One of the questions, that I get pretty often, is: What is in your wardrobe? And I get it. How does anyone survive a season with only 33 items in their closet? Survive? You can thrive! In fact, 33 items are quite a lot if you choose pieces that you can mix and match. So how do you create a sustainable summer capsule wardrobe?
Before we get to it, let’s talk about Project 333. It is a minimalist fashion challenge that allows you to wear only 33 articles of clothing for a period of three months. The 33 pieces include shoes, accessories, jewelry, and clothing. You don’t include underwear, sleepwear, in-home loungewear, workout clothing, and wedding rings. I like the challenge but this year, I decided to approach it differently. Why? Because I have been teleworking for more than a year and my wardrobe requirements changed. I have never embraced the “working from home in sweatpants” trend as I still believe that you should dress up even for a zoom call. As I believe that these hybrid working conditions are here to stay, our wardrobes should reflect it. Thus this summer, I decided to create a closet that will include comfortable, elegant, and chic clothes that I can wear at home as well as at the office. The 33-piece closet includes only clothes because if I include also shoes and accessories I would not have much flexibility. And to be honest, I have only 1 handbag and most of my shoes are sneakers.
5 Tips to Create a Sustainable Summer Capsule Wardrobe
- Choose season appropriate materials for the season. Favor natural over synthetic ones (organic cotton, linen, hemp, recycled cotton, ethical silk or bamboo).
- Choose clothes with certification: OEKO-TEX 100®, GOTS, Responsible Wool, the LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX®, or Better Cotton Initiative certifications. Although some of these certifications have their shortcomings, it is still better than buying clothes made of uncertified materials.
- Before you get to it, conduct an inventory of your closet. It will help you analyze what needs to stay or go.
- Take the Project 333 challenge. And if after three months you feel that is what you want to do, go for it. I have to admit that it is not for everyone.
WHAT IS IN MY SUSTAINABLE SUMMER CAPSULE WARDROBE?
- 2x long-sleeve t-shirts (material: organic cotton),
- 6x short-sleeve t-shirts (material: linen or organic cotton),
- 2x tank tops (one in salmon, the second one in camel color),
- 1x long-sleeve shirt (material: organic cotton. I wear it as an overshirt when the weather gets colder),
- 4x short-sleeve blouses (2 in cream color, 2 in salmon. Three of them are from a second-hand store),
- 4x dresses (one with long sleeves),
- 4x pants (2 linen pants, one cotton pair & one pair of Lenzing-Ecovero material),
- 2x light jeans (material: organic cotton and dyed with natural dyes),
- 1x shorts (in dark blue),
- 1x pleated skirt (I bought it last year in a second-hand store),
- 2x sweaters (one structured knit sweater that I keep for special occasions and one light sweater which I can wear every day)
- 2 jackets ( a raincoat and denim jacket),
- 2x cardigans (one in rust color/ the other one is in cream color).
Now I would like to hear from you. How many items are in your wardrobe? Would you take the Project 333 challenge? Let me know in the comments below.
