5 Tips For A More Sustainable Capsule Wardrobe

Curating a capsule wardrobe is easier than you think.

One Sweater For Many Climates

Welcome to the third part of my 3-part blog series highlighting sustainable fashion over fast fashion.

In this blog, I discussed some tips that can guide you through creating a more sustainable capsule wardrobe this year.

What you wear matters. Finding the right clothes that suit your lifestyle and goals allows you to become your best self. Curating a more sustainable wardrobe is not as hard as you might think.

• 7 Day Sweater Challenge
• 1 Sweater Many Climates
• Sustainable Wardrobe Tips

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I’ll admit that the concept of a sustainable wardrobe initially felt intimidating. But, the more I learned about the lasting effects textile waste has on our planet, the more I wanted to reduce my fashion footprint.

There are so many ways to create a more sustainable capsule wardrobe. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s not as complicated as you think. For me, I invested in one neutral piece and fully incorporated it into my weekly wardrobe.

Creating A Sustainable Capsule Wardrobe Is Not As Hard As You Think

Thinking about creating a more sustainable capsule wardrobe but not sure where to start?

A capsule wardrobe is a collection of carefully curated quality clothes that offer versatility and wearability. Think of comfortable staples that you want to wear time and time again. Start with one cozy piece.

Incorporate it into your weekly wear. If you pick something you love, you’ll look forward to slipping it each day.

Plus, choosing timeless pieces to last a lifetime reduces the negative impact that fast fashion has on the environment.

Here are some tips to create a more sustainable wardrobe.

Tips For A More Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

1. Do Your Research
Since starting a more sustainable wardrobe, I’ve researched the importance of a more environmentally friendly closet and companies committed to ethical materials and sustainability.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Landfills received 11.3 million tons of MSW textiles in 2018.” In 1960, it only received 1,710 million tons. That is such a large jump!

Trying to do my small part by building a more minimalist capsule closet, I searched for more sustainable fashion brands. When researching, some important things to consider are the fabrics used, where the clothes are made, and whether the packaging is sustainable. My research led me to Oliver Charles.

2. Choose Sustainable Fabrics
Natural protein-based fibers like wool, and plant fibers like SeaCell or organic cotton are often the most sustainable materials.

Yak fiber is one of the most sustainable types of wool around the globe. The hearty animals in the Asian highlands are gentle grazers, meaning they only eat the tops of plants instead of the entire root, like cashmere goats. They also live nomadic lifestyles and play a critical ecological role within their regions.

While synthetic materials are often made from petroleum oil and are bad for the environment and perform poorly, yak wool is natural, warm, breathable, and antimicrobial.

3. Purchase All-Season Clothing
When building a more sustainable closet, look at the versatility of your pieces. Can you wear each item and find uses for it throughout the day, in every season, and for multiple purposes?

I live in San Francisco, which can have unexpected weather. I like clothes that can be worn year-round but also all day, including sunny afternoons and foggy evenings.

My All-Season Cardigan is the perfect go-to sweater for microclimates. My sweater keeps me warm on cold days/mornings, but it’s also breathable and lightweight, which makes it easy to wear in the sunshine.

Raining? Simply throw on a raincoat. A fancy event? Layer it over a dress and throw on a pair of earrings. The versatility of my Oliver Charles sweater makes it a big hitter in my sustainable wardrobe.

Tips For A More Minimalist Capsule Wardrobe

4. Choose Quality Over Quantity
Ideally, when building a more sustainable wardrobe, you’ll find long-lasting pieces you absolutely love to wear because when you love something, you’ll want to wear it all the time. This may take a bit of planning. Items you fall head over heels with will likely cost more initially than cheaper fast fashion alternatives.

However, buying one quality piece that’s versatile means you’ll likely have that piece for longer. If it’s something you love, the cost per wear might make it cheaper in the long run. Plus, you’ll reduce your carbon footprint. A few good first pieces to invest in include sweaters, jeans, t-shirts, and a classic coat.

5. Wear Your Entire Wardrobe
Get creative with clothes! Find those pieces at the back of a drawer and learn ways to incorporate them into your outfits. If you don’t love a piece—donate it.

I wore my Oliver Charles sweater for seven days in a row. One unexpected perk of adding a new sustainable sweater to my wardrobe was finding what to wear with it. I did, indeed, go through all my drawers to find tops I’d forgotten about. Some I still loved, and some I donated.

I found that my solid-colored All-Season Sweater paired with so much! It easily slid over a tank, a turtleneck, or a dress. And the material felt so soft that I actually bypassed the underlayer on more than one occasion.

The clothes you wear matter. The right piece can brighten a lousy morning, bring coziness to a rainy afternoon, or help you feel confident on a night out.

If you can find one piece that can do all three – well, you’ve hit the jackpot. Pieces like my All-Season Cardigan make capsule wardrobes fun, comfortable, and something to be proud of.

If you believe that every good wardrobe starts with owning less and owning better, consider buying yourself an OLIVER CHARLES sweater.