It’s the perennial complaint of women everywhere – ‘I have nothing to wear!’ This refrain is heard from bedrooms all around the world, despite the fact that most wardrobes are groaning under the weight of countless fast fashion purchases. Thanks, in large, to the rise in social media, the rate of fast fashion has accelerated in recent years, with many fashion-conscious devotees wearing an outfit only once before discarding it. This throwaway culture (exacerbated by the incredibly cheap cost of some items; dresses for as little as £3.75, for example) sees an estimated £140 million worth of clothing disposed to landfill every year.
Thankfully, a fast fashion backlash appears to be gathering force. A growing awareness of how the fashion industry contributes to the world’s plastic pollution problem (microplastics from synthetic fibres make their way from our washing machines to our waterways and oceans), and the detrimental effect massproduced clothing has on the environment, has prompted many to trim down their closets and create a capsule wardrobe. Originally favoured by pared-back minimalists, the capsule wardrobe is made up of a few good quality and timeless fashion pieces, that aren’t dictated by passing trends and are free from man-made fabrics such as nylon, acrylic and polyester.
Assembling a workable capsule wardrobe has several benefits. Firstly, you’ll dramatically reduce your carbon footprint. The Carbon Trust (carbontrust.com) estimates that clothing accounts for up to three per cent of the global production of CO2 emissions per year (that’s 850 million tonnes of the stuff). This figure takes into account both the production process of clothing, which uses vast amounts of water, energy and chemicals, as well as the emissions produced from washing, drying and ironing the clothes once we bring them home. Secondly, cutting fast fashion from your life will reduce the amount of textiles being sent to landfill. You’re much more likely to hang on to and care for fashion pieces you’ve invested heavily in from a sustainable, ethical label, as opposed to the £2 slogan t-shirt from a fast fashion brand. And the added bonus – a capsule wardrobe will make getting dressed each morning a whole lot quicker; with only a few select items to choose from you’ll never be plagued by sartorial indecision again.