Building a Sustainable Wardrobe is Making Me Happy

I’ve tried doing a capsule wardrobe. I’ve reduced my closet to 33 items. And I’ve paired down my clothing to a particular style wearing a set uniform of clothes. What I realized in the process of doing this is that it makes me depressed.

Creating rules around my clothing taps into my scarcity mindset of childhood, of not being able to afford the Guess jeans that I so desperately wanted or wearing my sister’s hand me downs until I got a job and started buying my own clothes. Though I love the idea of creating a minimalist wardrobe, having a set rule around my clothing doesn’t feel good in my soul. So I’ve thrown the closet challenges away and I’ve disposed of the notion that my entire wardrobe will fit on a small clothing rack. What I know for sure is that creating rules around my wardrobe doesn’t bring happiness into my life but neither does an overflowing closet!

Instead of rules around the number of items or limiting the color of my clothes to a particular color palette, I want to continue to be intentional about the clothing that I bring into my home so that it fits my lifestyle. I’ve decided to focus my clothing purchases on conscious fashion clothing brands. I’m intentionally buying from B-corps and businesses that have good environmental practices or use fabrics that are good for the planet. This is going to be a slow process but I’m excited about building on what I have with pieces that can easily mix and match to create various looks easily.

What's a B-corp? "Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are accelerating a global culture shift to redefine success in business and build a more inclusive and sustainable economy.
Society’s most challenging problems cannot be solved by government and nonprofits alone. The B Corp community works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more high quality jobs with dignity and purpose. By harnessing the power of business, B Corps use profits and growth as a means to a greater end: positive impact for their employees, communities, and the environment."

I’ve always wanted to own Eileen Fisher but the price tag has always prevented me from purchasing. The pieces in her collection are simplistic and classic and that’s what I am drawn to. I like the idea of investing in a piece of clothing and wearing it for years without ever feeling like you are out of style. Finally, as luck would have it, I stumbled onto Eileen Fisher’s website during their 70% off sale- I can afford that! (Unfortunately, the sale is now over but there are still many items that are on sale though not priced as they were when I purchased.)

Here are pictures of my Eileen Fisher purchases to create 4 different looks.
The Eileen Fisher items are Flex Tencel Ponte Notch Collar Jacket in the color Bramble and Organic-Cotton Stretch Shift Dress in Black. I paired them with items already in my closet; Chico’s So Slimming Girlfriend Jeans, Tieks ballet flats, Merrell boots, scarves, and necklace are also from Chico’s.

Have you been wanting to focus on more conscious clothing purchases? What are the brands that you are loving?