When I first discovered minimalism, I noticed something weird,
right off the bat. Just about every minimalist wears the same thing every day.
A black t-shirt. I mean let’s just call it what it is.
Now at first I was confused and didn’t really understand why
this was a reoccurring theme everywhere I looked. It was almost as if black was an
unwritten rule that one must follow in order to be a real minimalist.
So I kept digging and watching, and listening, and reading, doing everything I possibly could
to try and understand why wearing the same thing every day was such a popular thing to do.
And then it hit me. It must be because black is such an easy color to wear, right.
Well not exactly. Here are a few theories that I’ve come
across and have grown to understand personally.
Number one: You'll waste less time.
I don't know about you, but I hate wasting time and feeling like my time is being wasted.
But before I found myself owning less, I wasted way too much time getting dressed. I kid you not,
I'd literally stand in front of my closet, the night before, for hours, trying to
figure what I wanted to wear. And sometimes I still didn't decide until the morning of.
Now, this bad habit goes all the way back to my days as a high school student.
And to be honest, the only time I didn't waste time getting dress
were during the years of my life that I had to wear a uniform to school.
See, as a kid I thought wearing a uniform was limiting. And to an extent,
it was because the school system controlled what we were able to wear.
But, as an adult, and someone who is practicing minimalism I now understand
why most minimalists wear the same thing every day. It's because it's their uniform.
Having a regular uniform makes it quick and easy to get dressed. Rather than deliberating for
ten minutes or for hours if you’re anything like I was. You can simply grab an outfit,
throw it on, and get your day started without wasting unnecessary time.
Number two: You'll make less decisions.
Now, this is by far the most popular reason why people decide to adopt a smaller wardrobe.
A few years back I shared a video here on this channel all about fighting decision fatigue
and I’ll leave a link to it below in case you haven’t seen it. Very, very valuable
conversation in my opinion so definitely check that out once we finish this conversation.
See, decision fatigue refers to the deteriorating quality of decisions
made by an individual after a long session of decision making.
Now I’m sure you can imagine the exhaustion I felt day after day
of standing in front of my closet for hours just to find something to wear,
thinking that my peers at the time would care or notice what I had on.
And 10 times out of 10 they didn’t, because everyone was so wrapped up in their own lives
that they don’t have the time to care nor talk about the color of my shirt.
The truth of the matter is that when you have less clothes, you have less decisions to make
because “what do I wear?” is no longer a question you have to think about. And instead, you can
spend that energy making more important decisions that will actually have an impact on your life.
Number three: You'll always feel good in what you're wearing.
A major life lesson that I’ve learned is that most people don’t care like we think
they do. And ever since I started my minimalist journey and downsized my closet significantly
I’ve never been asked this question:
"Didn't you just wear that the last time I saw you?"
Now to keep it real with you. I don’t exactly know why most minimalists gravitate towards
the black t-shirt. Maybe it really is because this color is easy to wear,
or maybe they just like the color black, either way, you don’t have to
feel obligated to follow suit if black isn’t your thing. If you like color embrace color.
As a matter of fact, give me a second.
That’s better. See, sometimes I like color and
that’s what I really want you to take away from this.
Although minimalism is about owning less,
you shouldn’t feel deprived of your personality and self-expression.
So should you have a uniform? I think so. But does it have to be all black? No, it’s doesn’t.
Now if you’re looking for an awesome t-shirt to help brighten up your wardrobe,
then consider checking out cuts. I find them super comfortable and very versatile and I’m
actually wearing the white one right now, underneath this button-up.
So if you’re interested, there will be a link down in the description that will give you 15% off.
Now before you go, I want you to remember something. Wear what you love,
embrace who you are, but never consume more than you need.
Because there is so much more to life than stuff and things.
Keep growing, keep learning and always stay true to you.
I’ll see you in the next one.
Peace!