Year for the Planet is a campaign to make better choices for the planet. 2017 was when I fixed my eating habits. This year, 2018, is where I deal with my clothing choices.

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The house is 80% clean and 70% decluttered. My next big task is to finish laundering my family’s unused clothes and sell the ones we don’t need, or donate them to charity. We’re looking at a huge pile that can clothe a small village. Our poor washing machine.

When facing my old threads, I now have an easy time deciding which goes into the shit pile, in contrast to my younger self who at one point in time collected the same handbag in different colors. I’ve gone through a lot in all my lives in different countries, so I attribute this momentary increase of wisdom through one thing: personal style.

Knowing yourself, what works for you, and what you will wear clothes for will make decision-making easier. It makes me buy less clothing and purchase only what I really want. No more hours in a fast fashion store with a basket full of cheap clothes that I like only a little bit. Instead, I opt to buy slightly more expensive pieces in a classic cut that I can wear until I’m old, or will be proud to hand down to a younger relative. Trends are easy to resist, and when I do find something I like, I can spend hours deciding on whether it s worth buying, perhaps to many sales person’s chagrin who works on commission.

So now, instead of the latest trends in H&M, my wardrobe consists of a lot of Asian-inspired dresses to celebrate my heritage, bohemian clothing that I’ve always gravitated towards, basic tops that I can wear with almost anything, yoga pants, taekwondo uniforms, and unique pieces that may make fellow outfit reuser and capsule wardrobe owner, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, smile in solidarity. If you really like something, you have to wear it over and over again—and look forward to doing so.

Remember, kids, being a minimalist is no excuse to be frumpy. Get out there and know your personal style.