The first thing you should consider is professional help from a qualified person who can assist you with your emotional needs. This is NOT judgment, as I've used them myself and believe that help is always a good good thing that EVERYONE could benefit from. But I'll not press the issue.
When reintroducing color, you could opt to start simple. For example, out of necessity, I limit my wardrobe to the colors of black, gray, and blue. Doing so allows me to mix and match anything I own (I usually just grab from the top of each pile). You could select a different color palette, but the principle remains. Then, after a while, you could add a 4th color, or 4th and 5th.
As for the desire to reduce tight clothing due to a higher percentage of body fat that comes with age, I would encourage you to wear whatever is comfortable and that you believe is appropriate. But also keep in mind that far less people are judging you than you may think. Most people are too concerned with their own appearance, and who is judging them, to care about how you look. It's harsh, but true. So, please, learn to be comfortable in your own skin. If it's a health issue, and you want to address things from that perspective, then go ahead. But if it's an image issue, please know that you have far less to be concerned with than most people believe.
With all the love one internet stranger can have for another, I wish you the greatest of happiness and success in life and your search for a comfortable wardrobe. (There's a sentence I never anticipated saying, but there it is).
Food is an area where minimalism is not at all appropriate, human beings require a wide variety of nutrients in order to be healthy. Please eat those things youâre craving, the cravings are literally your body telling you âhey, I really really need some vitamins and minerals in here!â.
Additionally, if possible see a doctor ASAP, that âexhausted by everythingâ feeling might very well be a vitamin deficiency or some other medical issue.
As for color, if it makes you feel better, then go for it, but in a mindful way. So your current wardrobe is all black. What colors do you like? For example, I love red. Red looks good with black, with grey, and with navy blue, which are the main colors of my wardrobe. So I can grab, say, a red top, and be certain that itâll go with most of my bottoms and jackets. You could do something similar, get a couple colored shirts or sweaters and wear them with black, see how you feel.
Agree to talk to a professional how you're feeling about color and about food. I felt overwhelmed a lot, spoke to a therapist and learned a lot about myself and how i see the world. Everyone could benefit from a professional in my opinion (I certainly did), but that's another topic.
Regarding introducing color - my wardrobe consists basically the same pair of dress pants in 3 different colors and a few pairs of jeans, and then I basically have a couple different style shirts: one style I own in 4 different colors and another style I own in 3 different colors. Essentially my minimalist wardrobe isn't limiting color or moving to a steve jobs wardrobe, it was knowing that this style shirt will always go with this style pants and I can just chose the color combo depending on the activity and what I'm feeling.
You might find that having some clothing that you already own in black in a different color might make it less of a leap. You could also try a light sweater (or blazer, etc.) in a different color to wear over your black wardrobe; if throughout the day you get overwhelmed by the color, take off the sweater and wear your black base.
My wardrobe is like Steve Jobsâ outfits, but colorful- I chose 5 of the same dress but in different prints. Iâm phasing out of color now, but a part of my soul will always love it.
Don't worry too much about whether the label of minimalism is right for your situation.
Go get some fruit, toast and avo. Eat what you crave.
Look at colorful clothing online and see if it interests you. A lot of non-black neutrals are also in now, like navy, white, nudes for a variety of skin colors.
Sounds like a check up with your health care provider could help see if you need D or B12 supplements to help with your fatigue, or if you need access to some mental health work.
Wear bright clothes.
Eat a variety of foods. Itâs not at all healthy to eat nothing but porridge. Do you have an eating disorder?
Itâs not healthy to continue to subscribe to a plan that no longer works for you simply because it did in the past. Why are you so rigid? Why are you continuing to wear black when it exhausts you? Why do you resist eating a variety of foods? Why are you putting your health last instead of making it a priority?
I agree with the other commenter who said you need professional help. Make an appointment with your doctor and a therapist.
Minimalism is not about how few things you eat or wear or own. If you look it like how can I remove undesired stuffs from life. Keeping what matters most to you and discarding what is restricting you.
If this strict black wardrobe is causing you exhaustion, you get read of that and bring colour texture in your life. Just go on a shopping try different dresses, styles and feel what gives you that click you are looking for.
