My Spring/Summer 2018 Capsule Wardrobe

It feels like this post has been a long time coming. Whilst I’ve been wearing my Spring clothes for the past few months, I didn’t feel totally complete with it and wanted to be sure that what I was sharing with you guys was something I was really happy with.

Spring and Summer can tend to merge into one in the UK, the weather is really varied and you never quite know what to expect. That being said, I’ve been pleasantly surprised of late due to the run of warm sunny days we’ve had. I’ve pulled a few more pieces from storage and am now fully embracing the great British Summer time.

This year I knew my Spring and Summer wardrobes would be so similar that it seemed silly to separate the two. Instead, I’ve been more relaxed with the idea of a strict capsule and have been pulling extras from storage for a day or two here and there, swapping pieces out as I go and I must say I’ve found it’s worked really well. I’ve noticed a few bloggers I follow are stepping away from the conventional Capsule Wardrobe and I have to wonder if it’s time is up, or if perhaps the classic Capsule as we know it has evolved.

For me personally, the whole reason I started a Capsule wardrobe was to curb my excessive shopping habit and for this purpose it has been a massive success. I’m much more aware of what I’m buying, where I’m buying it from and who has made the clothes I’m wearing. I try to make more ethical choices where I can, I’m loving eBay for second hand finds (not a great selection of thrift stores round here!) and I’m definitely shopping less. That being said, I’m definitely still guilty of a couple of high street purchases but as long as I know that the item will have a long life in my wardrobe for seasons to come I’ve tried to not feel so guilty about it. Nobody’s perfect right?

So let’s take a look at the pieces I’ve pulled together for my Spring and Summer capsule. By now I’m sure you’re familiar with my planning process (see last year’s summer prep) so let’s jump right into the good stuff!

• White cami – Topshop (old) – similar
• 100% cotton graphic tee – Topshop (old) – (similar)
• Boho blouse – White Stuff (old)
• Cardigan – FatFace (old)
• Stripe tee – Whistles (2nd hand from eBay) – (similar)
• Stripe cardigan – Topshop (2nd hand from eBay)
• Linen jumper – White Stuff (old) – (similar here in some fun colours!)
• Linen blend tee x2 – Olive (old) (new colours this season)
• 100% organic cotton breton top – Seasalt – new colours
• Tea dress – FatFace (old) – (Christy Dawn do similar gorgeous dresses all responsibly made – here)
• Bardot dress – White Stuff (old)
• Vintage fit jeans – H&M (old) – (similar)
• Straight jeans x2 – Topshop
• Culottes – H&M – (originally tried the People Tree culottes for a sustainable option – they clung to all the wrong places!)
• Denim skirt – Topshop (old)
• Tea dress – FatFace (old) – see above link for Christy Dawn dresses
• Jumpsuit – White Stuff (old)
• Midi dress – H&M (old)
• 100% cotton band tee – Topshop (old) (similar – or buy official band merchandise as it supports the band directly)
• Crop vest – H&M (similar here responsibly made)
• Espadrille sandals – Topshop
• Menorcan sandals – Seasalt
• Arizona sandals – Birkenstock
• Chuck Taylor All Star Classic – Converse
• Metallic trainers – Superga
• Old Skool trainers – Vans (2nd hand from eBay)
• Studded boots – Office (old)

I’ve tried to link as many things as I could but as a lot of the pieces are things I’ve had for a while now unfortunately they’re no longer available. Where I can I’ve linked similar things for you in case anything catches your eye. You’ll also notice there’s a mix of old and new, sustainable brands and high street pieces. At the end of the day, the point of a sustainable wardrobe is less about having a wardrobe full of ethical brands and more about having a wardrobe full of pieces you love and will wear lots. Ebay is a good place to look for 2nd hand options so you get the ‘fashion’ pieces but with a little less guilt about buying new from the retailer.

In total my wardrobe consists of:

• 13 pieces carried over from previous capsule
• 7 pieces pulled from storage
• 3 pieces thrifted/purchased 2nd hand
• 6 pieces purchased new

So far I’m really pleased with my selection, last Summer I made quite a few new purchases and those pieces are all back out again, including that beautiful jumpsuit. Three of the new additions to this season’s capsule are footwear, but with the hotter-than-average weather we’ve been spoiled with recently I feel I definitely needed to add some extra sandals. The Menorcan style sandals from Seasalt replace my old lace up tan sandals from last year as they had unfortunately reached the end of their life (the leather on the heel had totally disintegrated!).

Whew, that was a long one! I think soon I’ll share an update on where I’m at with my 30 wears target for each piece, but for now I’m off to soak up the last few rays of the day with an icy cold drink and possibly some ice cream…

Hope you all have a great week!

x