We decided it was finally time that we own fewer clothes and perfected our minimalist closet. So one day we sat down and counted out a 100 item wardrobe.

Not sure where the number came from (pretty sure we saw it somewhere) but at some point or another we picked it as the ultimate size for a capsule wardrobe. It's easily measured and gives you enough room for variety.

Honestly, we’re shocked it took us so long to finally tackle our clothes because we used to have a lot (especially Kelsey). Switching to a 100 item wardrobe was sort of the last step needed in our quest to be proper minimalists.

Now that we have a smaller wardrobe, we would never go back. We love that our 100 item wardrobe is easy to travel with and fits perfectly in a tiny home.

Here is the process that we used and it might be a good place for you to start. If you take steps one-by-one the overall task of severely downsizing your closet won't seem as daunting.

If we're being 100% transparent the whole process didn’t happen all at once but was a gradual change. Over time we were slowly downsizing without realizing it until the final day when we counted out the items.

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Step 1

Determine which clothes you wear and don't wear

This step is crucial because you want to keep the item you use the most. There is no point in a capsule wardrobe that's made of clothes you do not wear. There are several easy ways to do this that take very little extra work on your part.

One way to achieve this is by putting your clothes back in the closet a certain way after you wore and washed it. One option is placing the hangers in a different direction. You could also designate an area of your closet into a "just wore it" area.

We put all the clothes on hangers to the left-hand side of the closet. For the clothes that we fold, we placed them on the bottom of the piles. This helped us see what we were wearing and clothes that were constantly being skipped over.

Step 2

Constant elimination

To get to a smaller wardrobe, you have to get rid of items. This is achieved by constantly removing items that don't make the cut.

We made rules that dictated what items we eliminated from our wardrobe. We followed these guidelines when we first downsized and still do to this day. It helps to ensure you not only have a 100 item wardrobe but one that is nice looking.

Get rid of the item if…

1. You never want to wear it
2. There are holes you cannot repair
3. There are stains
4. You have multiples of the same item
5. It's not flattering on you
6. It’s being saved for a "special occasion"
7. You are only keeping the item because it was a gift

Step 3

Take everything out of the closet

We made this step three because if you start with this step then the task of closet downsizing may seem too overwhelming. But at some point, you will need to take out everything from your closet...and yes, we mean everything.

Now that the closet is losing items left and right, it's time to reorganize. What better way than to start with an empty closet. Plus it's a chance to make sure you are not overlooking any items.

As you keep losing clothes, you may start feeling like you have nothing left. Placing all of the clothes in one pile can help you see that you do indeed still have plenty of items left.

Step 4

Divide clothes into piles

First, divide the clothes into piles based on how much you like them. Make three separate piles.

1. Love it
2. So-so
3. Nope

The nope pile goes to giveaway instantly but the so-so pile takes more time. You have to go through and think about each item.

Once the clothes are put in the love it or so-so pile you should divide them by the type of item. We put pants in one pile, workout shorts in another, and so on. This helped us make sure we did have a bunch of pants but then almost no shirts.

Step 5

Break down how many clothes you need in each category

Everyone has different needs or requirements from their clothes. Really think about how much you need for each category. We decided that we should make sure to have a set of five.

Having a set of five means we would have five workout outfits or five work outfits. This means you have to do laundry more often but we found we were doing laundry every five days anyway so it wouldn’t be too daunting.

As for shoes, we simply made sure to only have one pair in each category, so one running pair, one work pair, one pair of hiking boots, etc.

The one tricky part can be clothes for more special occasions. What we decided to do was only keep items we could wear to special occasions and out and about.

This means we could wear it to a wedding or a night out on the town. We also decided to only have 1-3 items in this category.

Step 6

Count 100 items

Count up all your clothes that you decided to keep and make sure it equals or is less than 100. This is where the so-so pile comes into play.

If you have more than 100, start taking from the so-so pile. If you happen to have over 100 items in your "love it" pile then it's time to look deeper and decide what you truly do love and not love.

Step 7

Put all the clothes back in the closet

Now you get to place all of your clothes back in your closet and marvel at how much extra space is left!

Follow these steps and you can get yourself to a 100 item wardrobe in no time!

In the end are we happy with the 100 item wardrobe? YES. It made a big difference. Now we like every outfit we wear.

Getting dressed is simple and easy. It is also a great chance to get more creative with style such as wearing a more "workout shirt" with high-waisted shorts for a going out outfit.

We will warn you though that since you wear each item more often the wear and tear may come about sooner. This just means you might have to replace some items sooner than you are used to.

Once you minimize your wardrobe, be open to trying new organization techniques. You'll be impressed with how nice a minimalist closet can look.

Make it Last

Now that you downsized to a 100 item wardrobe, you have to make it last. It is important to know that the whole "minimalist" wardrobe is a constant work in progress.

If you put on a shirt one day and decide you don’t like how it fits, get rid of it. If you buy something new, make sure to throw out something old and worn out.

Also, keep in mind that the number 100 isn't important. At one point we arbitrarily decided a 100 item wardrobe was the gold standard for a minimalist closet but that might not be the case for everyone.