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Irina Shayk // Vogue Russia September 2016

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Capsule Closets <3

A sustainable lifestyle is congruent with a minimalist lifestyle. The basic principle is the same: less is more. In fashion, this can be difficult to accomplish because of ever-changing trends, different seasons, and varying occasions. On top of this, it is often frowned upon to wear the same thing more than once - especially when social media comes into play. All these factors create immense pressure to have a huge wardrobe, with an outfit for every possible occasion. This perpetuates the buy-toss cycle and fuels the fast-fashion industry because we are constantly swapping the old for the new. On top of this, the cheap quality of fast fashion makes it difficult to hold on to clothes for very long. Ultimately, this leads to more clothes in landfills and more money out of your pocket. 

However, there is hope! Because of the recent consumer shift to sustainable fashion habits, minimalist wardrobes, better known as Capsule Closets, are gaining immense popularity. Capsule closets are essentially limited wardrobes with interchangeable pieces to create as many different looks as possible with as few articles as possible. There are many benefits to this approach such as eliminating the stress and time it takes to get dressed every day, less clutter in your closet, and less spending. Additionally, the idea of a capsule closet is that you love the look, feel, and fit of every single item you own. While there are retailers that specialize in selling capsule closets, the most sustainable approach is to work with what you have and add from there. Below is a simple, 3-step guide to get you started.

1. Examine your needs. 

In order for the closet to work, it has to be tailored to you. A stay-at-home mom is going to have very different needs from a college student, who's going to have different needs from an office employee. Similarly, the climate you live in is a significant consideration and may require you to have different capsules for different seasons. Therefore, be sure to consider your daily habits, activities, and needs when curating your closet

2. Declutter.

As previously mentioned, you should absolutely love every article in your closet. If you have items that you haven’t worn in months, it's time to donate them. If you don't like how something fits you or feels on your skin, it is not worth keeping around. Eliminating these unnecessary items will declutter your closet and make getting ready a much more enjoyable experience. However, do not get rid of everything. This is expensive and counterproductive to our sustainable goals. Likewise, be sure to sell or donate your clothes rather than tossing them in the trash.

3. Figure out what you need & invest in it.

While the ultimate goal of a capsule closet is to buy as little as possible, it is likely that you will need some items to get you started. Invest in these items. Choose your fibers wisely and ensure the garments are well made. It might seem expensive at first, but it will save you time, money, and stress in the long term. Finally, you should also invest in a few good accessories such as shoes, jewelry, purses, and sunglasses to switch up your looks and tie it all together.

The EveryGirl provides a great example guide to starting your own capsule closet

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Sustainable Ways to Shop

Although the fashion industry has a lot of negative consequences, it does not mean that style and environmentalism can’t coexist. Post COVID-19, consumers have also become more conscious of their environmental impact, causing a shift to more sustainable clothing production. On top of that, shopping at thrift stores (thrifting) and second hand apparel have resurfaced as trendy. This variety of options makes it easier for consumers to incorporate more sustainable practices into their lives.

Eco-friendly brands:

With this recent shift in consumer demands, more clothing brands have popped up with a strong focus on sustainability. Brands such as Reformation claim to “make everything from low-impact materials, rescued deadstock fabrics, and repurposed vintage clothing”. They also ethically source their materials, work only with sustainable and ethical factories, and emphasize transparency to their customers. 

Here is a small list of brands that I like: 

Reformation ($$$) - trendy outfits for any occasion

Patagonia ($$$) - clothing & gear for outdoor enthusiasts

Whimsy-Row ($$$) - cute closet staples

Levis ($$) - denim necessities and casual wear

The Girlfriend Collective ($$) - recycled activewear

Although these brands offer clothes at a relatively high price point, it is important to remember that ethical, sustainable fashion cannot cost the same as fast fashion. Fast fashion has conditioned us to believe that clothes should be cheap, but they shouldn’t. When the dollar price is cheap, another more valuable price is paid. We must recondition ourselves to value the way an item is made, instead of just the way it looks. That being said, it is not reasonable to expect people to shop out of their budgets, and cost is one of the biggest deterrents to sustainable shopping, especially for young people. To accommodate this, I present another option.

Second-hand apparel:

Thrifting and second-hand apparel have gained immense popularity in recent years. Young people, like students, love the diversity, the affordability, and possibly the challenge of thrifting. You can walk into a thrift store with $6 and walk out with a brand new pair of Princess Polly jeans (speaking from experience). Thrifting takes down the cost barriers between brands and allows everyone the opportunity to buy nice clothes at an affordable price (given time, patience, and some luck). Many people also flip thrifted items and sell them at a higher price; others upcycle them into one-of-a-kind pieces. This can bring a lot of individuality and flair to someone's wardrobe. In addition to the customer benefit, thrifting also prevents clothes from ending up in landfills, it reduces the demand for fast fashion (consequently reducing the impacts), and it often supports local charities.

Online second-hand shops have also been on the rise, with websites like Thredup, TheRealReal, DePop, and Patagonia Worn Wear offering everything from used outdoors clothing and gear to designer labels. Buying used is abundant, accessible, and affordable. It is the easiest way to be more sustainable while still keeping your closet up to date and budget friendly. There is no reason not to incorporate this practice into your life -  and not just for clothes, but for household items, cars and more.

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More clothes, more problems

Hi there! My name is Elisa and I am a college student in San Diego, California. I am passionate about clothes, beauty, and fashion, but I am also a firm advocate for sustainable living. Unfortunately, these two often clash, especially when you're a broke college student. My goal for this blog is to start a conversation about the damages caused by the fashion industry, and offer advice on how to live sustainably while still looking your best.

This first post will serve as an introduction to the issue as I feel like many people are not aware of just how harmful the fashion industry is. Here are some facts on the issue from Geneva Environment Network:

The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of humanity’s carbon emissions – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined (UNEP, 2018). If the fashion sector continues on its current trajectory, that share of the carbon budget could jump to 26% by 2050 (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).

The equivalent of one garbage truck full of clothes is burned or dumped in a landfill every second (UNEP, 2018).

Approximately 60% of all materials used by the fashion industry are made from plastic (UNEP, 2019)

500,000 tons of microfibres are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017)

Much of this is due to the rise of fast fashion. Brands like Shein, H&M, and Mango encourage consumerism by selling incredibly cheap clothing at the cost of the planet. The low prices entice customers to buy more clothing more often, and the subpar quality causes them to get rid of more clothing more often. In fact, “the average consumer bought 60 percent more clothes in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment for half as long” (UNEP, 2019). Fast fashion, social media, and consumerist culture allow trends to change at the speed of light, while pressuring the public to keep up with them. Our society has been caught in this never ending desire to have the “new best thing”. This is especially true for the younger generations who have grown up under the heavy influence of social media. I am a prime example. Though I have grown up surrounded by sustainability advocacy, I was not aware of the damages caused by this industry until later in life. And even now, I struggle to balance my love for clothes and my desire to live a more sustainable lifestyle. However, I hope that through this blog, I will encourage myself and others to adopt (even if just a few) more planet friendly habits, and hopefully make a small difference in the world.