Keep It Simple

If like me, you have children, then you’ll be well aware that any attempt to live a minimalist life quickly turns into a sick joke. And even if you haven’t experienced the consequences of procreation just yet, you’ll no doubt appreciate that to live that white-walled Wallpaper* lifestyle, void of clutter and extraneous life tripe, is a serious undertaking.

I can only imagine what that peace of mind must feel like as the true minimalist gazes upon his pared-back pad of pure, clean geometry rendered in white and grey tones. It’s not to everyone’s taste of course, but the basis of minimalism – i.e. the stripping away of the useless or non-essential – is a particularly enlightened way of living.

And in this day and age, who couldn’t do with a little more clarity in their lives – or wardrobes for that matter?

Minimalism In Menswear

Minimalism in modern menswear has a lot to thank Giorgio Armani for. He was arguably the first designer to popularise a stripped-back and elegantly simple aesthetic, offering straightforward suiting that defined large periods of the 1980s and 1990s.

Elsewhere, brands such as Prada, Kris Van Assche, Neil Barrett, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela and Matthew Miller have all adopted the concept and run with it to great effect. And you should too. For one, it’s very difficult to get minimalism wrong, provided you follow a few basic rules. On top of that, it’s virtually trend-free, meaning it’s not likely to go out of fashion or fall out of favour any time soon.

But above all, a minimalist aesthetic is extremely versatile and can be easily adapted to both formal and informal situations with hardly any effort at all.

The Palette

Colour can be a tricky proposition for most men. Incorporating bold blocks or flashy splashes can either work to great effect or fail miserably. The minimalist’s palette – made up notably of black, navy, grey, white, and shades of off-white – negates any potential disaster and makes mixing and matching the clothes in your wardrobe immeasurably easier, since these hues complement each other perfectly.