Minimalist Fashion: 7 Quick Tips to Look Good with Less

At Rust and Fray, we have great respect for people who choose to live a minimalist lifestyle. We believe in waste reduction and the slow fashion movement, and so learning how to live with less in the face of a disposability culture is key. Whether you live a dedicated minimalist lifestyle or are simply looking to make your current wardrobe go further, here are a few tips to get a little more mileage out of a small amount of quality clothing, instead of relying on fast fashion’s straight to landfill outfits.

A truism for all things minimalist is that the less you’re doing the more each detail matters. Varying texture is always an awesome fashion tip but it becomes even more important the less pieces you’re working with. When parrying down your wardrobe, separate them based on the textiles they’re made from and try to keep as few repeats as possible. That way no matter what combination of items you made your outfit out of that day, you’ll have something with variety.

The fun of making a minimal wardrobe is experimenting with what you have to make as much variety out of as little actual articles, right? One of the most important aspects of making your wardrobe work for more is changing the silhouette. A long baggy shirt can make for fun casual wear, but then tie the right belt around it and you’ve got a more formal top. Tie the bottom of your skirt for a flirty form fitting look. Hell, just tie an old pajama sized t-shirt into a dress!

Again, the less things you’re working with, the more each detail matters. A good rule of thumb for a minimal wardrobe is to make most of it neutral but include a small amount some colors you love and are keeping. Make sure those colors work together and also work well with just the neutrals. And as much as it sounds like minimalist fashion is only about solid colors, it is still possible to have a few patterned pieces. Just remember to make sure the pattern isn't too bold, as the fact that it’s patterned is already going to draw a lot of attention to it.

Often people think about what colors work well with their skin color or eye color, but one important thing to think about is your contrast level. Do you have very light skin and jet black hair and eyes? Pale white skin and platinum blonde hair? Tan skin and reddish brown hair? Your body naturally has a contrast level, and it’s generally best to match your outfit to that contrast level no matter what colors you choose. This is true even when choosing your neutrals. 

Choosing a minimalist color palette is a tad easier for those living in an environment with even weather than those with four starkly different seasons, but if you live with seasons, see if you can build your outfits around them. For example, if you have a deep navy winter sweater, a black winter hat, a light blue top, and a lilac scarf, the navy blue becomes the main color and the light blues and purples serve as the shades for an overall dark winter palette. But in the spring, when the sweater and hat hang out in the closet, the light blue top becomes the main color. Wear the lilac scarf and choose a nice pastel zero-waste nail polish and you’ve got a much more spring friendly outfit.

Going off of that last one, play with your layers. Pic items that work both as an outer layer and an inner layer whenever possible, and experiment with them. Throw a t-shirt over your fancy full length dress and suddenly you have playful summer wear. Your favorite long skirt and top already make for a good outfit, but pull that skirt up above the bust and add a belt, and suddenly you have a brand new summer dress. And always keep in mind how the color pallet shifts when you make something new the outer layer. A flannel shirt can look like casual fall wear or a conservative serious look just depending on which layer it is (outer and inner, respectively).

A few key accessories can make or break any outfit, so choose wisely. Obviously picking something like a neutral color bag that works with anything is probably safest, but if you're feeling brave you can pick a bag that is in your accent color. A large wool scarf (or a thickly knit cotton scarf for our vegan readers) works wonders to give your outfits variety, and a pattern or interesting detail on that scarf will be brought out even more by your minimal wardrobe.

We hope these quick tips helped inspire your minimalist wardrobe, or at least gave the non-minimalist readers here ideas for making their wardrobe go further. Keep up with more tips on sustainability and fashion by following Rust and Fray’s Facebook, and be sure to check out our Instagram as well.