A Petticoat Minimalist

My definition of minimalism is intentionally uninformed, I want to be pretty clear about that. The little research I have done led to weird formulas about how many clothes a person should have, endless YouTube videos that make me feel guilty about darkening the doorway on a grocery store, wearing deodorant and not scrounging for mushrooms in the local park.

That said, because the concept of living light intrigues me, the word minimalist speaks to me. I’m a fan of resourcefulness and multi-tasking. I’m intimidated by pretty or complicated foods. I love empty space.

I am willing to live with stained, mangey couches because they serve their dual purpose of providing seating in our living room and being the building blocks of hours of imagination play for my scalawags. I’m not sure if that makes me a minimalist, but it makes me practical.

So then, let’s admit, my collection of petticoats is exactly the opposite of practical. The opposite of minimalist for that matter. I love how feminine they are, I love the spritz of color they provide. I love how they speak to my inner toddler.

If I were truly a minimalist, would I not find this fluff unsuitable?

I don’t know, but I know that somehow, I exist in this contrast, I thrive in this tension between fluff and austerity. The well-loved phrase in my house growing up was, “It’s fun and functional!”

So I guess it’s time I embrace this and not try to explain it away any longer. Today, I choose to be Lily Fields, a Petticoat Minimalist.

Do you experience this kind of tension in any domain of your life, where you feel like you have two conflicting personalities or tendencies? I am curious as to how you cope, or even, how you embrace them!