This summer I bought some lovely new pieces for my wardrobe as sadly I have grown out of many of my existing clothes. Many of the garments were linen or linen blend - a fabric I have become completely obsessed with lately (although linen can be a lot of work to wash and iron, it is super comfy, breathable and one of the more sustainable options out there as every part of the flax plant can be used and it a very durable fabric).
This is actually the first year I have been wearing pants/shorts outside of camping and sport which may sound crazy but for whatever reason I am more of a dress and skirt person. I will even ride my bike and hang out in our barn with the chooks in a dress! However, to my surprise, I have been loving wearing my new jumpsuit, culottes and paper bag shorts. They are super comfy and certainly much more practical.
One of the things I love most about these pieces is how they can easily form a summer capsule wardrobe and can be dressed up or down for any occasion. Capsule wardrobes are great as you can wear multiple outfits without the huge environmental impact of fast fashion and rapid consumerism. By creating a capsule wardrobe you can consider more clearly what you actually need and what can be worn multiple times.
With the influence of fast fashion labels, global influences and our innate love of retail therapy we have become a throw away society with surveys showing that many of us only wear a garment only 7 times before throwing it away (and sometimes we buy things that are never even worn). With just these 9 garments I was able to create 13 different outfits and many more with existing pieces in my wardrobe. By adding accessories and additional layers even more outfits could be made. Slow fashion activists suggest that we only need 30 pieces of clothing and although I am far from that figure at the moment I'm sure it's a figure I could/should work closer towards.
All these clothes are from brands which come under the umbrella of fast fashion labels but I will definitely keep them for a long time and intend to re-purpose the fabric in years to come if they can no longer be worn.
The tie bandeau, culottes, shorts and striped top are from Cotton On which is rated A on the Baptist World Aid's 2018 fashion report.
The jumpsuit if from Glasssons which is rated B+
The dress and tie shoulder swing top is from Ghanda which is currently ungraded
The daisy co-ord set is from Perfect Stranger at Universal Store which is currently ungraded
Have you got any new favourite pieces this summer?