no secret that a lot of people buy and own more shoes than they need. Or even have space for. But then, on the other hand, most people aren't going to be able to get by with only one pair of shoes either. Especially if you work a 9-5 job, or you participate in active or outdoor hobbies like hiking, or you live in a four season climate like I do. So in applying the MVQ rule to my shoe collection, I own exactly enough pairs of shoes For each role that fits my lifestyle and my needs, and that includes a pair of 17-year-old UGG boots that my husband gave me that I wear in the extremely cold Chicago winters, two pairs of sneakers, one that I use for exercise, and one that I use for daily casual wear and dressing up. And two pairs of sandals, one pair that's more dressy and the other pair that I use to shower at the gym or whenever we go to the beach. And going back to the law of diminishing returns, I want to use these two pairs of sandals as an example, because I used to own one pair of sandals that I wore all the time, even when I was showering at the gym. But because those sandals had a fabric mesh weave on the top, they were always a pain in the butt to shower in at the gym. Because after showering, when I was getting dressed, I would have to kneel down to the floor and towel dry them off. And even after doing that, they were never fully dry which didn't bother me as much in the summer but definitely became a problem in the winter. So after that last pair of sandals wore out, I replaced them with two new pairs. A nice pair for daily use and these easy to dry black sandals that are great for the gym and the beach. So when it comes to your clothes and shoes, put on your thinking cap and calculate what your MVQ is and consider letting go of the extras. And that brings us to rule number two, which is once you calculate your MVQ, you can keep it there by following the one in one out rule of minimalism. And the core idea behind this rule is that for every new item you bring into your home, one item needs to be removed, whether that's through selling or donating or recycling. This is one of my favorite rules of minimalism, and I had to activate it more than expected in the past few months. After a few surprising life changes and mishaps, such as needing clothing for the funeral of a loved one, and realizing that several pairs of clothes had either gotten stained or wore out and needed to be replaced. Such as this pair of linen pants that got a hole in the butt after 4 years of regular use. So now let's walk through all of the items that I've decluttered and what I've purchased to replace them. As I mentioned before, I got rid of that pair of linen pants that got a hole in the seat and along with those pants I also decluttered a pair of skinny dark wash jeggings that were thrifted from Goodwill. As well as a gorgeous beige and white linen dress that I don't wear enough to justify keeping and that turned out to be more of a fantasy self-purchase that I've been holding onto in denial for the past four years. On top of that, right before we went on vacation, I accidentally somehow stained two of my favorite white tank tops in the laundry. So those had to be replaced, which I'll touch on later. And then I also decided that it was time to let go of this 14 year old blue maternity dress that got a hole around the knee area, as well as this old Harry Potter t-shirt that has gotten so worn thin that it's now practically see-through and I no longer feel comfortable wearing it. Funnily enough, even though these two items are the most worn out, they're also the hardest for me to let go because I have so many fond memories of both of these things. But I also know that it's not doing me any good to hoard clothes that I don't wear anymore in my wardrobe, so I'm going to thank them for their years and years of service and let them go with gratitude. So in total that was seven items that have gone out of my wardrobe and here are the items that have been brought in. After that pair of linen pants wore out, I got a new pair of darker green linen pants to replace them as well as a matching button-up shirt that I got to complement those pants. And as I mentioned before, I got two tank tops to replace the ones that I had stained, Both of which were white. However, when I purchased the new ones I decided to get one in white and one in green and then I also ended up getting a green bikini that was purchased for our trip to Hawaii. And then I also thrifted a black outfit for the funeral of a loved one and that included a pair of capri pants and a linen button-up shirt. So all in all that means seven items have gone out of my wardrobe and seven new items have come in, which means that the total number of items in my closet stays at a nice manageable equilibrium. But while the one in one out rule controls how much comes into your wardrobe, the next rule helps you decide what items aren't the right to come in. And for that, I use something called the rule of three. Which means that any new piece of clothing should be able to combine with the things that you already own to create at least three outfits. And mastering this rule doesn't just keep your wardrobe simple and clutter-free, it can also save you money. Because instead of constantly buying