YVALIKS

One of the first documentary I watched on Netflix was ‘The Minimalists’. It follows two men, who after losing family members and corporate jobs, decided to embrace a minimalist lifestyle. I watched it because the concept of minimalism had always interested me. After watching the documentary, I started to explore the subject more, by watching youtubers who also promoted the lifestyle. One of these youtubers challenged herself to do a whole year without buying new clothes. I was very impressed by this. I could not at the time, imagine myself doing this.

As a certified fashion lover,  I own quite a few clothes and accessories (and by a few I mean a lot). I love shopping. I was that girl who always treated herself with new clothes on payday. I also tried to do the ‘whole fashion blogger thing’ in the 2010s, so I had to buy clothes to show outfits and looks on my blog and Instagram. I spent so much of my money on fashion. I wanted to stop, but I was always giving into temptation. I wanted to have the latest. I wanted to be on trend.

But deep down I also wanted to be a minimalist.

I wanted out of the whole ‘consumer lifestyle’. A part of me knew that I didn’t need all of what I own. I just wanted them. The majority of things I was buying was making me happy for a moment, but I will always end up being bored with it after a while. It also added clutter. It was a real chore to constantly try to organise all my ‘junk’ every season. On a certain level, I was not that bad but I just wanted out. I wanted to try what that Youtuber did. But was this something I could do: doing a whole year without buying new clothes?

Well I am doing it now.

The reality of living in Kinshasa forced me into my ‘minimalist goal’.

I had to come here with a limited amount of things due to baggage allowance restrictions policy in planes.  So  I only took three suitcases of 23 kilos. I decided to prioritise beauty products more than clothes.  I was not sure if I would find the products I used in the UK in Kinshasa. Surely, my acne prone skin would have me looking ‘raggedy’ in a month, without my usual skincare items.

In regards to clothes,  I had to make a capsule wardrobe.

I used to say in the past that I could never have one. For me, capsule wardrobe was the epitome of boring fashion. I found wearing the same clothes repeatedly restrictive. Nevertheless, I could only bring some of my ‘collections’ with me. I had to decide what items I was going to bring. I knew that realistically, just like for the beauty products, I was not going to buy clothes the same way here as in Europe. When I look at it now, a capsule wardrobe make sense. If you are a fashion ‘connoisseur’, you know that there are such things as timeless classics and there are trends that come and go (and then come back).  I think that the most important question is how much wear you will get out of your clothes. So I packed my classics items: some clothes that I knew will both look nice and I would not be tired of wearing. I am very happy with what I decided to bring here.

Here my money covers my essentials: food, transport and internet are my usual expenses. I work from home and only need to be out if I have to go see clients or attend events. So there is no weekly commuting experience. I go out sometimes to eat and experience the city, but not as often.  The shops selling Europeans items here are quite expensive. I am not interested in shopping there. I am thinking that at some point I will have some clothes made, since there many tailors here and African fabrics are very beautiful. But it is not urgently needed, so it can wait. I deleted my shopping applications and now I have more time for other things.

I listen to more podcasts. I read more and I write more.

I have finally been able to balance my wants and my needs.

I know what I want but more importantly I know what I need.

I looked at my life and I assess my priorities.

What is truly essential?

What truly matter?

What I should actually invest in?

I still love fashion. I do not think that I will ever stop loving fashion.

I still look at trends on my Instagram and follow some influencers here and then.

But now I can look at the latest without actually wanting to instantly buy it.

I am not saying that I will no longer buy clothes.  I am just no longer interested in the idea of owning a great amount of clothes and things.

I truly believe that the next time I will be in Europe, I will not frantically shop.

I think I have turned into what they called a ‘conscious shopper’.

I realised that at the end of it, as much as I love things, they are just things. I just do not need that many things.

There is beauty and benefit in owning less.

It is liberating.  I live with what I have and I am fine with it.

I may sound like a hippie but believe me I feel more peaceful this way.

I never thought this could be me.

Less is definitely better…at least for me.

(image via Pinterest: confessions of a shopaholic)