minimalist wardrobe | 2021

[@andrewsandoz6655]

Great informative video! I like to subscribe to the “buy once, cry once” mentality when considering purchasing higher priced items and it saves me from having to keep replacing items of lesser quality that would continually wear out. On another note, I appreciate the tip about washing less frequently and I will have to give it a try!

[@joshfenn]

Totally agree on the buy once cry once, investing in quality rarely lets me down. Less frequent washing and following safe wash instructions has been great for me, definitely helps you extend the life of everything!

[@danielmatamoros]

I was just talking to my son about capsule wardrobe now that he's off to college so I shared this with him. Thank you!

[@joshfenn]

That’s great!!

[@little.pixiedoll]

People who don't live like this have noooo idea how much easier this makes life.

[@joshfenn]

For sure!

[@erodriguez0601]

I love the Goodfellow Target shirts. I own 7 black and 7 gray ones. I love that it minimizes my time to think about what to wear.

[@joshfenn]

Great minds think alike! Haha.

[@zachnunya8749]

Dude me too. Almost all I wear. Just picked up a couple long sleeve shirts. Couple of each, Pretty much all I need plus a couple button ups

[@thisisrahman]

My wardrobe:
1. Jeans: one dark blue, one light blue and one black
2. Chinos: one navy and one beige
3. Formal trouser: one dark blue
4. Tshirts: 3 basic crew neck in navy, grey and olive
5. Polo: one light blue, one dark blue and one grey
6. Shirts: one light blue, one grey, one checkered and one flannel for winter.
7. Sweatshirts & sweater: one grey sweatshirt, one navy v neck jumper and one black hoodie
8. Watches: one metal chain dark blue dial titan and one white dial leather belt Casio.
9. Sunglass: one wayfarer
10. Shoe: one nike tanjun sneaker, one black lace up formal, one puma flip flop.
11. Others: one scarfe/muffler and one beanie.

[@joshfenn]

Thanks for sharing your wardrobe/setup, sounds great!

[@zandra7966]

Josh I suggest that you add one thing to your capsule. A plain black (no pattern), slim fit, button front, long sleeve ,dress shirt (no button down collar).

[@joshfenn]

I’ll keep that in mind, thanks for the tip!

[@joshuachambers9464]

Great video and perfect timing. I’m moving cross country soon and over the last couple years been converting to a capsule wardrobe. Converting then having to move couldn’t have been a more perfect storm. Big fan of everything Western Rise. All my shorts and Pants and T shirts are from them in addition to my Airloft hooded jacket. My favorite non WR items are my Icebreaker Quantum hoodie and my Smartwool tank tops. The tank tops are perfect, wear for multiple workouts and look great to go out in. One thing you didn’t mention were socks and underwear. That’s one thing I find it hard to minimize. I have at least a dozen or more of each. However when I travel I only bring a few each bc I wash them regularly in the sink/shower. When home it’s one and done bc I have a machine easily accessible. My favorite brands are Exoficio briefs and Icebreaker Anatomica’s

[@joshfenn]

Glad the video came at the right time for you! Been hearing some good things about WR, gonna have to give some of their stuff a try sometime soon. Big fan of the exofficios for travel and backpacking underwear, I’ve got a mix of those and some tommy John underwear that I really love. Socks are a mix of cheap cotton for around the house and miscellaneous smartwool/darn tough merinos. Glad to hear you like the anotomicas, wanted to try them but saw some mixed opinions and held off. Definitely checking out everything you mentioned, thanks for all the great detail!

[@swagmanandy]

Always cold wash and air dry, your clothes aren't needing hot water to be clean unless you're a coal miner or mechanic and not using all that power to heat water and dry clothes is good for your pocket.

[@joshfenn]

Great tip!

[@tonmoycmc46]

Its great to see u embracing minimalism. Love your videos.

[@joshfenn]

Thank you!

[@Mloofylicious]

Maybe add a crisp white shirt with decent navy blue blazer and brown shoes, you can't really show up at a good dinner party or a classic wedding reception in a t-shirt. And yes, a good perfume. I like your attitude of a compact, multifunctional wardrobe (most of these are available affordably from H&M or Zara).

