Simplify the Wardrobe

CNN, by Emanuella Grinberg:

Souveny set out last year to simplify his life, starting with this wardrobe, and he’s not the only one paring down. With the ubiquity of fast fashion and cheap home decor, many are finding it easy to hoard too many items. Thus the popularity of decluttering gurus like Marie Kondo and stunts such as Souveny’s.

Previously, he thought he “needed” specific clothes for different activities: nice clothes for going out, work clothes, beach clothes, hiking clothes and so on.

“Living and traveling with only the clothes on my back, I realized that the right clothes can work in all of these situations, and if they are well-built, then spares and backups aren’t required.”

Souveny spared no expense to ensure that his clothes would last. Some observers balked at the overall price tag of Souveny’s capsule — about $2,700, as one Redditor estimated, for top-of-the-line performance gear — but he believes the exercise can be replicated on any budget as long as some attention has been paid to quality.

Since he ended the one-year challenge in June, his wardrobe has grown to about 30 pieces, including shoes and formal wear. It’s a lot less than he used to have, but it still feels “overwhelming to have this much choice,” he said.

The upshot of paring down? Now, he knows how to prioritize.

“I’m going to continue clearing out things that I don’t wear, especially if I plan to make any future purchases, maintaining a small, manageable wardrobe,” he said.