The Minimalist Gentleman

There are two seemingly incompatible things that I've been thinking about on and off for a while: minimalism and fashion. On the one hand, there are many benefits to having less stuff, but on the other hand, is the desire to be well-dressed. Being any sort of minimalist includes having a minimal wardrobe, so does it follow that one can still be dapper?

When I say fashion, I don't mean the need to keep up with the latest clothing quirks and trends. Fashion for me has always been more about classic style, hence the idea of the gentleman, and with that, while some of the details may change from time to time, the core elements of style vary little.

But why the need to be minimalist?

There are two answers to that. First, has Fumio Sasaki eloquently explained in Goodbye, Things, less stuff can make you happier. Personally, I feel I have too many clothes, most of which are rarely worn, and this is disquieting. A more minimalist streamlined wardrobe might be less stressful and more useful.

The second answer is environmental. What I mean is that by having less clothing, I will in a small way lessen my environmental impact in a variety of ways.

Taken together, there is something to be said for minimalist as a virtue.

It is the concept of fast fashion that the minimalist gentleman stands opposed to. One reason is the environmental one mentioned above. Fast fashion is incredibly wasteful. Despite many fast-fashion brands making an effort to recycle the whole process has a sizeable impact on the environment from the amount of water used to grow the cotton to the emissions from production and transportation.

Items from fast-fashion brands are not bad per se, they just have to be chosen wisely. Chosen without due care though, they are wasteful, because the principal problem with fast fashion is that it encourages continuous consumption rather than minimalism. You buy something for now, use it, and then it ends up at the back of a wardrobe. When you need something else, you go out and shop again.

In a way, this shows a lack of respect for clothing.

Can you respect clothing? Yes, I think so.

I think you show respect to something as you do to a person, by valuing them in themselves as an ends, not a means purely to satisfy your own desires. You could also argue that the respect extends towards all those involved in making the garment. Fast fashion is a far cry from artisanal stitching and sewing, but people still worked to grow the cotton, process it and turn it into something you can wear.

A further problem is a little more subtle.

When you think of something as disposable, it has little value and therefore little meaning. This might seem a virtue at first until you realise that you have no anchors in your life. The objects we own form part of the narrative structure of our lives. They provide stories and connections through the different stages and phases. This provides stability and identity.

Things that are transitory and disposable create instability and constant change. When it comes to clothing this may seem trivial compared to a house, but our wardrobes contribute significantly to our identity. Objects that exist through time, like a good suit, becomes part of who we are and this provides a connection to the world and stability to our lives. Clothes give context and meaning to who we are. They might even have stories to tell.

A well-chosen wardrobe can elevate you from being a cog in the consumerist machine that defines you only by what you buy, to being someone who has a tangible identity. In this way, you take control, thinking about what you want and buying only what you need, instead of being swayed by the latest fad.

Being an individual is not about having the freedom to choose from the endless colour possibilities of a t-shirt each season, but making a statement about who you choose to be.

The Minimalist Gentleman is an attempt to do that.

There is one final point to be made.

One of the enduring problems with fast fashion is one of quality. Usually poor quality. I have had garments that have lasted, but more often than not the quality suffers. A nice looking winter trench coat isn’t really warm enough. The stitching at the cuff of a crew neck jumper comes apart. The t-shirt loses its shape after a few washes. The socks wear a hole when you’ve only worn them a handful of times.

To build even a minimalist gentleman’s wardrobe is an investment, but investing in quality means that the garments will last. As they are meant to! It also means that we have to think before we buy.

Minimalism is thinking as much about what you want to add to your life as it is about what to remove. I certainly need to throw away a lot of the unused, unnecessary clothes I own, but in order to attempt to be a minimalist gentleman, I need to think well before I buy - size, fit, colour and combination options - and invest in quality.

According to Esquire’s Men’s Style Guide - it all starts with a dark navy suit.