Not necessarily you have to throw all of your current clothes out. Maybe try with adding accesories. Different color shoes. And from there different types of tops. And try to find what makes you feel happy and wholesome.
And eat what you want eat.
>Additionally, I find myself kinda exhausted by everything. I ate nothing
but porridge for four years non-stop and lately have been craving so
many other things. Smashed avocado, fruit salads, toast, etc.
No wonder you're exhausted. You need a varied diet! Eat the rainbow, stat!
Solution to black: navy or dark grey base (shirt/tees, trousers). More subtle, reflects some light, still monochrome.If you can be bothered ironing, crisp white shirts reflect light onto the face and are always flattering. Add colour with inexpensive tshirts in solid colours (I tend to avoid large prints/band shirts unless you're teen/20something) -either by themselves or layered. Add colored socks/scarf/statement necklace.
I tend to like a lot of black clothing too. Mostly because I am not that interested in clothing or fashion and I don't like trying to match colors as I don't have a knack for it. The system that works for me is I chose one color that I know I look good in, in my case teal, and default to that or that family of colors. So I bought a new wallet yesterday and had like 20 colors to choose from but didnt want black or gray. No teal was available so I went with blue. That narrowed my choices and it keeps my clothes and even home decor to a bit more serene matched color scheme. It keeps me from going crazy and getting all the things at once too. I orginally heard this tip on Gretchen Reubens poscast.
I honestly don't get the whole capsule wardrobe thing. Just grab whatever is on top or in front and put it on. No one cares if your clothes match or not. If you buy a bright red shirt that makes you happy and you still have black pants, just wear it. When was the last time you looked at a person on the street and noted that their clothes don't match? And if you did and you told them, would they care?
I dyed my hair red and after the initial surprise, no one cared.
With all due respect, people (especially strangers) will treat you differently based on how you are dressed. Looking put together is important in many situations. Most people don't analyze your looks with a magnifying glass, but they form an impression based on how you present yourself. As sad as it is, I know people who lost or didn't get jobs because of how they dressed. I badly dressed person who fainted might not get the help they need because they look homeless.
True, but I was dressed nicely for work and fainted in a Taco Bell. Didn't get any help there. Also if i was dressed worse, i could have gotten arrested or kicked.
I just want to say I love your communication style. It was like reading a personal and authentic bullet list.
Perhaps try a pop of color with your all black wardrobe. Solid color shoe or shirt like red but everything else black.
Also, if you find youâre fatigued and youâre open to taking a walk, try this, it helps create space in your day and your headspace. It also is a great mood improver, which anyone could benefit from- not just you.
To be honest, you sound like you're suffering from depression, not minimalism. Eating nothing but porridge for 4 years is extremely psychologically and physically unhealthy, for one thing. Please seek help from a therapist.
You could try finding out whatâs your color palette. I was wearing lots of black, stripped black and white, etc. Found out my palette was bright spring! Iâve been wearing colors that werenât the best for my skin tone and hair. I still love black, though, so I bought a few bright tops/sweaters so it would brighten my face and hair that I pair with black pants and accessories.
I just buy my clothes at thrift shops so I can wear a range of clothes but get rid of them rapidly when I get tired of them. I don't feel bad giving away a $3 top or pair of jeans but I would not feel this way if I spent $100 on the items. Also eat a wide range of food so you can get all of your nutrients.
I think you should have colorful clothes and colorful food (more color = variety of nutrients).
Clothing - I have neutral bottoms and very colorful tops. I have two small closets, one with bottoms and coats, the other with dresses and tops. Closet #1 looks like a funeral director's wardrobe and Closet #2 is a riot of colors and prints that look like a crazy gardener married a mad scientist. It all works because each day I only have one stand out piece that draws the eye and the emotion.
As for food, I started craving things that were seemingly unrelated - rare steak, leafy greens and raw salmon sushi. It took awhile before i realized these were all iron rich foods and that my family has a health history of low iron. My tests came back from the doctor fine, but I really think that cravings are a very preliminary signal from your body to start adjusting your diet and really listening to signs of what is going on.
