006 | The Importance of a "Less Is More" Mindset

In this episode of Dressing for Wellness, Taylor (Inherent Clothier CEO) and Steven (Art Director) discuss cultivating a less is more mindset when it comes to your wardrobe. Fast fashion brands have trained society to not think about their wardrobe or to invest in quality pieces, but studies show this leads to negative environmental impact and overspending in the long term.

They also share how the less is more mindset has impacted the way Inherent Clothier is designing their upcoming seasonal collections and the new capsule wardrobes that are in development.

3 Key Points

1. Fast fashion leads people to spend more money over time than investing in high quality, custom clothing.
   
2. Check in with yourself before you impulse buy to see where that decision is coming from emotionally.
   
3. There’s no need to change your entire wardrobe at once, but work towards investing in nicer pieces one at a time.
   

Episode Highlights:

• All of the patterns and fabric at Inherent Clothier are hand drawn and handmade for your measurements.
  
• The average person spends more money on clothes per year than the cost of a car, by buying over 60 new pieces of clothing each year.
  
• Think about your overall wardrobe and the pieces you actually need instead of impulse buying.
  
• When you impulse buy, is the decision being made from a place of emotion? If it is, reach out to a friend or loved one instead.
  
• Most people today don’t consider what’s already in their wardrobe when they’re buying something.
  
• If people were more patient, we would consume less.
  
• Inherent has been releasing 4-5 suits with each seasonal collection, and they were so carefully designed but Taylor felt people didn’t get to appreciate it like they hopefully will with just 1 suit in each collection.
  
• The less is more mindset is better for the environment. Fast fashion items fill landfills as soon as they fall apart or the season is over.
  
• Start with what you’re going to wear the most, saving money towards specific items, to slowly build your wardrobe over time.

Tweetable Quotes:

• “We lost the education piece of style and clothing for the most part. I think most of society has lost that. So they’ve almost been programmed by these fast fashion brands to just be like, oh yeah, a button-up shirt should cost $30-50.” –Taylor Draper
  
• “I’m going from 4-5 suits a collection to 1, and making that 1 resonate with the mental health theme each time because that’s what we do here.” –Taylor Draper
  
• “How many ways can I wear that? How often will I be able to wear that? Should be your first question before you buy a suit.” –Taylor Draper

Resources Mentioned:

• Inherent Clothier Website
• Inherent Clothier instagram
• Investment Clothing: Buy Less, Buy Better
• Articles of Style; Cost Per Wear
• Simon Sinek: The Infinite Game