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“Look at all those fancy clothes,

but these gonna keep us warm just like those.” —Jack Johnson

What does a minimalist wear? I’m surprised I get this question as often as I do—as if people expect to see me walking around in a loincloth—but, given the many misconceptions surrounding minimalism, it’s a valid question.

Simply, a minimalist wears their favorite clothes every day. Most days I wear jeans, a teeshirt, and a pair of boots. Or, when I feel like it, I wear a crisp white button-up shirt, jeans, a blazer, colorful socks, and a clean pair of dress shoes. (I avoid logos because I refuse to be a walking billboard.)

I don’t have many clothes now, and I still go to the Goodwill a few times a month to donate an item or two (if I’m not wearing it anymore, it gets donated), but I thoroughly enjoy the clothes I own.

I don’t, however, give sentimental meaning to my clothes. If all my clothes burned in a house fire tomorrow, it wouldn’t be a big deal to me.

“What about those shoes you’re in today?

They’ll do no good on the bridges you burnt along the way.” —Jack Johnson

Read this essay and 150 others in our new book, Essential.