been doing a lot of reading on minimalism, especially around clothing and wardrobes. fashion. and style. while i understand the appeal of having fewer possessions, fewer things to care for, fewer things to clean, and move to new homes, and worry about... i find myself confused by some people who seem focused on getting rid of so many things they have, and replacing those things with other things, in an effort to simplify or minimize. i should really be siting examples, because now i just sound judgy, but i am genuinely confused.
one bit of confusion i guess is what value is driving their wish to simplify/minimize? here are some logical thought processes to me:
1. it is too complicated to get dressed in the morning because nothing in my wardrobe matches. i want the most basic wardrobe where everything matches everything else. logical step: pick the most basic pieces you already own and fill in the (probably very few) gaps.
2. i recently walked away from the corporate world and the clothing i own no longer matches my lifestyle. logical step: taking all that corporate wear to a consignment shop and trading it in for jeans and yoga wear.
so here's the one that doesn't make sense to me:
i care about the environment and living a simple life so i will get rid of everything extraneous that i own and then buy greener, simpler versions of things.
examples:
1. replacing working light bulbs with compact flourescents. logical: wait until the light bulb burns out and then replace with a more energy efficient one.
2. replace the current car with a prius. the research i've read on this one says the most eco-friendly choice (other than giving up your car entirely) is to take excellent care of your current car to extend its life as long as possible and only to replace it when it reaches the end of its lifespan.
in my mind, this applies to all kinds of things. including keeping what is currently in my closet, even those things i've set aside and never wear. someday down the road, when i'm bored with what i've been wearing over and over again, i can shop first from what i've kept stored away.
thoughts?
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