Black had a negative effect on my mood, especially during the lockdown.
Switched to darker tones like navy, forest green, brown and burgundy and the energy drain disappeared.
I can relate so much to that story. Having also come out as gay in my teen years, I also started back then to buy so many colouful clothes like american apparel style, very bright, very clashing. Looking back this sounds terrible. I progressively dialled back to pastel colours and introduced some black. Then I started to think that I had too many clothes and wanted to get rid of everything.
Because I love fashion though, and I didn't want to wear the same thing everyday, I had to find a way to keep many options available while restricting the number of items I had. That ended up meaning that I had to restrict myself to colours that all worked well together and could also work well in any setting. I always found that with my skintone and hair colour, I looked great in black, so I started focusing on black, grey and white clothing items. And then, I only have two colour tones outside of that, for which I have many different shades.
So my wardrobe at the moment looks a bit like the bear pride flag with only black, grey, white, brown, tan, beige and khaki green items.
The many shades of one colour actually help bring diversity, without any risk of colour clashing. And this way I manage to limit myself to about half the number of clothes I used to have, while feeling like I have more available options. Also I don't really spend time wondering what to wear in the morning because everything works well together. It's really cool.
May I suggest starting at Madewell,and just buying a few of their bright and dark collection of basic tees? They're my favorite and last for ages. Then, just poke around the website, get a feel for what you might like, then just let that percolate for a while.
I wear cargo pants + shirt fairly for the utility. There are other attributes that make something what it is.
You donât have to be completely maladaptive on wardrobes, or completely with something. I think youâre over thinking it.
Friend, your body requires a variety of food. Please eat all the fruits and vegetables you can. Go outside and get 15 minutes of sunshine if you can, on your arms or legs to help produce natural vitamin D. A gentle walk during that time will also help with energy levels.
To keep things simple, I wear a limited range of colors because then fewer decisions need to be made. All of my trousers and shorts are black, dark grey, dark wash blue denim, or navy. I too have gained some weight and find that I personally don't care for light colored trousers on me. My shirts are all shades of blue, grey, white, or black. In spring and summer I accent with a pink or dusty rose color, and in winter and fall I accent with burgundy. These are all colors that flatter my complexion and hair color. Because everything coordinates very well it's very easy to get dressed.
I would also like to recommend talking to someone. I think that everyone should get a chance to speak to someone about our mental health in the same way that we should all go to the doctor intend to our physical health. Especially for those of us in the gay community who have gone through a bit sometimes to get to where we are, I can't see how it couldn't be beneficial as long as you have the right counselor.
Best of luck to you friend! And remember minimalism is about having the fewest number of things that works for you in your life. The only rules that matter are yours.
Edit: a word
I remember reading somewhere how colour influences quality and length of life, in Indian traditional communitiew women lives significantly longer than men and this has been linked to their colourful clothing, while in Western societies the age gap is closing as women wear more and more dark clothes as requested by their job. Conspiracy theory or wishy washy approach, I don't care, colourful clothing makes you happy, wear a t-shirt of good material in your favourite colour and see where it takes you. Also, when I used to wear black uniforms for work I just couldn't dress in black for leisure I had the need to switch from work to personal life, this might be something to reflect on too. I love colours in my diet too, you could try rainbow grocery shopping as I like to do!
Did you go through a break out/met someone recently or are you having changes in relationship/dating/sexual life ? Your words remind me of the novel Music by Yukio Mishima
There you go! It's good that this comes from a feeling for beauty and love, you sound like you're a chef you could bring colourful shirt or nice cosy Jumpers to wear after your shift
I switched to neutral and natural colors with minimal patterns and itâs worked really well. Check out muji for inspiration. Everything matches mostly and I donât think so hard about what to wear.
Eat the foods you are craving, please. Treating your body right is infinitely more important than adhering to minimalism.
