Slow fashion and sustainable clothing
Slow fashion is the opposite of fast fashion. It uses a process that is more sustainable and uses less resources to make clothing. Helping people to make better choices by investing in better quality garments that lasts longer and respects the environment. It values the fair treatment of people, animals, the planet and our bodies.
The past few years have seen a major change in the fashion industry. More and more brands are rejecting the principles of fast fashion and opting for a sustainable approach to making clothes. People are also beginning to shop more consciously by buying less or second-hand clothing.
How to build a more sustainable wardrobe
The best way to build a sustainable wardrobe is by working on building a capsule wardrobe. A capsule wardrobe is a selection of clothing pieces that are interchangeable and complement each other. These are often a few wardrobe staples that are considered classic pieces that do not go out of style and are typically based around neutral colours. A capsule wardrobe consists of items that will last long, can be worn year after year and allows you to create many different outfits with a small selection of clothes.
Why building a capsule wardrobe is a great idea:
Having a capsule wardrobe there will allow you to make decisions on what you are going to wear faster, without getting stressed or tired. Having fewer clothes that work well together will save you time and energy for the rest of the day. A capsule wardrobe is the most sustainable approach to your closet as it consists of timeless pieces that you can wear for years to come. Not only does it save you money, but it means that no clothing will go to waste. You will get more wears out of them and even hand them down when they’re no longer of use to you. So that iconic silk shirt that you love can be worn by your daughter for many more years.
Investing in a high-quality capsule wardrobe with natural fabrics means that your clothing will last long. You will also be avoiding the very wasteful fast fashion industry. Clothing made from natural materials are also biodegradable and will decompose over time as opposed to ones made from synthetic materials such as polyester that contains plastic.
How to build your own capsule wardrobe:
The first step to creating a capsule wardrobe is by reviewing what you already own. Go through every piece and assess what you wear regularly and what you don’t wear as much. If you haven’t worn an item for months, it might not be a good idea to add it to your capsule wardrobe. It helps to think about your lifestyle while doing this so you know what you will be wearing more frequently. With all this in mind, you will be able to choose the best clothing items for you.
Once you have done this, you can then start planning your capsule wardrobe. Decide on a number you would like for each item of clothing and work towards it. This can depend on your lifestyle, climate and also how often you do laundry!
It is important to choose what works best for you. A colour scheme with neutral and interchangeable colours that work well together makes it much easier to mix and match. Colours such as navy, black, beige, cream, white and grey are all neutral and work well together. Then add a few accent colours that suit your skin tone and work well with the neutral coloured items. Staple patterns such as stripes, dots and florals are also a good idea. Make sure you are choosing clothes that fit and flatter your body shape in styles that suit you the best.
After letting go of all the things that don’t fit or are not your colour. Please make sure that you dispose of them in a sustainable way to avoid waste and pollution to the environment. You can either sell them, give them to charity or give them away to a friend. This ensures that your pre loved clothing find a new home instead of ending up in landfills.
Adding to your capsule wardrobe
Again, starting with what you already own saves you time and money. Begin with simple and versatile staples that work well together with the colour schemes and your favourite styles in mind. It is important to choose clothing that will last long instead of trendy items that will go out of style.
When adding to your capsule wardrobe, it is essential that you choose high quality pieces from truly sustainable fashion brands. As you will be wearing them more often, they will need to last longer. Sustainable fashion brands typically make their clothing from high quality and natural materials such as bamboo, cotton and linen. These materials last longer and are more sustainable in how they are produced. Sustainable brands work on releasing timeless garments that are not based off of temporary trends. These staple items can be worn year after year. Slow fashion companies are often smaller and have very few specific styles per collection. Therefore new clothing are not released as often. Fast fashion companies bring new collections almost every week!
At Patra we create long lasting staples that will never go out of style in fabrics that respect both your body and the environment.
Here are some good ideas for clothing pieces that you can add to your capsule wardrobe:
Throw on your jacket, shoes and accessories and you are good to go! When the seasons change, you can always store clothing you are not wearing away and bring them out when it’s time to wear them again!
