edited by Laura Conte; produced by Meghal Janardan; appearance by Mi-Anne Chan; produced by Mi-Anne Chan; appearance by Michelle Li.
The past few years have given rise to a strange combination of minimalism and maximalism. Bombarded with information about our spending habits (the average American buys 64 new pieces of clothing per year and uses just 20% of their closets), organizational fads have become commonplace. Think capsule wardrobes or Marie Kondo's guide to tidying up. Yet, at the same time, fast fashion brands are growing, churning out new collections every few months.
Paring down one's closet, or at least trying to buy less, can help in more ways than one: it can save you a hunk of cash and keep hoards of clothing out of landfills. But most of the literature about minimalist closets tends to read the same. In an attempt to live practically, minimalists nix color in favor of black and white, and ditch fun textures and shapes for basics.
For a fashion lover, it can be difficult to toe the line between a minimalist and maximalist wardrobe. That's why I decided to challenge myself to wear just six clothing items (and one pair of shoes) for a full week, all without sacrificing my love of bold color, textures, and trends. See how I fared in the video above.