8 Must-Haves From Director Matt D'Avella's Minimalist Wardrobe

The movement of minimalism is taking over the world. People are realizing the positive difference that decluttering can bring about in their lives, as it enables us to focus on what’s really important. Often, the things that truly matter to us get lost amidst the material objects that we hold onto. Unlike what many have misconstrued it to be, minimalism encourages you to let go of attachments. Its focus is not so much on removing things from our life for the sake of it, as much as it’s on retaining things that truly mean something to us.

The concept became the talk of the town when Netflix came out with Minimalism: A Documentary About The Important Things that gave us a peek into how the minimalist movement changed the lives of two ordinary men, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, for the better. The duo set out to spread the word on the magic of minimalism, and hopefully, inspire people to toe in line. However, not many know that the person behind their camera had a story just as inspiring, if not more.

Matt D’Avella, the man who directed the Netflix documentary, is a minimalist himself. He is a full-time YouTuber known to share wonderful lifestyle advice with his subscribers. His videos are particularly praised for being aesthetically pleasing. Their beauty is brought out using the bare minimum: A swanky set-up and some simple, yet stylish clothes that he repeats ever so often. This foolproof formula has touted him as a well-known video-editor with a following of more than two million. Besides, Matt can surely teach us a thing or two about maintaining a minimalist wardrobe. Infact, he’s also made a video about it on his channel:

If the Netflix documentary inspired you to take on the movement, AskMen India shares with you 8 must-haves from Matt D'Avella from minimalist wardrobe:

Go-to t-shirts

Minimalists embrace simplicity by getting rid of clutter and retaining only that which holds value in their life. Usually, people tend to buy a wide variety of t-shirts and stock them up for future use, but only a handful of those t-shirts turn out to be wearable. We keep going back to them again and again, completely neglecting the other options. At the back of our mind, we know that we’re never going to wear those t-shirts, so why let them occupy so much space?

This is why, when Matt D’Avella finds a t-shirt he really likes, he buys a bunch of them in the same size, shape and a standard colour like black or grey. This enables him to put as little thought and energy into picking an outfit every day.

An everyday pair of jeans

Matt D’Avella owns just one pair of regular jeans. Yes, you heard that right! If you think about it, this does make sense in a lot of ways. Just like t-shirts, we tend to stock up on a wide variety of jeans, but keep going back to the same favourite pair. Instead, why not invest in one durable and versatile pair of jeans?

If you’re looking to follow a minimalist lifestyle like Matt, pick a good-quality pair of jeans that you really like and make sure it goes with most of your top clothing. You can get another pair or two if you want a pop of colour in your wardrobe, but anything more than that is, honestly, unnecessary.

Tank tops

If you have limited your wardrobe like Matt has, you want to keep the handful of t-shirts that you own in good shape so that they can be worn for an extended period of time while stepping outdoors. This is when tank tops come in handy. You can wear these at home on days when you’re not up to much.

Matt D’Avella owns a few of them in different colours. Not only are they comfortable and cool, they’re an amazing alternative to t-shirts and stop them from wearing out too soon.

A range of shorts

Matt also keeps a couple of casual and comfortable shorts handy for days when he doesn’t need to dress up. He owns one pair of everyday summer shorts.

Besides, he has a bunch of mesh shorts for days when he’s just lounging around in the house. And last but not the least, a few gym shorts that are put to use during his daily workout sessions. They’re all in standard colours like black or grey and go with just about any t-shirt.

A hoodie, sweatshirt and jacket

These are a few more wardrobe must-haves. Matt owns one staple piece of each. His grey hoodie is a perfect add-on for his t-shirts on a chilly day. The fear of it going out of fashion is eliminated as it has no prints and patterns whatsoever. His plain black sweatshirt and jacket can be worn in conjunction and have the ability to amp up an ordinary outfit. They seem to be Matt’s favourites as he wears them very often in his videos.

Button downs

Button downs are a must-have in the wardrobe of every minimalist. They’re among the most versatile pieces of clothing you can own. They can be paired with your regular jeans as is, or amped up with a jacket or blazer. You could roll the sleeves up or leave the placket slightly open. There are so many ways you can reinvent a button up and attain a completely new look in the process. Having a bunch of these in different styles, just like Matt D’Avella does, will simplify your process of picking an original outfit everyday.

A basic shoe collection and fancy socks

When it comes to shoes, there are so many styles and shapes available out there. This could be a nightmare for a minimalist who’s looking for nothing more than some go-to pairs. And that’s exactly what Matt has done with his footwear collection. He only owns staples such as a pair of everyday sneakers, gym shoes, flip flops, boots and fancy shoes for fancy occasions. Just these five pairs are enough to complement every outfit in your wardrobe. Additionally, barring your basic pairs of socks, it’s good to keep some fancy ones handy for formal occasions.

A suit

A simple, yet stylish suit is a wardrobe essential for men. Matt owns a basic one in black as it can go with a variety of button ups. Suits are important for formal events, fancy wedding parties or other important occasions that require you to deck up. You can also keep some statement accessories handy for this look: A bow, tie and a wrist watch, for instance. These would work very well with the swanky shoes from your footwear collection. Make sure you get your suit tailored as per your physique for a more refined look.

Get inspired by Matt D’Avella and make minimalism a way of life!

Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India