[@joshfenn]

I do actually have a wedding/funeral suit and white dress shirt for the rare occasion but omitted it for time and pacing in the video since it’s not part of my regular wardrobe. Thanks for sharing the tips though!

[@Mloofylicious]

@@joshfenn you're very inspiring! Especially your compact toiletry. I can't do without a moisturizer, body lotion ad perfume. Keep it up!

[@mashamambea5704]

Hey josh i really like watching your capsule wardrobe. I normally go back and watch you older video on wardrobe at least once a week it really inspires me to minimize my wardrobe plus i love how you light your studio so relaxing.

[@joshfenn]

So glad to hear you’re enjoying everything, thanks for the support!

[@gezmeares8688]

Loved this video. I've recently been creating a more simple wardrobe. I've been on the on the hunt for some merino t shirts but cant seem to find ones I like in the UK. I'm very much like you aim to keep my clothes neutral now. Comfort is a must for me so I actually dont own any denim now and have gone for more technical pants with full stretch so that I dont always change into trackies (sweatpants) when getting home this then saves on washing and can be comfortable all the time. About to head of for a weekend trip soon so my inner minimalist is already thinking of what to take. Keep these videos coming. 👍

[@JeffJacquesmd]

The Outlier Merino T’s are excellent and they discount if you buy a three pack. They last a long time as well. Cheers

[@gezmeares8688]

I would but the cost of shipping to the uk isnt worth it. But thanks for the recommendation.

[@joshfenn]

Not sure of any UK-centric merino brands to help you out, but hopefully someone sees your comment and can chime in with a recommendation!

[@danielmankowski922]

Hey Josh just got my Nordgreen watch! Between the Cyber Monday sale and your code from the video the price was a steal! I got the Pioneer gunmetal option with a blue face and the vegan leather band. Loving it! Thanks again for your content!

[@joshfenn]

That’s awesome, the pioneer is definitely my favorite as well. Glad it came in and happy to hear you got a good deal!

[@JeffJacquesmd]

Outlier Merino. My daily wear pieces are their T-shirts, I have 8 in rotation all in black and charcoal. I have a couple of their long sleeve ultra thin T-shirts that I sometimes wear as an undershirt to the Outlier short sleeve T’s.
Surprised you don’t have a Merino hoodie from Unbound Merino. Definitely worth checking out.
Nice overview of your capsule wardrobe.

[@joshfenn]

Love my outlier stuff, hoping to get more down the road! I’ll check out the unbound hoodie for sure too, thanks for the tip!

[@JAYVsG35]

i copied your wardrobe with very little tweaks and i love it so much.

[@joshfenn]

Glad it’s working well for you!

[@andrescastano6056]

you make so much sence. Keep it up!

[@joshfenn]

Thanks so much!

[@irishmilligan]

“And my favorite piece of clothing is my beard!… whoopsie Daisy, that happens to remind me of my sponsor!… beard balm!” Like what?

[@joshfenn]

Apparently my segways aren’t as clever as I thought 🙃

[@axislivedotorg]

I wanna hear about your 4 season hiking uniform getup

[@joshfenn]

I’ll probably cover this sometime this year, glad to hear you’re interested!

[@AmandaBelleVideos]

Altras !! Have you looked into the minimalist shoe movement? Theres a short documentary “shoespiracy” that explains it. Feel like it would match the rest of your minimalist style 😅

[@joshfenn]

I’m familiar with some of the basics around the idea and am definitely a fan! I’ve historically been a zero-drop shoe fan, I’ll be sure to check out shoespiracy when I can!

[@timothyrees6318]

Love it! Very informative and inspirational!

[@joshfenn]

Thanks for the support!

[@byshagi]

luv PAIGE denim

[@joshfenn]

They’re great!

[@pabloafuso7319]

Why people dont use adidas ultraboost? Is so good and beautiful.

