I don’t own any white clothing.
A few summers back I got sick of staring blankly into the closet, wondering what I should wear and when. After some research, I established some basic guidelines which I follow to this day.
Every piece of clothing I buy needs to pass three tests: it needs to fit well, look good and take up as little of my time as possible. White clothing is easily stained or discolored during normal use. It requires special care and occasional bleaching to keep it looking decent. It must be washed separately from other garments. In short, white needed to go.
I came up with a few other improvements as well. Colors are limited to muted shades, mainly black, greys and blues. My entire wardrobe is mix-and-match; everything goes with everything. If I find something I like, I buy multiples of the same item. I buy all of my socks in one color.
I won’t be winning any fashion awards. On the other hand, I could dress each morning in the dark and be confident that I’m not violating any major rules of etiquette. I consider that a success.
The wardrobe may seem like a strange place to optimize for efficiency, but consider this fact: I’m saving over $100 in laundry costs this year by eliminating the separate load required for white clothes. I guess I’m in good company; Forbes did an article on a few people who always dressed the same, including Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Albert Einstein and Barack Obama. Have you found a unique way to save time or money? Hit reply and let me know! Thanks for reading!