One of the first documentaries 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 exploring the subject further by watching YouTubers who also promoted minimalism. 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 the girl who always treated herself to 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 in to 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 made me happy for a moment, but I would always end up bored with them 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 only a few things due to the airline’s baggage allowance policy. 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 regard to clothes, I had to make a capsule wardrobe.
I used to say I could never have one. For me, a 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, realistically, that just as with beauty products, I was not going to buy clothes the same way here as in Europe. Looking back, a capsule wardrobe makes sense. If you are a fashion ‘connoisseur’, you know that there are timeless classics and 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 would 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 to eat and explore the city sometimes, 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 are 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 assessed my priorities.
What is truly essential?
What truly matters?
What should I 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 wanting to buy it right away.
I am not saying that I will no longer buy clothes. I am just no longer interested in owning a lot of clothes and things.
I truly believe that next time I am in Europe, I will not frantically shop.
I think I have turned into what they call 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)