jokimjorgensen

In my last post where I highlighted 5 reasons to start a capsule wardrobe, I mentioned that the number one reason why I started my capsule wardrobe was to slow fashion down, and decrease my contribution to the fast fashion problem. My second reason was to create a curated closet of items that I loved. I want to dive bit deeper into these two things in this post.

In 2015, after watching a documentary called The True Cost, I made a conscious decision to end my habit of frequent mindless shopping at cheap fast fashion retailers. If you haven’t watched this documentary, I highly recommend you do. It is really eye-opening to the devastating impact of fast fashion on third world countries and on the environment in general.

Up until I watched The True Cost, I was the type of mindless shopper that would peruse the sales of fast fashion shops and buy things just because they were on sale. I would see tops for $5 or $10 and go to town. I would see a trend I love and buy it up in multiple colours or variations. When it came to my closet, it was overflowing with cheap pieces – some that still had tags on them!! My shopping habits and wardrobe were a hot mess. After watching The True Cost, I was pretty disgusted with how I was consuming fast fashion. Below are my two biggest reasons for starting my capsule wardrobe journey.

#1: Stop Contributing to the Fast Fashion Problem

In being shook awake to the realities of fast fashion, I took a step back to re-evaluate my shopping habits. I wanted to stop contributing to the fast fashion problem, but I wasn’t sure how. I was a bit stumped on this because I wanted to help fix the problem right away, and I wanted the rest of the world to follow suit! I wanted to shout from the rooftops that fast fashion sucked and everyone needed to stop buying from fast fashion retailers.

The easy solution would be to simply stop buying fast fashion, but the reality is that this is not as feasible as it sounds. For the majority of people (myself included) brands that fall into the fast fashion category (the likes of Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, etc.) are our most frequented shopping destinations due to the price point and accessibility. Another reality that I’ve learned is that boycotting fast fashion brands altogether to shop exclusively at “sustainable” and “ethical” clothing brands is also not feasible, or sustainable in the long run, because of their higher price points and because no clothing brand is truly 100% sustainable or ethical.

So then what? How do I stop contributing to fast fashion? The way I’ve decided to stop my contribution to fast fashion is to change my shopping habits. I do still shop at Zara, but I try my best to shop within their Join Life line, and only buy items that I NEED, that feel well-made, and that I know I will WEAR REPEATEDLY. I’m no longer motivated by sales to buy things for the sake of getting a deal. I no longer shop without intention. And I only shop when I NEED something. The frequency of my shopping has decreased significantly.

I believe that, no matter the brand, as long as you shop mindfully and with intention – and only when you NEED to – you can help slow down the fast fashion problem.

#2: Reduce Clutter – Only Own What Brings Me Joy

Like I said above, in 2015 my closet was a mess. I probably had about 20+ handbags that were made of fake leather, were terrible quality, looked terribly cheap and were about $20-$50 a pop. I didn’t love any of them. I had a slew of awkwardly stretched out cheap tops that didn’t survive their first wash. Looking at my closet in 2015 made me unhappy and stressed out. I needed a change. Adopting a capsule wardrobe approach changed the way I evaluate items that get to stay or enter my closet. I must truly love the item – it must be an item I need, it must fit my style, and it must flatter my figure.

Over the last 5 years I have certainly purged more items out of my closet than I have added, which has netted me out to currently having a much smaller volume of clothing – I love this. Looking at my closet doesn’t feel burdensome anymore. However, I’m still on my capsule wardrobe journey! Even after my closet purge earlier this year, I STILL feel like there are items I don’t use that I can either sell or donate. And there are still items that I would like to replace or add to my wardrobe.

The goal of a capsule wardrobe is to have a curated closet of items that you LOVE. And I am on my way! Here’s to enjoying the journey!

-Jo