London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Aug 22, 2026

10 Steps to the Essential Minimalist Wardrobe

10 Steps to the Essential Minimalist Wardrobe

This is the kind of minimalism that won’t bore you or break the bank.

Are you craving a more minimalist wardrobe? Are you itching to replace tired and worn-out fast fashions, rejected seasonal accessories, the kind of items that weren’t made to last? It’s time to start fresh. Look no further than these “elegantly unfussy” outfits, which were first featured in the February 2020 issue of Vogue. These looks were dreamed up by Camilla Nickerson, modeled by Adut Akech and Kaia Gerber, and photographed by Bibi Borthwick. The images serve as a timeless source of inspiration when it comes to fashion and minimalism.

Here, in 10 easy steps, we break down how to achieve this minimal approach to dressing no matter the year or season. This is the kind of minimalism that won’t bore you or break the bank. In fact, these options will inspire you to prioritize shopping for pieces that will not only last a lifetime but will also get better with age. These looks rebel against what’s shiny and new and focus instead on thoughtful details, fine fabrics, and interesting textures.

Here, 10 steps to building the essential minimalist wardrobe.



Step 1: The Quintessential Coat


The prime example of an investment that will never go out of style is the classic beige Burberry trench.



Step 2: The Chunky Oversized Knit


An oversized pullover is key to any minimalist’s winter wardrobe-just open Instagram if you don’t believe us. They’re utterly simple yet powerfully sophisticated. Bonus points for a thick ribbed texture and chin-grazing necklines.



Step 3: The Dainty Knit


When the occasion calls for something lighter, fine knits will do just the trick. For a fitted take on minimal tops, try a ribbed collared sweater, a pale-colored turtleneck, or a bell-sleeved pullover.



Step 4: The Everyday Shirtdress


Elevate your standard shirtdress with feminine details, like a bow tied belt, tiered hemlines, or one with a wrapped effect top.



Step 5: The Cozy-Chic Knit Dress


These sweater dresses aren’t your typical ill-fitting silhouette. Daniel Lee’s Bottega Veneta gives the knit dress a completely contemporary twist, while Club Monaco’s fit-and-flared style is as flattering as it is chic and comfortable LVIR’s turtleneck version looks like a turtleneck sweater and skirt set while Khaite’s mock neck dress has a desirable yet unexpected cut out.



Step 6: The Wear-Forever Foundations


Finding basics that last (and, more importantly, that you love) is often a never-ending search. The search stops here with minimalist wardrobe heroes, including investment layerables from Wolford, structured ribbed knit tanks from Agolde, and affordable yet luxurious shirting from The Frankie Shop.



Step 7: The Mighty Midi Skirt


You can rely on the midi skirt for any occasion. Appropriate for work, weekends, and even formal occasions, the below-the-knee-length skirt is the minimalist’s solution for everywhere style. Tuck a structured tank into a leather version for transitional style, or add sculptural jewels and a heeled sandal to Tibi’s belt-wrapped style and head off to cocktails in the best minimalist style.



Step 8: The Wearable Art


The finishing touches come in the form of hammered metal rings, pendants, and sculptural liquid-like earrings. Nothing completes a neutral color palette better than strikingly chic gold.



Step 9: The Sleek and Smooth Loafer


Despite the many tempting variations of the loafer that present themselves every season, it’s important to keep a timeless version in your repertoire. A toast to penny loafers in soft suedes and supple neutral-palette leathers.