more cheap clothes that quickly fall apart or only work in one or two ways, you can invest your money into fewer and nicer pieces that you actually wear and that are made to last. And we'll talk more about the buy nice or buy twice rule in just a moment, but first I want to give a big thank you to Quince for sponsoring today's video. My love for Quince actually started three years ago when I ordered this gorgeous European linen duvet cover for our bedroom, which we absolutely adore and I've gotten so many compliments on over the years whenever people see it in my videos. So when my linen pants wore out, I was excited to replace them with this deep, rich green color pair of pants from Quince that is made out of 100% European linen. And you guys, I was just so in love with these pants that I couldn't resist buying the matching button up to fill in the gaps from the items I had decluttered. One thing I really appreciate about Quince is just how many options they have for finding the right size because I'm slim through the waist but then I need a little bit of a longer leg and more room in the thighs and hips and I was thrilled when these pants fit me like a glove on the first try. So if you're picky like I am, Quince is a great place to shop for elevated everyday essentials made from premium materials. Such as the European linen I mentioned earlier, as well as Mongolian cashmere, organic cottons, and washable silk in timeless styles that are designed to be worn again and again. And with free shipping plus an insanely generous 365-day return policy, you have plenty of time to make sure something truly works for you. Right now, you can discover all Quince has to offer by downloading the Quince app for app-exclusive offers, or go to quince.com slash A to Zen to get free shipping on your order and 365-day returns, with shipping now available in Canada and the UK, too. Again, that's Q-U-I-N-C-E dot com slash A to Zen. And thanks again to Quince for sponsoring today's video. Now, going back to that buy nice or buy twice rule I mentioned earlier. This old saying warns against buying the cheapest option because it might just end up costing you more in the long run. Because if you buy cheap clothes that wear out quickly, you're just going to have to buy something to replace them again and again and again, Which can easily turn into an endless hamster wheel of buying and overconsumption. And in the minimalism and frugal living community, this rule is also known as buy once, cry once, and the I'm too broke to buy a cheap rule. And indeed, as someone who is frugal as well as a minimalist, I had to learn to think less about the upfront price tag on my clothes and more about their potential cost per wear. So for example, if you buy a cheap $10 shirt and that shirt falls apart after just one wash, that shirt is actually more expensive than it would be if you bought a $100 shirt that you wore 50 times if you do the math because the $100 shirt gave you a $2 cost per wear while that cheap $10 shirt gave you a $10 cost per wear. This dress $77 and look at all the snagging like this fabric is literally falling apart. It simply did not need to be made. Another dress over $70. When I checked the zipper on this dress, you can see that it was already coming apart and about to fall off. These straps are way too delicate for the weight of this dress and these are going to snap off. And just to be clear, just because something is expensive, that doesn't mean that it's automatically better quality. These off-white pants literally ripped after just two wears, bro. I'm sick right now. I literally had to pull over because I'm so shocked. This is a $7,000 Chanel bag. And it literally fell apart on me today. I was getting my keys out for valet. Tell me why this fell off and this part that holds it in fell off. I don't understand. And I think at its core, the message behind the buy nice or buy twice rule is to buy the best quality that you can reasonably afford. Because just like Vivienne Westwood famously said, when you make it a habit to buy less, choose well, and make things last, not only will you create less waste, but it will also save you money that you would otherwise waste. Continuously replacing low quality items and keep unnecessary clutter from entering your closet in the first place. And speaking of waste, while reducing waste is a great goal even when you're as intentional as possible, sometimes you have to accept that you've made a mistake and an item has no place in your wardrobe. Which is where the use it or lose it rule comes into play. Although I didn't say this rule by name, I actually discussed this concept in more detail in last week's video where I talked about the importance of decluttering perfectly good things from your home which I will be sure to link up here for you in the right hand corner and down in the description box below in case you're interested in hearing more about that. But going back to that dress and the skinny dark wash jeggings I mentioned earlier, both of those items were bought with all the best intentions in the world And yet they still ended up only getting worn a handful of times and spent most of their time that I own them hanging in my closet, making me feel guilty for not wanting to wear them. Sometimes