7 Best Minimalist Wardrobe closet a clothing rack for 2021

7 Minimalist Wardrobe closet a clothing rack 2021

Women, are you looking for ways to pull your business casual wardrobe together? Well, look no farther than making black the basis of your wardrobe.

It’s true that in the past few seasons, magazines are tripping over themselves in excitement to announce that color is back. All the more reason to make black the backbone of your wardrobe.

With a basic back wardrobe you can add pops of color, or the latest accessories. But as a working women, when you get out of bed and need to dress in a hurry, a black, almost minimalist wardrobe is a great start.

Here are 10 top reasons for using black in your business casual wardrobe:

  1. Black never goes out of style, so splurge on great-fitting black pants, and a black jacket and skirt. You can mix and match them with any color and style of accessories.
  2. Black goes with everything, so you never have to wonder if this color or that accessory coordinates with your black basics.
  3. You can wear the same black dress, skirt, or pants five times a week, and no one will ever notice.
  4. You only need to dry clean your black outfits a few times a year.
  5. Black really does make you appear taller and slimmer.
  6. Black looks expensive, even if it’s not.
  7. You can wear black all year, in summer and winter, day and evening.
  8. You can wear a black opaque stocking with a skirt. They hide everything and make all women’s legs look long and slim. Best of all, they are in style right now, and never go out of style.
  9. If you spill something on your black outfit, it won’t show, and won’t ruin your outfit.
  10. You always match!

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Women’s Business Casual – 10 Top Ways for Wearing Black in a Work Wardrobe 2021


I have created a capsule wardrobe… by accident. I discovered Courtney Carver when she was spotlighted in the Minimalism documentary but frankly I didn’t feel the pull of trying to pair down my wardrobe since it was never really out of control.

The major items that I really wanted to address were my compulsion to upgrade my tech, splurge on take-out and restaurants, impulsively purchase books because they were an “investment”, and pair down needless subscriptions (at one point I had a subscription to The New Yorker, The New York Times, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail and the Washington Post — yikes!).

However, I stumbled upon a Youtube Channel, Vested Interests, in which she documents her practice of minimalism with an emphasis on her wardrobe. Her 31-item wardrobe is her “daily wear” that doesn’t include things like shoes, socks, underwear, and loungewear (Courtney Carver does include shoes in her Capsule 333 but omits the rest). I decided it would be neat to count up my daily wear too.

Here’s the jist:

  1. I have 36 items that consist of my daily wardrobe. This includes shirts, pants, t-shirts, shorts, and jackets.
  2. I have 42 items if you include shoes.
  3. Not included in my daily wardrobe: loungewear (3 pieces); work out gear (6 pieces); socks and undergarments (I haven’t exactly counted these up but I do laundry every 2 weeks)

Let’s go through them!

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Shirts – Minimalist Wardrobe 2021

I have 18 shirts (not pictured are 3 t-shirts that live in my dresser). From left to right are as follows: 2 tank tops for the summer, shirts I wear to work, and ending with more casual shirts (the pinstripe shirt is out of order and should be closer to my work shirts).

Business:

  • Women Rayon Short-Sleeve Blouse — 2x white, blue, navy (Uniqlo)
  • Randy Blouse — black (Babaton)
  • Tonal Edge Silk Shirt — white (Club Monaco)
  • Quinn Straight-Fit Stripe Shirt (Banana Republic — super old)

Casual:

  • Cropped Piqué T-Shirt — green (Kotn)
  • Turtleneck — mustard (Babaton — super old)
  • Urban Renewal — flannel (Urban Outfitters — super old)
  • Women Rayon Long-Sleeve Blouse — black (Uniqlo)
  • Women Denim Long Sleeve Shirt (Uniqlo)
  • Oversized Button-Down Shirt — black (BDG — super old)

Although Uniqlo is not winning any awards in terms of their labor and material practices, I love the Rayon blouses because I can wear them with suits and jeans. These blouses are so versatile without breaking the bank.

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How do you transition to a minimalist wardrobe?

If you’re embarking on the slow fashion path and want to create a minimalist capsule wardrobe, here’s how to get started:

  1. Clean Out Your Closet. …
  2. Discover Your Style & Create Unique Looks. …
  3. Save for Staple Items & Shop Secondhand. …
  4. Care for Your Garments. …
  5. Rely on Your Community. …
  6. Remember: This is a Journey.

Suits – Minimalist Wardrobe 2021

Pants

  • Conan Check Cropped Pant — Sm Hndstooth Cig/Navy (Babaton)
  • Borrel Pant (Club Monaco)
  • Stretch Pants — blue (Uniqlo)
  • Lillian Pant — black (Club Monaco — I couldn’t find the exact same pair since mine are really old)

Blazers

  • Blazer — grey (Ann Taylor — I couldn’t find the exact same one since mine is really old)
  • Borrel Blazer (Club Monaco)
  • Parke Blazer — blue (J. Crew)
  • Parke Blazer — black (J. Crew)

As you can see, I have four pants and four blazers. With the exception of the Borrem blazer and pants, I bought these items piecemeal over time. I mix-and-match them throughout the week with whatever shirt I feel like in the previous picture.

