It’s New York Fashion Week. And this means an influx of gorgeous fall fashion. But for a conscious consumer, it can also be overwhelming to feel the need to continually be adding to your wardrobe to keep up with trends. If your closet is always a mess and you struggle to piece together outfits despite an abundance of clothes, the capsule wardrobe system might be your new best friend — and your gateway drug into the world of minimalism.
Capsule wardrobes are small, carefully selected seasonal wardrobes that include everything you love and need to get through winter, spring, summer, and fall. Though the size of each can vary, they typically feature everything from shoes to jewelry.
It’s a hard leap to make, but one that frees you from wardrobe indecision and gives you all of the tools you need to put together an outfit on the spot every day that you absolutely love.
If you’re ready to get started with creating your own capsule wardrobe, check out “How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe” from Be More with Less. They provide some great information on how to get started, how to decide what you need to include in yours, and the oh-so-important task of clearing the junk from your wardrobe. They also have a cool community around Project 33 — a minimalist fashion challenge that invites you to dress with 33 items or less for 3 months.
And if you need some inspiration, check out capsule wardrobes from fashion bloggers The Lovely Laura Life, Unfancy, Live Simply, or Leah Zoe.
What to Do With Things You Don’t Want
When you go minimalist, you inevitably wind up with a half dozen or so trash bags full of the things you no longer want or need in your life. Don’t just throw it all in the dumpster to let it biodegrade over a few hundred years — here are a few ways you can dispose of what you get rid of.
Receiving Homes and Shelters
While dropping things off at thrift shops and charity stores is really convenient and easy, the reality is that many items donated here still often wind up in landfills or getting shipped overseas, where they’re resold and cause problems within local economies.
A better option is to look into local charities that work directly with the people they help, like shelters for women and children or receiving homes. Often these organizations will have websites where they list exactly what they need, so there’s no question of whether what you drop off is going to go to waste.
The best part? Your items go directly to the people that need them.
Recycle It
If what you’re getting rid of is just too worn out to be effectively repurposed or donated, look into recycling it — you’d be surprised how much you can recycle!
Everything from worn out clothes to broken dishes can be recycled, providing recycled materials to companies that can use them instead of using natural resources like water and petroleum to make materials from scratch.
For a great resource on recycling just about anything, check out Earth 911, where you can find a recycling center in your area that handles what you need to get rid of. If recycling options in your area are limited, consider shipping things in with a service like Terracycle instead.
Sell It
You don’t have to be an eBay entrepreneur anymore to move things you’re ready to get rid of. The Facebook Marketplace has become one of the best community resources for buying and selling goods, and if you’re willing to put up with the inevitable back and forth from buyers, is worth the trouble for the peace of mind getting a little return on your investment provides.
If you’re building a capsule wardrobe but need to upgrade a few pieces first, this is a great way to fund it.
Thoughts Become Things
When you live intentionally, you’re able to focus on what truly matters to you, and minimalism can help you manifest that. It clears your mind and allows you to focus on the things that you put off dealing with because you were just too distracted by everyday life.
If you’re stressed, if you feel like you lack focus, like you can’t finish things you start, consider treating your scattered thoughts with a dose of minimalism, starting with your closet, and make every day count just a little more.
Have you tried a capsule wardrobe? Will you? Continue the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram with #AvocadoGreenMagazine and @AvocadoMattress.
Shop Pillows
The Essential Organic Pillow Collection
Gentle, breathable, non-toxic support.