Saturday, November 21, 2015

What is This "Minimalism" You Speak of?

Minimalism and J-Fashion? Hahahaha, no way. Or at least that's what you're probably all thinking. But minimalism is more than just having a grand total of 30 items of clothing, shoes, and accessories and having a sparsely decorated room or house. It's about avoiding unnecessary clutter in your life.

 So what exactly is minimalism? Many people define minimalism as having "less than 100 things" or "extreme sparseness and simplicity." So how is someone into J-fashion supposed to do this when we all know things like anime figure or poster collecting, tons of clothing and accessories, crafting, and cute decor are practically synonyms with J-fashion? Well, let's start by looking at a different definition of minimalism: Having only what you need or use on a regular basis or living an uncluttered lifestyle. What this means can vary depending on the person and what they need. Many people who aren't big on fashion or have a professional wardrobe can get away with having only a few items in their entire wardrobe since clothing isn't a big deal for them. This is why there are programs out there to help people reduce their wardrobe to only 33 items or reduce their number of possessions to 100 or less. So how can someone who, by nature, collect items and has a varied wardrobe become a minimalist without giving up the things they love?

#1: Declutter
 Get rid of the things in your life that you never use or look at. That sweater Grandma gave you five years ago that you haven't taken out of the back of your closet since? Donate or sell it. Got loads of craft items you never use? See if any of your friends want them. All those scarves you crocheted that you never use? Try selling them or give them to family members as Christmas or birthday gifts. Essentially, take what you aren't using and either sell, donate, give, or throw it away.

#2: Avoid impulse buys.
 This goes hand in hand with decluttering: Don't buy things you aren't going to use. Do you really need a third white blouse that looks identical to the ones you already own except it's got stars on the lace instead of flowers? Are you seriously going to make that dress if you already have a pile of sewing projects and patterns you've never even used? Do you REALLY need that Mr. Yan bodypillow, or is it just 3am and you have a bad case of the giggles? Always second guess your purchases. If you HAVE to have that dress because it's so cheap, bookmark it, take a walk or a nap, then decide if you still really want it the next day. I understand this can be hard when you're dealing with auctions or online sales, but it's better to wish you had bought something and wait until the next opportunity to get it comes up than to regret having bought a dress that doesn't even match your wardrobe. One time when I was younger, I really wanted to get a dog tag necklace with Gaara from Naruto on it at a con, but I wasn't sure if I'd actually wear it, so I waited until the next con six months later to find it again and buy it. And guess what? I may not wear it super often anymore, but I wore it all the time after I got it and still do occasionally. I don't regret buying it in the slightest. Those two purses I got a few months ago though? Putting them up for sale because they're the wrong size for my needs and don't match my wardrobe.

#3: Is there someone who would enjoy it more?
 Sometimes we have items we occasionally use that we don't entirely care for as much as we did when we got it. A lot of times, these items can be sold or given to someone who would appreciate it more. I have been selling and donating some items that I use on occasion simply because I would rather have something that suits my wardrobe better take its place.

#4: Is it really that sentimental anymore?
 Many of us hang on to items purely for sentimental value. 'I got this giant teddy bear at the fair with my BFF.' 'These fake rose petals were from the wedding of this one cousin I barely see.' The number one question to ask with items like these is, are they really important enough to be taking up space in your house or room and your life? If you keep them in storage, is it really worth the money you're spending each month to hang on to them, or would it be better spent elsewhere? If you aren't quite ready to get rid of something, take a picture of it and put it in a box or something where you won't see it often. If they're memorabilia from a wedding or party, do you have pictures from the event? Are the pictures of the item and/or event enough, or do you really like the item itself? Sometimes the memory is worth more than the item itself and a few pictures in a photo album takes up a whole lot less space than a giant teddy.

I hope you all enjoyed today's post! Let me know if there's anything you do to keep from being overwhelmed with items while still having the things you enjoy.

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