For example, the Babaton pants don’t have a ‘mate’ in the sense that there’s no corresponding blazer. Instead, I found it works well with navy so I tend to wear them with the navy Rayon Uniqlo shirt and the navy J. Crew blazer. Mix-and-matching these items allow me to wear bursts of colour in a typically drab conservative attire.

The times that I do wear a cohesive colour, for example, the black Club Monaco pants and black J. Crew blazer (which surprisingly match), is when I head to court. For the most part, however, I’m not that formal.

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What should be in a minimalist wardrobe?

The 20 Essential Items in a Minimalist Closet

  • Long-sleeved shirts. Three or four.
  • Sweaters. Keep the sweaters you can wear with tank tops. …
  • Two or three casual skirts/dresses. …
  • One business-appropriate outfit. …
  • A little black dress.
  • Two pairs of exercise capris.
  • Two pairs of running shorts.
  • One pair of running shoes.

Casual – Minimalist Wardrobe 2021

Three pairs of jeans:

  • Ripped jeans — dark blue (Citizens of Humanity)
  • Debbie Skinny Stretch Jeans — black (Frank And Oak)
  • Debbie Skinny Stretch Jeans — medium indigo (Frank And Oak)

Three t-shirts:

  • Hemp-Cotten Tee — Khaki (Frank And Oak);
  • The Good Cotton Boy Tee — Blue (Frank And Oak);
  • Navy striped t-shirt (Gap) (I’ve had this t-shirt for a while and won’t be purchasing anything more from Gap due to their labor standards)

And underneath the t-shirts, in the middle column, I have a standard thick grey sweater from H&M (it’s so old I couldn’t find a link).

Lastly, I have three pairs of shorts:

  • Barely Baggies shorts — black (Patagonia),
  • Cory Ripped Black Denim Shorts — black (TOPSHOP);
  • 4″ Stretch Chino Short — navy blue (J. Crew)

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Coats – Minimalist Wardrobe 2021

I have six jackets. It’s unavoidable. I live in Toronto where the summers are hot and the winters are freezing. All my coats are very old (4+ years) with the exception of my rain jacket.

  • Cotton Jacket —khaki green (H&M)
  • Black Faux Leather Jacket (Forever 21 — I bought this back in the day when I still shopped there. I liked that it was faux leather)
  • Long Wool Pea Coat — black (Marc Jacobs — this is the men’s version of it)
  • Short Wool Pea Coat — black (H&M)
  • Women’s Resolve Jacket — black (The North Face)
  • Addie Long Length Jacket with Removable Hood — Black (Noize)

Shoes – Minimalist Wardrobe 2021

I didn’t count shoes into my daily wardrobe (I note that Vested Decisions didn’t either) but I do have six pairs bringing my total number to 42.

  • Alice Ballet flats — black (Michael Kors)
  • Dorothy Leather Pump — black (Michael Kors)
  • Snakeskin Textured Pumps — beige (ALDO)
  • Classic Superstars — white/black (Adidas)
  • Air Force Ones ’07 trainers — beige (Nike)
  • Alex Square-Toe Chelsea Boots — black (Urban Outfitters — super old)

How many pieces are in a minimalist wardrobe?

Minimalist wardrobes are more flexible. There is no set number of items. A minimalist closet could have 20 pieces or 200.

What should every woman have in her wardrobe?

11 Essentials Every Woman Needs in Her Closet

  • Quality denim. First on our list has to be jeans, obviously. …
  • A classic blazer. Structured outerwear is one thing you can always count on. …
  • Basic tees — and lots of them. …
  • A trusty work tote. …
  • A t-shirt bra, that lies flat underneath it all. …
  • Classic sunglasses. …
  • Ballet flats and heels. …
  • A black leather jacket.

Final Thoughts

I’m happy with what I have. My style involves wearing lots of blacks (I did live in Montreal for three years) but I’m slowly venturing out. While I definitely purchase expensive items, it’s important to highlight that these were slowly accumulated over the span of years. I have resoled my shoes, repaired blazers and coats, and so forth. Even my Forever 21 faux leather jacket, which I purchased for about $30 back in 2010, has been repaired several times!

It’s also hard to avoid expensive businesswear. As a lawyer, it’s important that I wear clothes that make me feel confident and comfortable while also will last for years upon years. I bought my black Club Monaco trousers in 2012 and still wear them a few times each week.

Since I work so much, I really don’t have much casual wear. I’m happy to throw on a t-shirt and jeans when I’m out with my fiancee or friends but can also dress up jeans with one of the blouses.

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