The Free Market Is Trying to Sell You Minimalism
How “less is more” has been commodified
My first exposure to minimalism as a lifestyle was completely accidental — I was on the hunt for a new wallpaper for my laptop. I opened Google and started jotting out a word salad of descriptions for my possible new wallpaper — faint ideas of what I wanted, such as “clean,” “nature,” and “minimal.” I knew that Reddit had shown me decent results in the past, so “reddit” was tossed in as well.
That search led me to the minimalism subreddit — a sort of hub for all things simplistic and meaningful. The sidebar states that the subreddit is “for those who appreciate simplicity in any form.”
I was hooked. I read article after article about owning less and discussions about gaining more from your time and resources. I learned about Marie Kondo and these guys called The Minimalists, and yes — I did find some great wallpaper.
But the more time I spent on the site, the more I learned about a distinction that was being made between two key components of the subreddit’s content. On one side, you had Functional Minimalism — a lifestyle choice that embraced the removal of excess and encouraged embracing what gives each life value. There was no manifesto or code of arms — this was an idea, and could be taken or left however a person wished.
But there’s another side — Aesthetic Minimalism. Much of the subreddit was devoted to photos — images of clean MacBooks on plain wooden desks and entire studio apartments of off-white furniture. Aesthetic Minimalism was all about the satisfying appearance of emptiness or the presentation of clean absence.
I stayed on the subreddit for the functionality of minimalism. I lurked quietly, reading conversations about others and their own respective journeys. I even wrote an article explaining the distinction and my affinity of function over form. But I had to admit to myself that I enjoyed the photos almost as much as the discussions. And I wasn’t the only one.
Once you make yourself aware of the minimalist trend, you begin to see it throughout arts and design. From modern building structures to clean coffee shops in gentrified cityscapes, aesthetic minimalism is being utilized. And more than that — it’s been commodified.
Clever advertisers and marketers have sold minimalism (and specifically, aesthetic minimalism) to you, and you might not even know it. It’s more than the clean halls of an IKEA or the fast and simple fashion of H&M. It’s everywhere.
The Capsule Wardrobe
The rise of the capsule wardrobe is one such example. The idea of the capsule wardrobe is to have a certain amount of clothes that match with each other — thus removing the need to consistently update your wardrobe. If used correctly, the only updating you’d need to do is replacing pieces you already own.
This concept has been bastardized — with whole guides being produced with lines such as “plan to buy several pieces on the same day” and guides to all of the products that your wardrobe is incomplete without.
The Tiny House Movement
The tiny house movement is another area where capitalism has been pervasive enough to ruin the original intent of an idea. Tiny homes, in concept, are designed to be separate from other living options. By living with essentials, and sometimes on the road, money can be saved for other needs and more important purchases.
Instagram and YouTube are to blame here — clever content creators and marketers have figured out a way to turn an alternative living style into a strange competition of less. There’s an interesting breakdown of this concept by Chelsea Fagan with The Financial Diet:
The truth is that, as with so many other social phenomena that insufferable white dudes have co-opted, this spiritual minimalism has essentially become yet another competition for who can be the best at whatever you’ve chosen, even if that “whatever” is literally “having less shit.”
Home Products and Necessities
I’m a little ashamed to admit I’ve been pulled into this category as well.
Big box stores have already caught onto the craze, and more and more basics — such as toothpaste, deodorant, or shampoo — are being rebranded to match the growing style. I found myself purchasing a specific body wash from the others, in part because it seemed under-branded. As if it mattered what aesthetics were like in my shower.
What’s worse is that I’m confident the product cost more than other products at the same level of effectiveness. I’m almost afraid to check.
So, the free market’s trying to sell you minimalism. I can’t really blame them. The people who write capsule wardrobe descriptors are most likely trying to turn a dime online, same as me. The Instagram bloggers have figured out a way to fund their lifestyles, and the home product companies are just trying to make a quick buck. None of it seems intrinsically villainous.
But it’s the awareness of this trend that’s important. This isn’t even the first time I’ve covered this. There’s a line that needs to be made between functional and aesthetic minimalism and the lines get blurred in discussions online.
Back on the minimalism subreddit? A decision was made to limit the photos of rooms and nature into specific threads. It’s now easier to find the photos you want or the discussions you’d like to have, and the site reads easier with that distinction made.
So, if aesthetic minimalism has been bastardized by capitalism, is functional minimalism anticapitalistic?
Well, it can be.
I don’t think functional minimalism is necessarily anticapitalistic — although I’m sure it’s not doing capitalism any favors. As a lifestyle, the idea of functional minimalism is to separate from that continuum entirely. It’s entirely within your reach to use old furniture, or possibly purchase something you’d really need.
Minimalism, at its core, was never meant to be something that required capsule wardrobes or tiny homes, or feelings for or against capitalism. It’s an idea. It’s a concept. It’s something you apply to your life as you can and when you can — and it can help you if need be. There’s nothing inherently good about it, or bad about it. Has it been commodified by the free market? Sure, but that shouldn’t change how you perceive the concept.
Perhaps it’s best if we don’t focus too much on the parameters of what is and is not minimalism. In a way, that’s sort of against the concept, isn’t it?
Personally, minimalism is the art of doing more with less. It’s keeping in mind that I want to keep only what I need or value with me. It’s keeping my head clear of mental clutter and my environment clear of physical clutter. And it’s personal to me — as interesting as the articles or discussions are, they very rarely affect the way I apply the concepts to my life.
So if the free market’s trying to sell you minimalism, politely decline and move on with your life. Or, buy in if it brings you joy.
Only you can make that decision for yourself.
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