LEGS OUT FOR SUMMER!
Summertime calls for a summer capsule wardrobe. For anyone who has no idea what I’m talking about – a capsule wardrobe is a curated selection of clothes that can mix and match together to create lots of different looks. You can find out more about why I started a capsule here. I take out the majority of dark clothes and love to wear pattern so I’ve included both pattern and colour this time. I’ve counted 38 pieces which include shoes and clothing. I don’t specifically try and choose a number but find the concept works better if I stick to less than 40 pieces.
Fast fashion in the summertime is generally more difficult for me to avoid. I like buying summer clothes. The shops are full of floaty dresses and tops. However, I have managed to stay away from them this year! The majority of new items this season are secondhand or vintage. Together with pieces I already owned, they make up my summer capsule wardrobe.
Do you feel like you need to buy new summer clothes every year? I enjoy pulling out my summer clothes from storage but definitely feel like some of them can look a bit grimmer than I remembered. My summer clothes take a beating: they often get suncream on them, become a bit sweaty and I’m outside a lot more. In turn, they need laundering more often. And washing clothing is the number one cause of fabric breaking down.
In the past, I have pondered whether cheaply made clothing means it will just last for a couple of washes and then become a faded, stretched out version of its former self. In hindsight, this is the case for many cheaply made pieces but definitely not for all. Many of my summer clothes are fast-fashion pieces from years ago, and they have survived my constant wardrobe culls. I will point out however that fast fashion for me almost always means clothes that don’t fit as well or feel as good on the skin.
Image Above: An organic cotton sleeveless blouse from Kings Of Indigo. A few years old that looks as good as the day I first wore it. An organic cotton black crew neck tee from Organic Basics. This is actually the only brand new piece for this summer. Keep posted for an update soon that shows how I style it. An organic cotton white crew neck tee from Natasha Rose. I’ve had this t-shirt for a year or so, its a favourite for sure. The navy blue polyester sleeveless blouse. An old fast-fashion piece, I bring it out and wear it every summer. It’s perfect for tucking in or I sometimes leave it out over shorts. The grey tote bag is from Organic Basics.
Also how adorable does Woody look in this image? He just wandered over and lay down when I was setting up. Woody is always with me when I’m organising my capsule wardrobe!
Image Above: I found this vintage silk knit on Etsy, I used to think I didn’t suit red. I’ve changed my mind, you can see how I style it recently here. Another Etsy find is this vintage yellow knit. In some ways, it looks quite childish but I love how it looks with jeans. A navy blue organic cotton knit from Armed Angels. I wore this at the start of summer, the weather has been too hot recently for this one! Another vintage knit – wool this time. I picked this up in a vintage store in Amsterdam. Definitely come to Amsterdam if you like shopping secondhand! A gold oversize jumper that I can’t remember buying. It’s fast fashion and years old. Made from cotton, it has a metallic thread running through it which I think has helped it last so long. White trainers from Veja.
Image Above: A patterned lilac blouse from a secondhand shop in Amsterdam. It goes well with jeans and I like how it clashes with some of my skirts. A navy blue patterned top that I’ve had for about four years and gets worn over and over. The white spotty organic cotton blouse from Thought Clothing last year. A navy and white Breton top from Mon Breton, bought last year and worn on heavy rotation. The shoes on the left are from Everlane, the other two are Gucci and definitely have more than #30wears.
Image Above: My summer collection of skirts this year are all secondhand and vintage. Not included is a skirt I usually wear but couldn’t this year as I’ve put on weight. I’m hoping to be reunited next year… Most of these you will have seen me wear over and over already if you check my Instagram account. I tend to wear them throughout the year – with boots in winter and sandals in the summer.
Image Above: There is always a smattering of denim in my summer capsule wardrobe. I take out the dark denim and leave in the lighter shades. One of the pairs of jeans is vintage, I’ve cut them to make them cropped. The other jeans, jacket, and shorts have all been bought new over the years.
Image Above: The first dress is vintage from a shop in Amsterdam. It looks very old but still wearable. I had the zip replaced and a hole sewed up so its good to go! The second dress is secondhand from eBay. It was in immaculate condition and it is really comfortable to wear. The third dress is around eight years old, a fast fashion piece that gets worn a lot every summer. The back is open so can only really be worn on the super hot days. It also needs repairing every year but that might say more about my sewing skills than anything. The blue dress was bought new for a wedding just over a year ago. I’m trying to wear it again on the hot days but to be honest it is probably too heavy for every day in Amsterdam. In the future, I will probably rent a dress to wear to a wedding instead of buying new. The blue striped sandals were bought new around four years ago. The flat sandals were bought new a year or two ago and the brown sandals at the right were another vintage Etsy find.
Image Above: The dress to the left is another vintage find on Etsy, I’m wearing it in the image at the start of this post. Don’t worry I didn’t spill ice cream on it. The block colour dress was bought new a few years ago. It is linen which is my favourite summer fabric. A good temperature regulator and comfortable to wear. The other two dresses are old fast fashion pieces that I wear all year. They both look good with tights in the winter as well as with bare legs in the summer.
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About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.
About Me
The Green Edition is a journey to help slow down and appreciate the smaller things in life. With tips for shopping more consciously and simplifying your life.