we fall head over heels in love with an item of clothing only to find out in practice that it doesn't actually fit our body, lifestyle, or needs. And this is where we have to separate the things that we actually wear from the fantasy wardrobe that we wish we wore. Because it doesn't matter how much you paid for something, how cute it is, or how much you wish you could be the kind of person that wears that thing, if you're constantly pushing those clothes aside to grab something else in your closet. So whenever I'm unsure about an item of clothing, I give myself a simple challenge to use it or lose it. And I start paying attention to how often I actually reach for and wear it. And brainstorm events and places where I might need to wear it in the near future. And no matter the reason, whether it's because you don't like the color or the fabric or because it doesn't fit you right or because you feel self-conscious when you wear it, if you continue to avoid wearing that thing, that's probably a good sign that it doesn't deserve the space it's taking up in your wardrobe. You deserve to have clothes that serve the person you are right now. And that fit the life that you're actually living. And if you struggle to decide what to keep and what to let go of, the next rule complements the use it or lose it rule. And it is especially good for people who complain they don't have a lot of time to declutter. And I like to call this rule the when in doubt, reverse it out rule, aka the reverse hanger hack for decluttering. This might be one of the easiest minimalist Wardrobe hacks on this entire list because it's low effort and it takes almost all of the guesswork out of figuring out what you actually wear because all you have to do is turn around every single hanger in your closet so that it's facing the wrong direction with the clothes hanging off of them. And then whenever you wear something, what you're going to do is you're going to take that hanger and flip it back around the right direction and put it the proper way back into your wardrobe. And if you do this over the next three to six months, something pretty amazing will start to happen, which is you'll get a visual map of the items in your wardrobe that you actually wear, Use and love. At the end of your experiment, anything that's still hanging backwards on the hanger hasn't been touched, which means that you might be able to declutter it without missing it at all. And obviously you have to use common sense here and you're probably not going to declutter your winter coat in July or the one fancy dress that you keep in your closet for special events just because you didn't have any weddings in the past three to six months. But as far as your everyday clothes, this hack gives you actual data about your real life habits and behaviors, which makes those use it or lose it decisions a whole lot easier. The truth is, sometimes the clothes we think we wear and the ones we actually wear on repeat are two very different things. And the reverse hanger hack is a great way to give yourself a reality check about About which is which. Minimalist rule number seven on this list is a cheap and easy way to make your wardrobe look cohesive and that is to upgrade to matching hangers. I used to be someone who never really thought too much about hangers before I became a minimalist but then after I got my wardrobe decluttered I realized that having all of these different kinds of hangers inside made it look really cheap and chaotic. I had all different kinds of hangers. I had wire hangers. wood hangers and all sorts of plastic hangers in every size color and style and one of the best things i did to create a cohesive wardrobe years and years ago was swap out all of those crappy old hangers to these thinner profile velvet hangers as you can see here so not only do these Do these take up less? horizontal space in my wardrobe and give my clothes more breathing room between each of them, but it also makes sure that my clothes are less likely to slip off the hangers and fall to the bottom of my wardrobe. And that's especially handy for me because I do tend to prefer a lot of more oversized or relaxed fit in my clothes. For example, this wearable blanket that I wear non-stop in the cold, cold winters. I got it in like a size that's big enough to fit like a 250 to 300 pound man so it's quite large and the neck hole is quite large but because i have this velvet hanger here it doesn't fall off the hanger in my closet. rule number eight on this list is to give everything its own place aka the ben franklin rule and what's funny is that marie kondo actually talked about this concept in her book But move over Marie Kondo because Ben Franklin actually said this first when he famously described his daily routines and talked about the importance of finding a place for everything and giving everything its proper place. Which just might make Ben Franklin the original and most iconic tidying diva of all time. But all jokes aside, Ben Franklin wasn't playing around when it came to this rule. And in fact, I recently came across a snapshot of his daily journal that showed 200 years back he was already ahead of his time using time blocking to map out specific windows for him to return items to their proper