Easy, nice and flexible: fashion minimalists on living with less clothes

Even if you're determined to avoid them, the essence of early January makes it hard to escape at least a few thoughts about New Year's resolutions and all the ways in which you could commit to improving one or more areas of your life - like your wardrobe.

In case you're drawn to a cleanup or a style overhaul, we here we talk to four fashion minimalists about the approach they took to winnowing in their wardrobes, and the results.

"People are looking for more ease," says Courtney Carver, an author. "By creating a small capsule [cabinet], you save money, time, energy and attention for the things that matter most."

In 2010, Carver created Project 333, an exercise where participants wear only 33 garments for three months. She never went back: "All these years later, I still only have 33 items in my wardrobe at a time."

She started to reduce everything slowly, to let go. she didn't wear first, and then things she wasn't sure about. She says now everything is fine with everything else. "I can get ready faster and thanks to the small selection, I can wear my favorite clothes every day."

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"The surprising part was the amount of guilt and other negative feelings that were part of my biggest wardrobe. I hadn't realized how much it hurt to seeing tags attached to items I had never worn, or clothes that no longer fit my body or my lifestyle. Once they are gone, the guilt is gone with them."

She thinks that people who worry about getting bored with a small wardrobe are probably also bored with a big wardrobe. "The cure for boredom is curiosity," she says, not buying any more clothes...