Minimalism. If you have been reading this blog at least for a little bit, you know, that is something I like to associate myself with. However, I feel, there should be a clarification on what I mean by the “m” word here on BEACH&DRESS, and why I like to say that I am a minimalism explorer, not straight up minimalist.
While looking at many blogs, I have noticed that minimalism has become some sort of a trend, thus it made me think about all the different ways minimalism is being perceived. This word is used with having a white tee, dressing monochrome (especially white), or just casual. Some associate it with dressing everything down only to bare essentials or just having no prints. Some think they are the real minimalists (they apply the original definition) while the others just try to copy them. The word is definitely overused. But who am I to judge?
All I can do is share my perspective with you, and as I said in the beginning, why I feel as minimalist explorer not minimalist. For me it’s more or less about lifestyle. I like a lot of open space and no clutter at my home, I enjoy having things I actually need instead of useless stuff that collects dust. I enjoy finding several uses for one object, and remake and reuse something that might not be good for serving it’s original purpose. For me minimalism is about setting a concrete food budget, sticking to it and cooking healthy meals at home instead of having pantry stuffed with junk and OVEReating out every day because I’m too lazy to cook. I like to research how to make my own laundry detergent and then discover that a lot of the same ingredients can be also used for dishwasher detergent. Clothes - they should be something I’ll be able to wear for years. Timeless. This is where some people might say I’m not minimalist because sometimes I like something that is not stripped down to it’s bare function, but as long as it’s timeless for me, it works. Of course, I sometimes fail at all of these quests for non-consumerism, thus I don’t think I’ll ever be able to announce myself a minimalist. I’m just an explorer who’s reaping the rewards of occasional minimalist lifestyle successes.
Why did I share all of this with you? So you know what you can and cannot expect. So you know if you can relate, and so you don’t have to question me when I say the "m" word and wear big earrings or wear 1987364 layers. I’m just an explorer on a quest to avoid consumerism.
What are other concepts people often interpret in different ways? How do you feel about minimalism trend? Can it be a trend? Can it be categorized - fashion vs. lifestyle?
I’d love to hear from you!
