I see something I like, I see if I can afford it, I buy it. That’s the way I used to shop for clothes. You know how that story ends: with a closet full of clothes that I only liked for a week or that just don’t work together to make outfits that fit into my life. I started building capsule wardrobes for myself back in 2012, and it’s saved me a lot of stress over the years.

Now I’m not saying to go out and buy yourself a completely new wardrobe. I love slow fashion brands, but the most sustainable way to shop is to not shop at all. Rather, shop your own closet. See what’s already there that you love, that’s well-made, that fits you now, and that you can wear repeatedly. Once you’ve made a pile of those pieces, see what you need to fill in the holes in your capsule. Maybe they can be filled with secondhand items from brick-and-mortar thrift shops or from sites like Poshmark, Depop, or Noihsaf Bazaar. Better yet, you can trade your slow fashion pieces on my favorite app, Lucky Sweater. As far as the clothes that no longer fit into your life, you can resell them on the sites listed above, or you can donate them via a Take Back Bag from Trashie.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not shaming anyone for shopping new. I’m one of the last people on Earth with the right to do that. It’s just that if more and more of us begin to shop mindfully (or even learn to make some of our own clothes!), the healthier it is for our planet. I’m not saying that I buy from all sustainable fashion brands either. Unfortunately, most of us can’t afford to do that. My closet is a mix of slow and fast fashion. As with everything else, it’s important to try to find balance.

If you are shopping for some new staple pieces, here are the links to my picks from these images. Maybe you get some inspiration from them, or maybe they’re not your style at all! When I help people curate their clothing, it’s about them, never about trying to convert them to my style. And again, the idea is not to go out and buy an entirely new wardrobe. It’s to think about building a mindful closet that you love and feels like you, that doesn’t waste your money, and that hopefully helps to reduce waste if more of us are intentional about how we get dressed.

I can always help you style your own sustainable capsule wardrobe if you’d like some guidance. Click here to learn more.

A lot of the people in my life might tell you that I love shopping. I don’t. I love dressing up, even in casual outfits, but I don’t like going to stores, racing to keep up with fleeting trends, and spending money on things that I’ll only wear once or maybe even not at all. That’s how I used to shop: running out to Urban Outfitters or Forever21 to get a top for that night’s party, and then regretting it the next day, like a clothing hangover. Creating a capsule wardrobe, an edited-down collection of my favorite pieces (that fit my lifestyle and my body right now) that I can mix together in lots of different outfit combinations, works best for me. I can be intentional and mindful about what I’m buying, and one thing I DO love is making a list, and having a plan. It’s a lot less stressful and a lot more fun for me to curate my wardrobe in this way, and it’s something you may want to try, too.

A capsule wardrobe allows you to let go of the clothes that aren’t serving you and to focus on the things that you really love and that you’ll wear over and over again. It’s not about going out and buying a whole new “perfect” capsule wardrobe; it’s about working with what you already have and then shopping with the goal of filling in any necessary gaps in your capsule. That way, you have clothes that you know will work for you for a whole season, and you can shop less often and get more wear out of the clothes that you have, thus making your wardrobe more sustainable, as well. Plus, it’s fun to get the creativity juices flowing and come up with new ways to style pieces in your capsule. Do you think it’s something you might try?

Above is my fall/winter capsule for this year. My lifestyle is super casual. I teach yoga and have two small kids, so activewear and jeans and a tee work for me most of the time — even for date nights or patio drinks. However, I threw in some blouses and heels for when I want to dress up a bit more. Fall is all about layers. I included lots of sweaters, but this capsule doesn’t include outerwear (or accessories or undergarments), but I definitely plan on adding my wool coat and a beanie to these looks when I need them. There you have it — my fall/winter capsule wardrobe!

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