Day 9, and I can’t believe the Challenge is almost over! Reflecting back I wish I would have selected a couple more comfortable items within the 10-day wardrobe. My son being sick forced me to switch into some sweats that I was more okay with being ruined. So if you are considering doing this challenge, take my advice and get some comfy items in there!
Have you ever gone into your closet and felt like you had nothing to wear even though your closet was full? I know I have, and during this Challenge, I’ve noticed that I have felt excited to be creative in how I put the pieces together, and I have also been less stressed each day thinking about what I am going to wear. It has made me more aware and mindful about what I own and ultimately shown me that I don’t need tons of different clothing items to have a “full” wardrobe. It has helped me to slow down with my closet.
WHAT IS SLOW FASHION?
Fast fashion is our current cultural reality. We are less likely to repair or make do with the items in our closet because replacing with something new is convenient and affordable. The fast pace of trends are also enticing us to buy more (read more about fast fashion here).
There are a lot of definitions of slow fashion, mostly because it is a newer concept that has been changing and evolving over the last couple of decades. Not surprising though, slow fashion is the opposite as fast fashion, and does the following:
- Considers the entire lifecycle of the garment from beginning to end,
- Views clothing choices as long-term and not disposable,
- Values quality over quantity in buying pieces of clothing that will last longer,
- Is aware and mindful of the ethical and environmental impact of the garments,
- Slows down the pace of shopping and consumption.
Overall it encourages slower production schedules in the industry, fair wages, lower carbon footprints, and zero waste at end-of-life.
WHAT IS A CAPSULE WARDROBE?
One way to engage in slow fashion is through building a capsule wardrobe. It is a smaller collection of clothing in your closet focusing on the bare minimum, and targeting better quality, longer lasting pieces. It can be anywhere from 27 to 50 pieces of clothing, and the idea is that these pieces will last a very long time, or even an entire lifetime (ideally).
The pieces of clothing are versatile to ensure that they can be paired together more than just once (like in the 10 x 10 Challenge).
HOW DO I BUILD A CAPSULE WARDROBE?
Do not build a capsule wardrobe from scratch. If consumerism is the cause of our environmental issues, then we cannot buy our way out of our pollution crisis. So if you are interested in building your capsule wardrobe, first look in you closet and shop there first.
Secondly, if you are buying clothing, it doesn’t have to be expensive. Some ethical clothing brands such as Encircled in Toronto are not affordable for everyone, although is a great choice if you are able to afford it. What is great about shopping thrift is there can be good quality pieces of clothing at an affordable price.
This is a great video that explains some basics of the what, why & how of a capsule wardrobe, and will also guide you through doing it sustainably:
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