locations in his home. Also, when it comes to decluttering and organizing clothes, I'm a firm believer in using what you already have, whether that would be a dresser or a closet or whatever the case may be. As far as the system that I use, I hang most of my clothes on hangers and then I use small fabric containers for things like bras, socks, underwear, and my pajamas. And by the way, I don't fold my PJs when I put them away in the morning. I literally... Just take them off my body and toss them into this box and walk away. And that one habit has removed friction and saved me so much time in my morning routine. And then as far as my daily outfits, I have one area for dresses, one area for tops, and one area for bottoms, and I put all of the items in my wardrobe in color-coded order so that I always know where every single thing goes and I don't have to paw around for things in my wardrobe because if I see that it's not in its place, I know that it must either be in the laundry or I've left it somewhere around the house. Minimalist rule number nine on this list is to beware the spotlight effect so that you don't accidentally get brainwashed into buying things just because you're worried about what other people think about your appearance and whether you're on trend or cool or not. And in case you're not familiar with the spotlight effect, this is basically a psychological cognitive bias where you become hyper aware And think that people are noticing and judging you based on your appearance, actions, or mistakes much more than they actually do. Unless your boss's name is Miranda Priestly, 99% of the time, no one is paying attention to you because they're more worried about what other people are thinking about them. All of us are the main character in our own stories, but most of us are overestimating how much other people are noticing and judging us because the truth is that other people are also thinking that they're the main character and they're more worried about what other people are thinking of them. I've even seen a really cool experiment called the 100 day challenge or something where people People will wear the same dress or outfit. just maybe with different accessories or shoes for a hundred days and more often than not no one notices or comments on it and if they do comment most of the time it's positive and not negative and if anyone ever does call you out for wearing the same clothes more than once you can always use this iconic line from Lizzie McGuire, Lizzie McGuire, you are an outfit repeater maybe I'm an outfit repeater but you're an outfit rememberer which is just as pathetic I personally think that being an outfit rememberer is worse than being an outfit repeater because being an outfit repeater means that you're saving money you're being environmentally conscious and hey You're pretty resourceful. If anyone ever commented on me wearing the same clothes all the time, I'd definitely be tempted to go right back with the question, don't you have better things to do with your time than worry about the clothes that I'm wearing? And finally, minimalist rule number 10 on this list is the 30-day rule. This is another minimalist rule that is an absolute cheat code for stopping clutter before it even has a chance to enter your wardrobe. And that is to wait 30 days before buying any new items of clothing, whether you find them at a physical store or when you're scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. I can't be the only one who's noticed all of the brainwashing that brands and influencers do to try to manufacture hype and fear of scarcity and trigger us into impulse buying whatever they're trying to sell us at that moment. And suddenly everything is a limited drop that's selling out fast or everyone and their brother has it on TikTok. So you feel this overwhelming social pressure of needing it as well. But if we take the time to slow down and mindfully consider each purchase, more often than not, we'll realize that we don't actually want or need that thing. And the truth is, there's always going to be more sales and more things than you could ever afford to buy or fit in your home. So when you're tempted to buy something, the best thing you can do is write it down in a journal or pin it to a wishlist and take note of the date you discovered it. And give yourself 30 days to decide whether that purchase is worth it or not. That 30-day cooling off period gives the emotional part of our brain time to calm down so that we can make more intentional decisions. And if you're still thinking about that thing 30 days later, you can then run through the other rules that we talked about in today's video. Does it fit into your MVQ? Can you make at least three outfits with that thing? And what will leave your closet if this item comes in? And is it something that you actually use or just hype or a fantasy self item? Because one of the biggest secrets to keeping our wardrobe clutter-free isn't getting better at getting rid of stuff, it's becoming better at not bringing unnecessary stuff home in the first place. And if you're ready to hear more tips and ideas about that, be sure and go check out one of these videos that YouTube thinks that you'll like, or I'll see you next week. Until then, take care. Bye bye.