An Artist’s Uniform by Joe Goldsmith
An argument for fewer, better (simpler) things
Our friend and collaborator Joe recently put pen to paper about something close to our hearts — the idea of simplifying. In his case, it began with paring down his wardrobe to a small, intentional set of clothes that serve his life as an artist. Less distraction, more focus. Fewer choices, better ones.
Here, Joe shares what he’s learned from living with less — and dressing with purpose.
Here’s Joe, in his own words:
As a teenager, clothes I never wore would pile high like strange fabric sculptures.
Growing older and moving around a bit – a couple of times internationally – I started to think more carefully about my style choices. Eventually, I developed a wardrobe that could fit inside a suitcase (shoes included).
Enough has been said on how to put a capsule wardrobe together (Simon’s article at Permanent Style comes to mind). Instead, I’d like to focus on the lessons a strict capsule wardrobe has taught me:
1. Fewer = better
You need fewer clothes than you think you do. When it comes to clothes – in fact, most things – buying fewer means you can afford better.
I have one winter coat, a vintage Burberry camelhair balmacaan. It gets complimented every time I wear it – often by people who’ve seen it multiple times before!
Of course, not all clothes have to be expensive – I wear the same £10 T-shirts every day – but I noticed quite quickly that I actually saved money by buying a few pieces I really loved (rather than frittering away cash on a pile of clothes I barely touched).
2. A capsule wardrobe is (often) more sustainable
You’re more likely to take care of something that you feel attached to, and to *want* to wear it for longer. Fortunately better quality clothes can usually be repaired again and again, and each of these repairs adds to the natural beauty of these garments (and most likely to your emotional attachment to them).
Also, many higher-quality garments – like Blackhorse Lane’s jeans, for example – are made of natural fibres, which are more bio-degradable than synthetics (though synthetics have other strengths). This means a smaller environmental footprint when the time inevitably comes to dispose of a piece (assuming the garment doesn’t outlive you!).
3. Having fewer things frees up mental space to focus on *more important* things
I consider myself a minimalist. I maintain the bare minimum around me in order to dedicate time and attention to the things I value. Keeping a small wardrobe means I spend less time thinking about what I’m going to wear in the morning; I hop out of bed, throw on the same grey trousers and the same grey T-shirt I wear most days, and I get to work.
This simple decision has a knock-on effect: Since removing this one decision from my day, I spend less time thinking about clothes, looking at clothes on Instagram or Pinterest, or buying clothes. Subsequently I have more resources available: time, mental space and even money.
4. Fewer clothes (or things) means a greater chance of matching
Having a smaller wardrobe forces you to think more about how your purchases relate to one another. I now almost exclusively buy clothes that are some shade of grey (or very occasionally blue). This way I can pick out any two or three items from my wardrobe and know they’ll go well together.
Most of my clothes are wool or cotton, and rarely patterned but usually textured, which has a similar effect to adding noise to a photo – it’s why old film photos often look cohesive and natural. Texture unifies things, and this is true of clothing too. Solid colours are a lot harder to match than fabrics with texture.
‘Limiting your palette’ in this way can be applied to life too – like when laying out a living room, for example. Or, less obviously, when scheduling things into a calendar: knowing that certain times of the day work better for certain things – and knowing what will ‘clash’ with your goals and resolutions – helps create a life that’s cohesive.
5. Having a ‘uniform’ should be informed by your everyday life
Unless I’m painting, I tend to wear the same clothes every day. Most days those clothes are grey. The reason I wear grey almost exclusively is that grey hides graphite stains particularly well.
If I know I’ll be painting, I might wear jeans, as they don’t mind the occasional spatter of paint (I personally think jeans look their best when they’ve been worn to death anyway).
If I go out somewhere, I’ll throw on either a navy sports coat or a blue shirt (which go well with everything else in my limited wardrobe) and a pair of black slip-on shoes (black because it’s versatile; slip-on because I live in Korea and have to take my shoes off regularly).
This isn’t an original concept. I know photographers – [Jamie Ferguson], for example – who swear by cargo shorts, because the many pockets allow easy access to lenses, SD cards, etc. Many baristas wear black because it hides coffee stains particularly well. Decorators often wear white because more-often-than-not they’re painting with white paint.
Having a regimented wardrobe means that I’m ready at any opportunity to pick up a pencil or pop out to the shops. Clothes can look good *and* fit your day-to-day lifestyle.
Caveat: I have a handful of clothes that I only wear on days I’m not working – if my everyday clothes are my ‘uniform’, these are my ‘date day outfits’, so called because I tend to dress up a bit on the days my partner and I have free together.
6. Personal style should not be the most interesting thing about you
It’s a bit of a buzz term – personal style – at least for men. Personal style used to be something that simply evolved naturally as a result of who we are, what we do for a living, etc. A byproduct.
These days people spend time thinking about ‘personal style’ as if it’s an isolated thing.
While I think it’s an overwhelmingly positive thing that men are starting to take better care of ourselves, it’s easy for our personal clothing choices to become the most interesting thing about us. One major reason I keep such a strict wardrobe is that it allows me to spend a lot less time thinking about clothes, and a lot more time thinking about other things I value – in my case, my work as an artist, my character, and my relationships.
Keeping a minimalist wardrobe prevents me from obsessing over the things I’m prone to, and I actually find I dress better than I did before. My wardrobe consists of a handful of pieces I really love, and I know they’ll go well together because I’ve intentionally set limitations on myself to ensure that they do.
These are just a few of the benefits of having a minimalist wardrobe that most other articles don’t tend to focus on. If you’d like to discuss further or ask questions, please feel free to shoot me an email or DM me on Instagram!
Words by Joe Goldsmith
Photography by Hyunjin Jo & Illya Sobtchak
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