How to create a minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman

3 different styles – 3 different examples

Having a minimalist wardrobe makes getting dressed much easier. You will find great outfits for every occasion. I made 3 different examples of a minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman. Choose your favorite, or use my strategy to create your own amazing wardrobe; full of clothes you love.

How I created these minimalist wardrobes

I chose to work with 13 items of clothing. I followed the principle of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

1 dress. 2 jackets. 3 shoes. 4 pants/skirts. 5 tops. (It turned out to be 6 tops, but just one extra top gives you a lot of extra outfit options.)

This simple rule is an excellent tool for creating a minimalist wardrobe.

Choose a color palette

I also choose a color palette for each wardrobe.

I created a mood board for each wardrobe. The reason behind this is to stay inspired. I wanted to make sure that I captured a feeling. Having a mood board is a lot of fun, so I recommend this neat trick for inspiration.

When the wardrobes started to come together, I imagined what would be a suitable outfit for 10 different occasions. This is a way to road-test your wardrobe.

You want to make sure that the outfits you can create with your chosen clothes are outfits you actually want to wear.

A minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman – Example 1

Color palette: Brown. Kaki. Cream. White.

Top row: Tweed jacket. Camel blazer. Brown turtleneck. Camel cardigan.

Middle row: White shirt. White T-shirt. White blouse. Brown shiny T-shirt. Camel shirt dress.

Bottom row: Brown jeans. Camel culottes. Polkadot skirt. Camel skirt.

Why this wardrobe works

When you create a capsule wardrobe, the important thing is to find the right balance between casual and dressed-up.

You need clothes that are comfortable for everyday activities such as grocery shopping. But you also want to look nice when it’s time to go out for dinner.

Casual clothes

When I created this wardrobe, I chose one dressier skirt and one more casual skirt.

In this first example, both pants are on the casual side. I think we all need a pair of pants with an elastic waistband from time to time. I also included one white shirt and one white T-shirt, to give this lady even more options on how dressed up she wants to be.

Choosing a color palette

The easiest way to create a minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman is to stick to a color palette.

This way, most of your clothes will work together. You will have an easier time matching clothes and creating outfits.

This way, you will truly have a minimalist wardrobe. You need far fewer clothes, since the clothes you have work very well together and can be used in all sorts of situations.

Accessories

As mentioned, I chose three pairs of shoes. I also picked some other accessories to make the clothes come to life. Even if you are 65 plus, you should still wear white sneakers. White sneakers make some of these look both timeless and modern.

When to wear what – Outfit ideas

A minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman – Example 2

Color palette: Navy. Denim. Black White.

Top row: Navy blazer. Denim jacket. Black cardigan. White cardigan with black trim.

Middle row: Printed navy blouse. White blouse. Back T-shirt. Striped T-shirt. Shirt dress.

Bottom row: Jeans. Navy stretch trousers. Printed navy skirt. Pleated navy skirt.

Why this wardrobe works

There is a lot of navy in this wardrobe. It’s a color that looks incredibly chic regardless of your age. In this wardrobe, I also wanted to show a pair of jeans and a denim jacket. You are never too old to wear those items.

As you can see in the outfit examples, you will get a lot of mileage out of a black T-shirt and a white blouse. You can dress down anything with a black T-shirt and you can dress up anything with a white blouse.

I followed the same principle of one dressier skirt and one casual skirt.

Don’t be too boring

I’m sure you have lots of joy for all that life has to offer. Many people simply end up creating a minimalist wardrobe that is far too boring for their fun-loving personality. Minimalism doesn’t mean that everything has to be plain, or even that everything has to match.

How to make a minimalist wardrobe interesting

To make this wardrobe more interesting, I have included 3 printed items. For a 13-piece capsule wardrobe, that’s a good amount of printed items.

The white cardigan with black trim is another way to add interest.

Accessories

Since this wardrobe contains a lot of navy, I wanted to ground each outfit with a pair of black shoes. Having a matching bag makes you look put together. Black is the easiest color to work with, since it is always the same shade.

A minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman – Example 3

Color palette: Purple. Orange. Pink. Red. Black. White.

Top row: Multicoloured tweed jacket. Metalic jacket. Purple blouse. Black henley.

Middle row: Purple cardigan. White polo top. Striped T-shirt. Pink blouse. Multicolored dress.

Bottom row: Burgundy jeans. White pants. Multicolored skirt. White denim skirt.

Why this wardrobe works

Having a minimalist wardrobe doesn’t mean having a lot of boring clothes. Take a cue from the stylish ladies above and embrace both colors and patterns.

As mentioned before, many women play it too safe when it comes to creating a capsule wardrobe. If you are a bit smart with your choices, you can include some of your favorite colors. It’s all about having enough basics to anchor your festive pieces.

If you follow the principles of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 outlined above, you will have an alternative for what to wear.

Burgundy and purple

Those two colors are actually surprisingly easy and neutral to work with; as you will see when we take a look at the outfits. A metallic blazer (or anything metallic) is another item that works like a neutral, but adds plenty of style.

Summer or winter?

You also have to take the season into consideration for what items you include in your minimalist wardrobe. If you are planning for summer, make sure you check out my article Summer capsule wardrobe for women over 50, Summer 2023.

Accessories

I went a bit crazy with the accessories as well, just to show you what is possible. (Those sandals are Hermès and will set you back $ 2000; one can always dream.)

A final note on creating a minimalist wardrobe for a 65 year old woman

Start with 13 items of clothing. Make sure everything works together. If you need more clothes, you can double the amount, but stay true to the principle.

If you are not a skirt person, you can work with 4 pairs of pants. Or, if you prefer dresses, you pick dresses instead of some of the tops.

For more ideas and inspirations, check out my article How to dress like a French woman over 50.

Adjust the wardrobe to the season

You can choose new colors for every season. Having a minimalist wardrobe is about having clothes you love. Since you have fewer clothes, you can spend a bit more on the clothes you choose to buy.

I also recommend looking in second-hand shops. Once you have decided what you need, it is easier to look for those exact items. Clothes should be fun, and when done the right way, a minimalist wardrobe is both functional and brings a lot of joy.