The Capsule 100
Life is challenging, but that is because to live well is to challenge oneself to grow. Set the bar high. Fail, but accomplish more than ever before. That is what New Year's is about. It's about shaping your character, climbing mountains, and making a difference in your world daily. It's about becoming stronger.
In 2018, I learned many things about minimalism, ethical fashion, contentment, and zero waste. These forgotten areas of our lives have a bigger impact than I could have ever imagined. Acting on knowledge is difficult, but a wise man once said that "he who knows the good he ought to do, but doesn't do it, sins." Well, that's convicting! :D
I am super excited about this new lifestyle, one that elevates simplicity, contentment, and compassion. Passions do not become lifestyles on their own, so I'm setting up a challenge for myself: The Capsule 100. In 2019, I am challenging myself to narrow my wardrobe to 100 pieces. That's kind of a scary number, isn't it? I'm not counting socks or underwear, but shoes, coats, and tank tops (and everything else :) have to make it in the big 100 or they're out!
With such a minimalistic wardrobe, the pieces that I keep have to be perfect. I have spent hours and hours choosing color schemes and putting outfits together, trying to make the most unique outfits with the fewest items of clothing. I even spent an afternoon recording every item that I owned, making sure that the new clothes I bought replaced the ones that I was getting rid of and adding the lucky few to my 100 chart.
But what do I do with all of the clothes that I downsize?
In 2018, I learned many things about minimalism, ethical fashion, contentment, and zero waste. These forgotten areas of our lives have a bigger impact than I could have ever imagined. Acting on knowledge is difficult, but a wise man once said that "he who knows the good he ought to do, but doesn't do it, sins." Well, that's convicting! :D
I am super excited about this new lifestyle, one that elevates simplicity, contentment, and compassion. Passions do not become lifestyles on their own, so I'm setting up a challenge for myself: The Capsule 100. In 2019, I am challenging myself to narrow my wardrobe to 100 pieces. That's kind of a scary number, isn't it? I'm not counting socks or underwear, but shoes, coats, and tank tops (and everything else :) have to make it in the big 100 or they're out!
With such a minimalistic wardrobe, the pieces that I keep have to be perfect. I have spent hours and hours choosing color schemes and putting outfits together, trying to make the most unique outfits with the fewest items of clothing. I even spent an afternoon recording every item that I owned, making sure that the new clothes I bought replaced the ones that I was getting rid of and adding the lucky few to my 100 chart.
But what do I do with all of the clothes that I downsize?
I considered throwing out all of the clothes that don't fit the forever criteria, but I decided not to after reading this interview of Stevie Van Horn by United by Blue looking into her zero-waste lifestyle. This quote about the custom embroidery specialist's story really stuck with me:
. . .
"Stevie also fought her initial instinct to throw out everything in her life that didn’t make the waste-free cut (plastic Tupperware, plastic makeup containers, plastic salt and pepper shakers). Instead, she vowed to keep everything she owned until it outlived its intended use — after all, throwing things out is no way to start a waste-free lifestyle." (United by Blue Blog, A Crash Course in Waste-Free Living With Stevie Van Horn)
. . .
I realized that dumping my clothes would be a sort of hypocrisy. My goal is to actually use what I have and overall reduce the excess in my life. Dumping my excess is certainly convenient, but extremely wasteful--the opposite of the capsule 100 ideal.
So, I have been sorting through all of my clothes carefully. I donate clothes that I think will actually be sold in a thrift store (Only a small percentage of donated clothes gets sold. The rest is sent to developing countries, ruining the local textile industries with dirt cheap clothing - references to come in a later post), and recycle the rest myself, turning old clothes into rags, yarn, up-cycled projects, and even pillow stuffing.
-kae-
#capsulewardrobe #fashionrevolution #minimalistmovement #reusereducerecycle #ecowise
-kae-
#capsulewardrobe #fashionrevolution #minimalistmovement #reusereducerecycle #ecowise
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