[@joshfenn]

Ultraboosts are really popular in my experience, my wife has a pair and loves them

[@bw3126]

Hey Josh, nice vid and perspective on the capsule concept. For the last ten years or so, I’ve been trying to practice a simple approach to owning less, and clothing is always a struggle. I would like to see how someone with minimalism experience would apply the capsule concept to a complete adult four season wardrobe. I suppose living in a year round warm climate makes the capsule concept a lot smaller and easier, but living in the northeast (or any cold climate), there are certain things we can’t go without (insulated coats, boots, sweaters, hats, etc.). What would you would do if you were traveling to a cold weather environment? Do you not own any warm jackets or boots? Also, as we age, I feel like it becomes more necessary to have the ability to dress for occasions such as weddings, funerals, and any semi formal event. I’m in my 40’s so unfortunately I can no longer get away with wearing chucks or high tops with a button shirt and tie. Not to mention, I don’t want to be that guy at the funeral.. Do you not own at least one shirt and tie or nicer shoes? Trying to create a capsule as an adult in a four season climate starts to become a lot more difficult if we’re being honest with ourselves. Cant wear my winter coat in the spring/fall, so I have another for those months. Same idea with footwear.. can’t shovel snow in Nike’s and wont go to a formal event in chucks (at least, not anymore😂.) Gotta have at least one shit kickin set of clothes for when your jerkwater friend asks you to help him paint his man cave. All considered, I wonder if this is actually an accurate representation of your complete wardrobe, or a romanticized version for RUclips. Your capsule concept is cool if you live in SoCal and work from home, but isn’t practical in 90% of the country. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not insisting that you’re trying to convince your viewers to do it like you, this is yours and it works for you.. it just doesn’t seem realistic.

[@joshfenn]

Lots of good points and info here! Totally get what you mean with the colder weather, Portland usually doesn’t get much lower than 40F, but I spent most of my life in Michigan with similar winters to the NE. I’ve been wanting to add some boots and a proper jacket but haven’t found exactly what I’m looking for, and I have a light down jacket I usually only use for backpacking but could throw on in a pinch if needed. Had some kodiak boots a couple of years ago I initially loved but they fell apart way too quickly.
I skipped it in the video for time and brevity, but I do have a suit/shirt/shoe outfit for weddings and funerals I keep around but don’t wear it outside of those rare occasions.
Overall, I wouldn’t stress too much or overthink any of this for your situation. If you need a few extra things to keep warm or look nice for special occasions, absolutely keep them in your wardrobe and don’t feel bad about it. The capsule idea is just to focus on what you need while maximizing options, and keeping that stuff for your climate and situation is essential. I paired down significantly in recent years because I work for myself now and don’t need to leave home very often so I can get away with the bare minimum, but it’s not an ideal list for everyone. Glad you’re thinking mindfully though about your wardrobe choices, just do what’s best for you and it’ll be great!

[@salaryman6095]

I'm not a minimalist but you have more pair of shoes than me

[@joshfenn]

I don’t usually keep score or compete with people, but I’m glad your shoes work well with your lifestyle!

[@salaryman6095]

@@joshfenn I mean it's nice to discover you are already a minimalist!

[@Joncalebbrown]

Very informative and helpful, trying to move more that way! Where are your glasses from?

[@joshfenn]

It wouldn’t be a proper upload if I didn’t forget an item 😂
They’re from salt optics, the Rumack if I remember correctly. Got them in 2017, they’ve held up well!

[@centenoj85]

🔥🔥🔥

[@puppetmasterreloaded3341]

Dont wear watch time is an illusion. You can check your time on your cp

[@thiccdddad75]

Appreciate the video but when your capsule wardrobe color palate is basically all black literally everything will match

[@joshfenn]

That’s kind of the point, but it can always be adjusted to the color palette you prefer.

[@b.t.3406]

I can’t associate Nike shoes with minimalism. That whole sweatshop culture is a turn off.

[@farsthary1984]

bring colors to your life, dare to dress in vibrant colors and patterns, why so serious? happiness begins when the darks and ocre colors ends.

[@joshfenn]

I prefer the darker colors, but I’m glad the bright colors bring joy to your life! Everyone finds joy in different ways and places.

[@ahmadmohamad6384]

Is this a joke? Minimalist wardrobe, here are my 4 watches…

[@joshfenn]

Gotcha!