Many of us love fashion, but we also want to do our bit to protect the planet. If you want to look good and embrace sustainability, creating a capsule wardrobe is a fantastic idea. Here are some tips to help you build a chic, sustainable capsule wardrobe.
Consider your lifestyle
The first thing to do when designing a capsule collection is to consider your lifestyle. What kinds of clothing do you need and how do you spend your time? If you have a job that requires you to wear smart clothes, for example, but you also enjoy socialising and spending time relaxing at home, your wardrobe will need to cover workwear, casual clothing and lounging attire and outfits for going out. If you work from home, and you have an active lifestyle, you may be more focused on comfort and practicality. This may involve purchasing luxury bathrobes, tracksuits, gym wear and smart casual styles for virtual meetings, rather than buying dresses, skirts or tailored suits. Tailor your wardrobe to suit your requirements.
Invest in high-quality staples
Staples form the basis of any capsule wardrobe. These are the essentials and they form the building blocks of every outfit. For workwear, for example, basics may include fitted shirts and blouses, tailored trousers, pencil and A-line skirts and shift dresses. For casual wear, essentials include jeans, throw-on dresses and skirts and plain jumpers, t-shirts and vests. Depending on the season, you can add staples, such as denim shorts and jersey maxi dresses for summer and a woollen coat and chunky knits for winter. It’s best to opt for high-quality basics so that they will stand the test of time.
Support sustainable brands
If you are shopping for new pieces for your wardrobe, it’s an excellent idea to look for sustainable brands and businesses that support environmental causes or charities. You can explore new brands on social media, get ideas from fellow fashion fans online or read about businesses that are blazing a trail online or in fashion magazines. Look for brands that use sustainable fabrics and ethical manufacturing processes and try to minimise your carbon footprint by reducing the number of orders you place for delivery.
Add seasonal pieces to freshen up your look
Once you have the essentials in your wardrobe, you can create new looks and diverse outfits and embrace new trends by adding seasonal pieces. You may want to inject colour into a plain dress in the summer with a bright bag, or experiment with animal print by adding a scarf to your winter staples. The beauty of a capsule wardrobe is that you only need to add a few key pieces each season to freshen up your look.
Champion versatility
Many of us have got used to buying new clothes every time we have an event to go to or we see a new trend or look we want to try. Instead of buying new clothes all the time, try to champion versatility and make the most of the pieces you already have. You can mix and match outfits and individual pieces and add accessories to create a host of different looks. Dress basics up or down for casual and smart wear, put different colours together and change the way you wear items to make it look like you’re wearing different clothes. If you have a plain black midi dress, for example, you could dress it down with trainers and an oversized shirt or cardigan, wear it with a jumper over the top to make it look like a skirt or add a blazer and heels for a date or a work meeting.
Accessorise
Accessories are a crucial component of a successful, stylish capsule wardrobe. With accessories, you can transform the way you look and style outfits in an instant. Details and accents can add colour, channel new trends and help you create a more versatile wardrobe. Take a basic pair of slim-fit jeans and a plain white t-shirt, for example. You can tuck the tee in, add a statement belt, a necklace and a clutch and finish the look with stilettos for cocktails or dinner. With the same staples, you could add a cross-body satchel, oversized shades, bangles, stacking rings and sandals for a casual, laid-back look for shopping or a coffee with a friend.
We all like to look and feel good, but being stylish and fashionable doesn’t always mean overhauling our wardrobes every season. Creating a chic, sustainable capsule wardrobe is a brilliant way to protect the planet at the same time as making it easy and hassle-free to put stunning outfits together.