Step 10: The Thong Sandal


A flip-flop is an iconic style that can be surprisingly chic. Look for elevated details like square-toe soles, thin straps, or buttery leathers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Petrol Bombs Set Luxury Cars Alight Outside Birmingham Wedding as Police Hunt Three Men
Bitcoin Surges Toward $80,000 as Short Squeeze and ETF Inflows Ignite Crypto Rally
Prince Harry and Co-Claimants Ordered to Pay £9.5 Million Toward Daily Mail Publisher’s Legal Costs
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Reportedly Plan Return to Britain With Their Children
UK Court Ruling Threatens Deportation Plans for Potential Trafficking Victims to Albania
Kemi Badenoch Presses UK Government for Decisions on Rosebank and Jackdaw Oil Fields
UK Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Calls for Ban on Goods from Occupied West Bank
Andy Burnham Government to Place Civil Servants Directly in English Mayoral Offices
Met Office Warns Major El Niño Could Bring Stormier, Wetter Autumn to UK
UK Economy Gains Unexpected Momentum Ahead of Andy Burnham Government’s First Budget
Twenty-Nine US States Take Meta to Trial Over Alleged Child Addiction on Instagram and Facebook
Former Scottish National Party Executive Peter Murrell Jailed for Five Years Over £400,000 Embezzlement
Moderna and Merck's Personalized Cancer Vaccine Succeeds in Historic Late-Stage Melanoma Trial
Prince Harry and Meghan to Move Back to Britain With Their Children
England and Wales Have Fewer Than 1,800 Prison Places Left for Men
Royal Navy to Accelerate DragonFire Laser Deployment Against Growing Drone Threat
Northern Ireland Approves Five Hundred Million Pound Belfast Harbour Expansion
Great British Railways Takes Full Control of Avanti West Coast as Rail Nationalisation Reaches Final Stage
UK AI Safety Institute Calls for Mandatory Security Audits of Advanced AI Models
Scotland Secures Three Billion Pounds for Floating Offshore Wind Hub in Aberdeen
Government Overrides Local Councils to Approve Green Belt Housing Across Southern England
UK and EU Move Toward Mutual Recognition of Food Standards to Ease Cross-Channel Trade
Government Plans Multibillion-Pound Private Healthcare Expansion to Cut NHS Surgical Backlogs
Bank of England Signals Faster Rate Cuts as Inflation Falls Below the Two Percent Target
Suspected People Smuggler Arrested After Investigation Identified Him
Children's Doctors Warn That Vaping Can Lead Young People to Smoking
Hundreds of Thousands of Students Receive GCSE and Vocational Results Across England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Here Is What Can Never Happen in Your Country: Taiwan Is Giving Money to All Its People Because It Collected Too Much Tax
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
UK Issues New Conduct Guide for Asylum Seekers on Consent and Respect
Moderna Shares Surge After Positive Personalized Skin Cancer Trial Results
UK Markets Watch US National Debt Surpass Forty Trillion Dollars
UK Broadcasters Urge Government to Invest in Digital Participation and Broadband
CVC Capital Partners and Standard Life Launch Two Billion Pound Pension Risk Transfer Venture
UK Private Sector Productivity Growth Accelerates in Second Quarter
UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband Condemns Israeli E1 Settlement Tender
UK Watchdog Investigates Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Hidden Fees
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Plan Move to Private Home Outside London
UK Retail Sentiment Improves as Summer Spending Boosts Consumer Confidence
UK Aid Cuts Draw Warnings From Charities Over Humanitarian Consequences
UK Financial Conduct Authority Issues Guidance for Motor Finance Redress Scheme
UK Met Office Launches Aviation Programme to Reduce Climate Impact of Persistent Contrails
Former UK Civil Service Chief Received Record 500,000 Pound Severance Payment
West Midlands to Bring Bus Network Under Public Franchising Model
UK Government Drops Plan to Relax Affordable Housing Requirements After Backlash
UK Reaffirms Military Support for Ukraine Despite Russian Hybrid Warfare Threats
UK Technology Sector Expands Nearly 8 Percent as Digital Industry Outpaces Wider Economy
UK Drought Threatens Harvests Across England and Wales as Food Inflation Risks Persist
UK Government Pledges 442 Million Pounds to End Rough Sleeping by Christmas
UK Government Signals Willingness to Reconsider Digital Services Tax Amid US Tariff Threats
×