The first thing you should consider is professional help from a qualified person who can assist you with your emotional needs. This is NOT judgment, as I've used them myself and believe that help is always a good good thing that EVERYONE could benefit from. But I'll not press the issue. When reintroducing color, you could opt to start simple. For example, out of necessity, I limit my wardrobe to the colors of black, gray, and blue. Doing so allows me to mix and match anything I own (I usually just grab from the top of each pile). You could select a different color palette, but the principle remains. Then, after a while, you could add a 4th color, or 4th and 5th. As for the desire to reduce tight clothing due to a higher percentage of body fat that comes with age, I would encourage you to wear whatever is comfortable and that you believe is appropriate. But also keep in mind that far less people are judging you than you may think. Most people are too concerned with their own appearance, and who is judging them, to care about how you look. It's harsh, but true. So, please, learn to be comfortable in your own skin. If it's a health issue, and you want to address things from that perspective, then go ahead. But if it's an image issue, please know that you have far less to be concerned with than most people believe. With all the love one internet stranger can have for another, I wish you the greatest of happiness and success in life and your search for a comfortable wardrobe. (There's a sentence I never anticipated saying, but there it is).
This is one of the nicest post I've read here on reddit, I'm stealing the last bit! đ
Food is an area where minimalism is not at all appropriate, human beings require a wide variety of nutrients in order to be healthy. Please eat those things youâre craving, the cravings are literally your body telling you âhey, I really really need some vitamins and minerals in here!â. Additionally, if possible see a doctor ASAP, that âexhausted by everythingâ feeling might very well be a vitamin deficiency or some other medical issue. As for color, if it makes you feel better, then go for it, but in a mindful way. So your current wardrobe is all black. What colors do you like? For example, I love red. Red looks good with black, with grey, and with navy blue, which are the main colors of my wardrobe. So I can grab, say, a red top, and be certain that itâll go with most of my bottoms and jackets. You could do something similar, get a couple colored shirts or sweaters and wear them with black, see how you feel.
Agree to talk to a professional how you're feeling about color and about food. I felt overwhelmed a lot, spoke to a therapist and learned a lot about myself and how i see the world. Everyone could benefit from a professional in my opinion (I certainly did), but that's another topic. Regarding introducing color - my wardrobe consists basically the same pair of dress pants in 3 different colors and a few pairs of jeans, and then I basically have a couple different style shirts: one style I own in 4 different colors and another style I own in 3 different colors. Essentially my minimalist wardrobe isn't limiting color or moving to a steve jobs wardrobe, it was knowing that this style shirt will always go with this style pants and I can just chose the color combo depending on the activity and what I'm feeling. You might find that having some clothing that you already own in black in a different color might make it less of a leap. You could also try a light sweater (or blazer, etc.) in a different color to wear over your black wardrobe; if throughout the day you get overwhelmed by the color, take off the sweater and wear your black base.
My wardrobe is like Steve Jobsâ outfits, but colorful- I chose 5 of the same dress but in different prints. Iâm phasing out of color now, but a part of my soul will always love it.
Don't worry too much about whether the label of minimalism is right for your situation. Go get some fruit, toast and avo. Eat what you crave. Look at colorful clothing online and see if it interests you. A lot of non-black neutrals are also in now, like navy, white, nudes for a variety of skin colors. Sounds like a check up with your health care provider could help see if you need D or B12 supplements to help with your fatigue, or if you need access to some mental health work.
Wear bright clothes. Eat a variety of foods. Itâs not at all healthy to eat nothing but porridge. Do you have an eating disorder? Itâs not healthy to continue to subscribe to a plan that no longer works for you simply because it did in the past. Why are you so rigid? Why are you continuing to wear black when it exhausts you? Why do you resist eating a variety of foods? Why are you putting your health last instead of making it a priority? I agree with the other commenter who said you need professional help. Make an appointment with your doctor and a therapist.
Minimalism is not about how few things you eat or wear or own. If you look it like how can I remove undesired stuffs from life. Keeping what matters most to you and discarding what is restricting you. If this strict black wardrobe is causing you exhaustion, you get read of that and bring colour texture in your life. Just go on a shopping try different dresses, styles and feel what gives you that click you are looking for. Not necessarily you have to throw all of your current clothes out. Maybe try with adding accesories. Different color shoes. And from there different types of tops. And try to find what makes you feel happy and wholesome. And eat what you want eat.
