Hello, friends, this is Youheum. I currently practice extreme minimalism. Today I'll
be sharing what I wear while traveling for 4 months and the reason behind why I
wear the same outfit almost every day. If you want you can also check out my
capsule wardrobe tour, I'll link that here. I'm originally based in Austin and
I'm working and traveling in Japan as a digital nomad. I'll also be visiting
my hometown in Korea next year. This is what I use for traveling. I pack
everything in here including my gear, all the things that I
need for traveling, and my clothes. I did bring my one and only favorite dress.
This one is made with linen and it's from Linen Fox. I also carry my
collapsible grocery bag with me especially since Japan uses a lot of
single-use plastic bags. I also like to stick with my simple black linen top and
my linen pants which replaced my old hiking pants from before. I wear this
for all occasions including meeting friends, client meetups, hiking, when I
go biking, and it's just an everyday pants that I really love and appreciate.
I tend to go for linen, hemp, or organic cotton since it's breathable, it's
comfortable, and these are the things that I personally value. The one hat that
I do take with me everywhere is this hemp and cotton blend hat. Since I also
like to work at cafes or lounges I do carry my laptop in my backpack.
I also use this for day hikes since it's very spacious.
I brought three outer layer pieces and this includes my windbreaker.
All the outerwears were purchased used on eBay and at used goods stores.
Also, be sure to share any sustainable and ethical brands you know and
highly recommend for the community. Let us know in the comments below.
I brought one pair of minimalist zero-drop shoes with me. I shared this in my Japan home tour
and furniture-free room tour. I recently updated you all about me owning three
pairs of shoes now. This one is water repellent and it's designed by
Vivobarefoot and if you want to know more about how minimalist shoes are different
from conventional shoes, I'll link my video here so you can check it out.
I also have a used fleece jacket for additional warmth and a used down jacket.
For any non-vegan items I own, I always go for used products (and never buy new.) So I wear a
fleece jacket under and then my down jacket on top.
I also did bring my long underwear and I swapped out my old black ones
with these new hemp top and also a bamboo leggings. I replaced it with these
because the old ones were full of holes and it was really worn out after many
years of use. This way I can stay warm during winter. I do like to keep
things utilitarian so I actually use my linen headband as a scarf during winter.
This keeps me pretty warm and cozy. So my intention in sharing my practice
and sharing more about my uniform and wardrobe is not to compete with
others on how much less things or how much more I own than other people.
My focus is always on sharing my unfolding and to share the
possibility that simplicity can also be a way of feeling content and living
happily. And I'm not here to convert or force anyone to be just like me or to
manipulate anyone. I understand that everyone has a different level of
comfort so if fashion, beauty, and consumption are
important to you, especially as a person working in this industry or in this
field, I support you no matter what. So be sure to share what you love about the
clothing you own. Is it comfortable? Do you enjoy the colors? What about the
material? Also, are there any changes you want to make to your closet or in
your lifestyle in general?
To build a capsule wardrobe or to pick out a uniform that I can wear every day,
I believe that it's really important to recognize my own needs and comfort level.
This includes considering my budget, closet space, career, lifestyle,
also my activity level, and the climate of where I am living and staying at.
And also something that's very important to me is personal preference.
Like I always share in my message of compassion and gentleness, there is no
one-size-fits-all solution for this community or for anyone. We can
always invite flexibility and gentleness without striving to become like the
perfect minimal guru or the perfect sustainability advocate. So I think that
it's good to approach it mindfully and it's also good to honestly recognize the
potential downside as well as the benefits before diving into too deep. The potential
downsides that might bother some people that I have experienced include...
Frequent laundering, so this means that I have to frequently wash my clothes.
Also, picking an outfit is no longer a creative activity and shopping is no
longer a fun activity anymore for me. And some people might think that I'm very
strange for wearing the same thing but I think this comes down to how I deal with
judgment and criticism. So if I perceive something as a judgment, then of course
it bothers me but if I allow it to be as it is if I allow it to just flow, then
I'm not so bothered by the opinions of others. Another downside is that I'm
definitely not prepared for special occasions where I have to be fancy or
have to dress up but like I have mentioned before
I don't really try anymore to live up to the standards of what I should be doing
and what I should look like. So this no longer is bothersome to me.
The aspects that I value, the benefits include more time and energy to focus on
what's really important to me like traveling and family time. I also get
to save money and get to enjoy a spacious clutter-free closet. Since I am
an HSP (Highly Sensitive Person), I have difficulty coping with clutter or stimulation and distractions.
I also love how it's easy to pack when I'm traveling. So I think that there are
many reasons why someone might decide to go ahead with building a capsule
wardrobe or sticking with a uniform. And I also recognize that there there are
many reasons why someone might not want to do this. Those are all acceptable
and all are ways of being happy and living the fullest. And that's why I feel
so appreciative of the diversity within this community and I'm grateful for the
presence of contrast and the necessary role it plays in the collective growth
and transformation.
Some of you might already know that I recovered from shopping addiction after
many years of inner suffering and toxic habits. Now that I've been practicing
mindfulness, minimalism, and other practices for around six years,
I definitely have more clarity about the root of my past obsession. I now think
that my attachment to shopping, my obsession with my looks, and how I
presented myself was stemming from my resistance to love myself. And it was
stemming from my own denial of my true self and the hatred and jealousy I had
against those who were authentic, appreciated,
and loved no matter how they looked and behaved. So at that time, I did have
unrealistic standards of perfection. A slight wrinkle or stain on my clothes
was really unforgivable, and a person wearing no makeup was so boring to me.
I would label them as sick looking and ugly and someone who didn't try their
best to be presentable and likeable really annoyed me with their care-free attitude.
Under all of the hatred, anger, and resistance I feared my
own imperfections being exposed and I feared what is under all the fancy
things that I had being exposed to my loved-ones and I feared my own
vulnerabilities being uncovered by people around me and I feared the
disappointment of others when they saw my true self.
After years into healing and nourishing my inner self, my mindset
started to shift from competition, jealousy, and narcissism into asking
mindful and intentional questions like... What is more important in life than the
clothes that I own? What is the meaning of life? Is it being physically
attractive or is there more to it? And What is supporting my life? What's
bringing me happiness besides my clothing and the
possessions that I own? And I eventually came up with the answer that what's
really valuable and priceless to me is the time I spend with my loved-ones, the
time I get to travel and explore the world explore nature and explore the
outdoors, the time I get to experience different culture, different people,
delicious food, and the unique unfolding of other people. That's why now I focus
on nourishment and joyful experiences. I feel neutral about
shopping and it's true that it's not something that I like to do in my own
life but I don't hate it. I don't reject those who are into
shopping and maximal lifestyle. So I support you no matter what you choose to
do and I support you no matter how you decide to present yourself and I send
you good vibes no matter who you choose to be. If you enjoyed this video, please
like and subscribe to my channel and if you need additional resources on
deepening your practice or getting started with a mindful minimalist
lifestyle, I'm always here to offer guidance through 1:1 email
coaching also through my podcast and more. Because you found my free
webinar helpful, I'm looking forward to sharing another one in the future.
Thanks again for being here my friends and I hope to see you again soon.