This fall, I decided to curate a capsule wardrobe for myself consisting of only 20 clothing items. Even though school is online and I could go to class wearing my pajamas, I feel more productive and attentive when I wear more presentable outfits. My capsule wardrobe consists of the following clothing items:

Tops

Two shirts — one basic ivory tee and one pink tie dye graphic tee

One sleeveless black turtleneck

One navy sweater vest

One white button-down

Two cardigans — a cropped beige one and a long black one

Six sweaters/jumpers — green, burnt orange, cream, black, pale pink, and brown

Bottoms

One pair of black trousers

Two pairs of jeans — one in a light wash and one in a black wash

One pair of grey lounge shorts

One black mini skirt

Two midi skirts — a floral brown one and a patterned mauve/brown one

My Afterthoughts

I started using this capsule wardrobe on the first day of September. I expected a capsule wardrobe to be more difficult to plan outfits with, but I actually made it easier for myself by picking out basics and more neutral colors. It was easy to style and honestly, I enjoyed being more minimalist with my fashion as it lessened any stress I had to plan and style outfits. Having a capsule wardrobe minimizes the time it takes to prepare an outfit since it limits the amount of clothing items you have to wear.

I believe that it was a successful and enlightening challenge! Not only did it pick my brain by forcing me to style outfits with the same 20 clothing items, but it also taught me that people do not need an abundance of clothes to feel fashionable. Because of fast fashion, people are constantly encouraged to buy more items every season.

Fast fashion plays an extremely large role in our world's pollution; in fact, it generates 10% of the world's carbon emissions and is the second to the oil industry for consumption of our world's water supply. It also exploits many workers as it relies on outsourcing to developing countries. These workers, a majority who are women and children, face long hours, extremely low wages, and workplace violence.

What we can do about this is to not partake in fast fashion if you can afford it; many lower income families are unable to afford the high prices of sustainable brands and, therefore, are forced into finding cheaper clothes from fast fashion brands. Another thing we can do is only buy what we need and limit our consumption. Following a minimalist lifestyle, where we only shop for clothing items that we need, is the most sustainable method. I hope that you feel inspired to start your own capsule wardrobe, and I hope you partake in the challenge as well!