As far as fashion is concerned, there are two schools of thought that have perennially been at odds with each other. One is the over-the-top maximalist aesthetic, which celebrates elements like multiple busy patterns and lots of statement pieces. Its polar opposite is the minimalist aesthetic, which values simple, clean, and basic elegance using only a few carefully chosen garments and accessories.

While one is not necessarily better than the other, there are some strong arguments to be made for keeping it simple. Whether it’s applied to everyday dress or to special occasions like weddings or galas, the simple and minimalist approach can do wonders to elevate your style game. Below are six reasons to adopt a simpler and more streamlined approach when you shop socks, shoes, accessories, or apparel for your wardrobe. Consider this advice if you want a refreshing new way to look at your personal style, all without spending hundreds of dollars to overstock your closet.

You’ll Be Able to Focus on What’s Important About Your Clothes

When you have a huge wardrobe full of clothes that you’ll only wear once or twice, it’s easy to lose sight of what matters about your style. In your rush to follow fashion fads or stock up on emergency replacements for low-quality garments, you may have forgotten about how well-made, comfortable, and adaptable you want your clothes to be.

Truth be told, it’s okay to stick to a minimalist fashion philosophy and to be finicky about these sorts of things. You can be critical about the way your clothes fit you, what fabric they’re made of, where they’re sourced, and how comfy they are, and only keep the items that meet your criteria. That way, you can prevent your closet from becoming overtaken by pieces that don’t serve your needs. The simpler you dress and the fewer items you have in your closet, the more in tune you’ll be with your sartorial needs.

You’ll Spend Less Money and Be More Purposeful About How You Stock Your Closet

Adopting a simple quality-versus-quantity approach to your wardrobe can also lessen the burden you put on your wallet. You may actually be able to save a lot of money by sticking to a limited budget for clothing or by imposing a personal cap on how many clothing items you own.

This approach will allow you to think carefully about which pieces to anchor your daily ensembles on. It will also encourage you to shop for individual pieces that you can wear often without worrying about wear and tear. Ideal, you’ll want to invest in a small assortment of versatile, eye-catching, and high-quality pieces that you can keep reusing for multiple occasions.

You’ll Have a More Holistic View on the Way You Style Yourself on Everyday Occasions

One thing that will definitely change if you adopt a simple and minimalist style is that you’ll realize how much mileage you can get out of your basics. You’ll stop thinking about transforming your outfits with new pieces, and you’ll get more creative with what you have. The result? A better understanding of each item’s role in the outfit and what happens when you make the most minute, granular-level adjustments to what you’re wearing.

This knowledge will serve you especially well whenever you find yourself in a styling rut. Let’s say you’re at a loss regarding how to dress for the day, or you’re repeating the same outfits more often than you’d like. Knowing how each piece adds or subtracts from the look you’re going for will eventually help you unlock an ensemble that works.

Take it from your heroes in the fashion world: a true fashion icon is someone who knows how well each piece can work together as a whole.

You’ll Be Less Susceptible to Short-Lived Fashion Fads

Do you find yourself dealing with buyer’s remorse for many of the items in your closet? A lot of it can be chalked up to overzealously subscribing to seasonal trends. In your quest to look fashionable at the moment, you may be sacrificing some key elements of your personal style in the future. That said, you can to avoid a lot of regrets about the clothes you buy when you streamline your approach to acquiring new clothing.

Consider that many of the most iconic fashion garments are advocated as such not for their garishness or extravagance, but for their simplicity and timelessness. Given this, learning to distinguish between fashion staples and fashion fads may be the key to truly elevating your style. The next time you go shopping for clothes, take a moment to think about whether you’re about to spend your hard-earned money on a classic piece or a passing trend.

You’ll Master the Art of Choosing Set Pieces for Your Outfits

The simple fashionista will learn that you don’t need multiple layers of flashy clothing to catch people’s attention. The perfect top-and-jeans combination, paired with one standout element like a chic watch strap or a pair of boots, can make an excellent aesthetic impression. Streamlining your wardrobe will give you some perspective about which pieces can serve as “set pieces” or focal points for your ensemble.

For example, you can choose to bring more attention to a particular pattern or color in your outfit, like a bold print for your button-down or a contrasting hue for your sneakers. Even if the rest of the ensemble is fairly simple, your outfit will pop because of that set piece, and you’ll look very well put together at the same time.

You’ll Dress in a Way That Rings Truer to Your Personal Style

Do you think that you worry too much about looking good? Sometimes, this anxiety can show through your clothing choices, like if you feel the sudden urge to dress loudly and extravagantly.

But remember that your style is meant to be a complement to your identity and that your individuality should take priority over any arbitrary fashion rules. With this in mind, think about the most straightforward way to channel yourself through your fashion sense. You may find that it’s easiest to bring out your best personal qualities through a simple and no-nonsense personal aesthetic.

A clean, simple, and effortless approach to styling yourself can help you communicate a laid-back and down-to-earth personality or an image of someone who’s both fashionable and professional. You’ll also give others the impression that you’re someone who doesn’t have to try too hard to distinguish themselves from others. This unwavering confidence in your identity is one of the best things a person can learn about you through your fashion sense.

Being simple doesn’t have to mean being unfashionable or untrue to yourself. On the contrary, you may find that it’s the exact opposite: that the most stylish and most confident version of yourself is best articulated through a simple approach. Try a less-is-more philosophy when it comes to your fashion and see the difference it makes to your style game!