This is Alaska! Hanging out at Eklutna Lake!
So what does Alaska have to do with me becoming a minimalist? If anything you'd buy or have more clothes whilst living in the 49th state.
here are 3 important items you MUST HAVE for living in Alaska. Then I'll get into the rest.
A Good Coat! I'm not kidding you! Now, living in Phoenix Area it would get down to 32 degrees and we would have a "freeze warning" mostly for plants. As I'm packing for my stay in Alaska, I need essentials which is A GOOD COAT. So, stupid me, I was thinking that my cheap wool coat bought at a place that sells cheap coats would work. As it turns out, the wind chill of an Anchorage winter was no match for my wool coat. It was like I was wearing a hole-filled sweater in 10 degree weather...which I was. I was constantly cold. For my birthday I bought this down jacket specifically for 10 degree weather with a detachable faux fur hoodie to keep the snow from my face. Price tag was $110, ON SALE!
2. Good Snow Boots! Once again, I had to have some boots, not just to keep warm but to trek through the snow fall which averaged "deep" to say the least. It's extremely common to get stuck in the snow. My four door manual Ford car was no match for an angled parking lot in 20 inches of fresh snow. I tried to dig myself out and luckily a 5ft, 100 pound woman, with a cigarette hanging from her mouth, came and helped push me out of my spot. I could smell the smoke thru the vents. After some rocking and puffing, she got me out. People in Alaska get it and will help each other out in a pinch, especially when your stuck.
Lesson: don't judge a book by its nicotine cover.
3. A Great Sleep Mask (or Black Out Curtains.) Why is this important? Okay, in the winter you get more dark than light, so at 3pm it looks like 7pm in the lower 48, (reference to the lower 48 states since Alaska is the 49th). I opted for a mask since I have pets and I didn't want them running around in the dark whilst I slept. In the summer, it's...you guessed it, it's the opposite and 10pm looks like 5pm. The sun is up and so are the kids playing in the streets. In order to fall asleep you need it to be dark. Eventually, you get so tired that it doesn't matter but at first you need the help. Last tip: earplugs!
So how did I become a minimalist? It wasn't on purpose, that's for sure. I've worked as a visual stylist and merchandiser so it's not that I don't know anything about fashion. I'll write another post on how I became a Sustainable Stylist.
Around March 2012, I had decided to move to Alaska. I have an awesome friend and she extended a place to stay along with Bear, my pup (Dottie joined me the 2nd round to AK). And because I was taking Bear, I had to fly her as my carryon. Which meant one backpack as my over head and a big suitcase, less than 50 lbs. It included,
4 pairs of pants/jeans
3 pairs of shoes
7-8 shirts, a coat
2 skirts
one dress
undies,
socks
couple of shorts/pjs
a leopard cardigan
2 sweatshirts
accessories
Aaaaaand that's all I can think of right now. My main colors were black, with touches of neutrals and pops of color in the shape of scarves. That was my wardrobe.
I was there for a year and 1/2, and I also worked in a field were I would get my shirts caught on fixtures, paint splattered on my clothes and when I pricked my finger on t-pins, blood. So I had to learn to take care of my clothes.
Did you know if you quickly get water based paint on your clothes, before it dries just rinse with water. It works! I had to do this a lot.
So are you thinking about changing up your clothes routine? Are you looking for less stress and more time getting ready kind of life?
Let's get into the "Marie Kondo" kind of mood and here's my mini guide to a keeping a minimalist wardrobe.
This little tip is from my elementary school days. Remember "school clothes vs play clothes"? Same concept. If you haven't done much in your clothes (ie. sweating buckets) then just hang them up and wear them again. Good clothes shouldn't loose that much shape and unless you eat like me in the car and get your Chipotle burrito "fall out" on your shirt or jeans, there's no need to wash them again.
Confession: I've worn the same outfit back to back mostly because I literally didn't see the same people. And to be honest, who cares if you did, lol.
Tip: Jeans should get at least up to 5 wears before washing them and I don't think I need to write the "exceptions".
For the last six years, I've had my jeans mended (mostly by my mom) and I've mended other people's jeans. However it doesn't require talent or a class to sew up a small hole or sew on a button. There are now, how-to videos that are available that you can learn from. I do this with my favorite t-shirts. And yes, my thigh gap is full, thus the need to fix my jeans.
Confession: All you do to save your jeans is an iron patches, place on the inside, and sew zig zags all over the place. Unless you "man spread", no one will notice.
Tip: Most sewing kit has blue thread but you can get a couple of different hues to match your denim.
There was a top I got from an infamous cheap retailer and I loved the fabric and cut. After 2 washes and I don't dry my shirts, it shrunk. 2 washes!! So my cheap shirt was just that, cheap. I get you don't want to pay X amount or have said X amount. But there are multiple options to getting good clothes but basics is what's lasting. Here's one:
Good denim is a must. I've had the same jeans for the last 7 years. Layering pieces, you can have plenty of t-shirts but good cardigan, sweater and blazers can hide or elevate a look.
All of these you can get 2nd hand which I would recommend. That means they've tested the normal wear & tear and are still going! And you save $$$.
This is what I've been doing for the last 7 years to maintaining my wardrobe. I do wear a lot of black because it's dramatic and it's easy to accessorize. I don't have an issues with "I don't know what to wear" mainly because I've already created a color palette, I know the fit and know the variations of my clothes for specific occasions. It's easy for me and easy for packing aka travel. I've already lived out of suitcase so I have no problems with it now.
So if you're looking to downsizing, here's what I did to maintain it. The "how & why" will be up to you. You'll need to look at what your look is and what want to keep or give away. If anything, move to a new location, like Alaska, and live there a year. That should do the trick if all else fails lol. Good luck!
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