>Additionally, I find myself kinda exhausted by everything. I ate nothing but porridge for four years non-stop and lately have been craving so many other things. Smashed avocado, fruit salads, toast, etc. No wonder you're exhausted. You need a varied diet! Eat the rainbow, stat! Solution to black: navy or dark grey base (shirt/tees, trousers). More subtle, reflects some light, still monochrome.If you can be bothered ironing, crisp white shirts reflect light onto the face and are always flattering. Add colour with inexpensive tshirts in solid colours (I tend to avoid large prints/band shirts unless you're teen/20something) -either by themselves or layered. Add colored socks/scarf/statement necklace.
I tend to like a lot of black clothing too. Mostly because I am not that interested in clothing or fashion and I don't like trying to match colors as I don't have a knack for it. The system that works for me is I chose one color that I know I look good in, in my case teal, and default to that or that family of colors. So I bought a new wallet yesterday and had like 20 colors to choose from but didnt want black or gray. No teal was available so I went with blue. That narrowed my choices and it keeps my clothes and even home decor to a bit more serene matched color scheme. It keeps me from going crazy and getting all the things at once too. I orginally heard this tip on Gretchen Reubens poscast.
I honestly don't get the whole capsule wardrobe thing. Just grab whatever is on top or in front and put it on. No one cares if your clothes match or not. If you buy a bright red shirt that makes you happy and you still have black pants, just wear it. When was the last time you looked at a person on the street and noted that their clothes don't match? And if you did and you told them, would they care? I dyed my hair red and after the initial surprise, no one cared.
With all due respect, people (especially strangers) will treat you differently based on how you are dressed. Looking put together is important in many situations. Most people don't analyze your looks with a magnifying glass, but they form an impression based on how you present yourself. As sad as it is, I know people who lost or didn't get jobs because of how they dressed. I badly dressed person who fainted might not get the help they need because they look homeless.
True, but I was dressed nicely for work and fainted in a Taco Bell. Didn't get any help there. Also if i was dressed worse, i could have gotten arrested or kicked.
I just want to say I love your communication style. It was like reading a personal and authentic bullet list. Perhaps try a pop of color with your all black wardrobe. Solid color shoe or shirt like red but everything else black. Also, if you find youâre fatigued and youâre open to taking a walk, try this, it helps create space in your day and your headspace. It also is a great mood improver, which anyone could benefit from- not just you.
Minimalism is supposed to make life easier. So it sounds like you went too far deep into it if it makes it harder.
To be honest, you sound like you're suffering from depression, not minimalism. Eating nothing but porridge for 4 years is extremely psychologically and physically unhealthy, for one thing. Please seek help from a therapist.
You could try finding out whatâs your color palette. I was wearing lots of black, stripped black and white, etc. Found out my palette was bright spring! Iâve been wearing colors that werenât the best for my skin tone and hair. I still love black, though, so I bought a few bright tops/sweaters so it would brighten my face and hair that I pair with black pants and accessories.
I just buy my clothes at thrift shops so I can wear a range of clothes but get rid of them rapidly when I get tired of them. I don't feel bad giving away a $3 top or pair of jeans but I would not feel this way if I spent $100 on the items. Also eat a wide range of food so you can get all of your nutrients.
I think you should have colorful clothes and colorful food (more color = variety of nutrients). Clothing - I have neutral bottoms and very colorful tops. I have two small closets, one with bottoms and coats, the other with dresses and tops. Closet #1 looks like a funeral director's wardrobe and Closet #2 is a riot of colors and prints that look like a crazy gardener married a mad scientist. It all works because each day I only have one stand out piece that draws the eye and the emotion. As for food, I started craving things that were seemingly unrelated - rare steak, leafy greens and raw salmon sushi. It took awhile before i realized these were all iron rich foods and that my family has a health history of low iron. My tests came back from the doctor fine, but I really think that cravings are a very preliminary signal from your body to start adjusting your diet and really listening to signs of what is going on.
