Extreme minimalist wardrobe: how to create one? what items to keep and why? The reason why most of us have a closet full of clothes yet nothing to wear is that we don’t have one style that’s totally ours. Instead of buying items we truly love, we grab items that we think we like and hope they fit us well.

This way, you’ll never find the right formula, but with minimalism, you just might get lucky! Want to switch to this practical, elegant and cost-effective wardrobe style? Here are a few tips to get you going.

Clearing out your closet is a natural first step, yet quite a hard one. You need to concentrate on things that feel good when you wear them and pieces that fit and are flattering. These are your keepers and everything else can be donated, sold or tossed as a last resort. Once you have a collection of your favorite things, it’s time to build upon it.

The next step is finding your style. A huge part of becoming a minimalist fashionista is defining your style. Make sure not to copy someone, but stay unique to what feels and looks good to you. Expect your style to change with your life—work, travel, workout, parenthood all require different outfits but that doesn’t mean they need to be any less stylish. A good minimalist closet will reflect who you are, what your lifestyle is like and make you feel comfortable in your skin. 

Once you analyze your closet and figure out your style, it’s time to add a few items to your collection. What really helps with shopping is mindfulness—search for a specific thing and don’t stray. This “seeking” instead of “window shopping” technique will allow you to avoid sales, deals and other traps and leave the store with something you truly like and need.

Some items like a black dress, quality t-shirt, chunky sweater, leather jacket, white sneakers, black ankle boots, dark high-waisted jeans—these are the staples you’ll always love and wear no matter the occasion, so don’t hesitate to grab high-quality items. You can easily dress up your black dress with unique jewelry and you’ll always have a different and interesting outfit. Similarly, add a scarf to your leather jacket, belt to your sweater and cardigan to your tee and you’ll have a timeless yet unique look. Staples can be combined, dressed up, dressed down and worn to different occasions so they will always have a spot in your minimalist closet.

If you don’t tend to dress up too often, resort to renting. In case you have a gala event or a cocktail party to attend, rent a dress or a suit and you can avoid wasting money and closet space on something you’ll only wear once in a lifetime. In that case, renting is a smarter and more practical choice.

Every time you invest in something new, take time to study the label and follow it to the T. This habit will keep your items in top shape and save you a lot of money. If you’re over 20, you really need a steamer instead of an iron. It takes all the wrinkles out of your clothes and leaves your most delicate items undamaged. You should also learn which clothing is to be hanged and which is to be folded. You don’t want pesky creases in your button-up shirts or hanger marks on your sweaters. 

Switching to a minimalist wardrobe is all about finding your style and ditching some old shopping habits. While grabbing cheap tops and cute boots can be hard to resist, the reward for your mindfulness and willpower is having a neat closet full of outfits you truly love.