A good quality hat just might be a staple for your wardrobe
Have you ever thought about how many clothes you own? Years ago people would have two sets of clothes; one for everyday and their Sunday best. Nowadays people have whole rooms dedicated to clothes. What happened?
Well, Consumerism happened and our constant obsession with getting the next best thing; Fast Fashion, if you will. We want more, more and more, but are never happy with what we obtain. It needs to stop. Closets bulge and yet people still complain that they have nothing to wear. A thin excuse to go out and buy the newest fashions of course.
How to Embrace the Capsule Wardrobe
Don’t forget that Load of Rubbish can collect articles of clothing which don’t make it into your Capsule Wardrobe
Have you ever heard of the ‘Capsule’ wardrobe? The term was coined in the 1970s by Susie Faux in London, England. It was meant to be a wardrobe made up of a limited number of high-quality pieces to reduce the need to constantly replace and add clothing to your wardrobe. The thought was that this minimized wardrobe would create more room in your closet and cost less over time to create. As the pieces ideally should all be versatile and complimentary, it also then reduces the amount of time one takes to get dressed.
So how does one achieve this capsule wardrobe? For starters, it requires one to look at the quality of the clothing you are buying. Higher quality clothing made out of natural fibres tends to last longer and stands up to wear and tear better. Hence it is not in need of being replaced like many of the synthetic articles of clothing that are so popular nowadays.
This also has another perk, as many of today’s fabrics contain plastics (polyester, acrylic, nylon, etc). These microfibres might be the height of fashion, but their environmental impact is increasingly being recognized as a huge problem. When these articles of clothing are washed, they shed tiny microfibres, which end up in our waterways, polluting these ecosystems. Last season’s new microfleece just might end up on your plate in the belly of a locally caught trout. How’s that for encouragement to select better quality clothing?
Once you choose higher quality pieces, the next step is to think about your wardrobe as a whole. One of the keys to a capsule wardrobe is its ability to be paired with other pieces in your collection. Choose colours that compliment each other and which stand the test of time. Pick individual articles which can be used with several other pieces in your wardrobe. Make a point of selecting articles which bring your joy. Some pieces just look good on you and are then easier to be considered a staple. Taking the time to make careful and considerate choices when selecting articles for your capsule wardrobe makes it easier to keep those pieces circulating throughout your wardrobe for a long time to come.
If you are thinking about embracing a capsule wardrobe, another thing you might have to consider is purging. Do you have a bulging wardrobe? Are there articles of clothing which don’t bring you joy or even a modicum of satisfaction stuffed in between other pieces which no longer fit or are threadbare? Sometimes you have to sift the wheat from the chaff to see what you’ve got. Consider it spring cleaning for your wardrobe and be ruthless. Remember to keep classic pieces and staple items which work with one another, but let go of any pieces which might have been impulse buys or great deals that you’ve never worn. It’s not a great deal if you don’t have anything to pair it with and therefore just takes up space in your closet.
Keep in mind that once the process is done, you should have a wardrobe that works for any occasion. And remember that while it is alright to add new pieces to your wardrobe on occasion, good quality pieces are key and timeless. They will bring you more satisfaction in the long run and you can be happy in knowing a capsule wardrobe is an eco-friendly choice for the environment. Go figure. Less is more!