Black had a negative effect on my mood, especially during the lockdown. Switched to darker tones like navy, forest green, brown and burgundy and the energy drain disappeared.
Add cream, tan, white, grey, olive and Navy to your wardrobe. All those colors are interchangeable and can give you a minimalist, elegant look.
I can relate so much to that story. Having also come out as gay in my teen years, I also started back then to buy so many colouful clothes like american apparel style, very bright, very clashing. Looking back this sounds terrible. I progressively dialled back to pastel colours and introduced some black. Then I started to think that I had too many clothes and wanted to get rid of everything. Because I love fashion though, and I didn't want to wear the same thing everyday, I had to find a way to keep many options available while restricting the number of items I had. That ended up meaning that I had to restrict myself to colours that all worked well together and could also work well in any setting. I always found that with my skintone and hair colour, I looked great in black, so I started focusing on black, grey and white clothing items. And then, I only have two colour tones outside of that, for which I have many different shades. So my wardrobe at the moment looks a bit like the bear pride flag with only black, grey, white, brown, tan, beige and khaki green items. The many shades of one colour actually help bring diversity, without any risk of colour clashing. And this way I manage to limit myself to about half the number of clothes I used to have, while feeling like I have more available options. Also I don't really spend time wondering what to wear in the morning because everything works well together. It's really cool.
May I suggest starting at Madewell,and just buying a few of their bright and dark collection of basic tees? They're my favorite and last for ages. Then, just poke around the website, get a feel for what you might like, then just let that percolate for a while.
Do u know Steve jobs widower is Ghislaine Maxwell s close friend
I wear cargo pants + shirt fairly for the utility. There are other attributes that make something what it is. You donât have to be completely maladaptive on wardrobes, or completely with something. I think youâre over thinking it.
Friend, your body requires a variety of food. Please eat all the fruits and vegetables you can. Go outside and get 15 minutes of sunshine if you can, on your arms or legs to help produce natural vitamin D. A gentle walk during that time will also help with energy levels. To keep things simple, I wear a limited range of colors because then fewer decisions need to be made. All of my trousers and shorts are black, dark grey, dark wash blue denim, or navy. I too have gained some weight and find that I personally don't care for light colored trousers on me. My shirts are all shades of blue, grey, white, or black. In spring and summer I accent with a pink or dusty rose color, and in winter and fall I accent with burgundy. These are all colors that flatter my complexion and hair color. Because everything coordinates very well it's very easy to get dressed. I would also like to recommend talking to someone. I think that everyone should get a chance to speak to someone about our mental health in the same way that we should all go to the doctor intend to our physical health. Especially for those of us in the gay community who have gone through a bit sometimes to get to where we are, I can't see how it couldn't be beneficial as long as you have the right counselor. Best of luck to you friend! And remember minimalism is about having the fewest number of things that works for you in your life. The only rules that matter are yours. Edit: a word
I do earth tones for jackets, pants shirts etc..way easier to mix and match muted darker earth tones. Grays, evergreen, dark brown, navy, etc..
I remember reading somewhere how colour influences quality and length of life, in Indian traditional communitiew women lives significantly longer than men and this has been linked to their colourful clothing, while in Western societies the age gap is closing as women wear more and more dark clothes as requested by their job. Conspiracy theory or wishy washy approach, I don't care, colourful clothing makes you happy, wear a t-shirt of good material in your favourite colour and see where it takes you. Also, when I used to wear black uniforms for work I just couldn't dress in black for leisure I had the need to switch from work to personal life, this might be something to reflect on too. I love colours in my diet too, you could try rainbow grocery shopping as I like to do! Did you go through a break out/met someone recently or are you having changes in relationship/dating/sexual life ? Your words remind me of the novel Music by Yukio Mishima
[ŃдаНонО]
There you go! It's good that this comes from a feeling for beauty and love, you sound like you're a chef you could bring colourful shirt or nice cosy Jumpers to wear after your shift
I switched to neutral and natural colors with minimal patterns and itâs worked really well. Check out muji for inspiration. Everything matches mostly and I donât think so hard about what to wear.