As of March 20, spring is officially here. Advertisers everywhere are promoting new spring looks. Essential resort-wear, festival-wear, beach-wear, work-wear, party-wear, and of course, dresses! 

Slow Fashion

If you’re on the slow fashion train, you’re probably also being bombarded with the best spring capsule collections, which are essentially minimal closets that have you pick a limited number of items to wear for periods of 90 days with no shopping in-between.

Often, capsule collections curated online (and not in real closets) showcase beautiful and brand new items. They favor neutral tones with touches of light pink, peache, tan, forest green and lots of stripes. 

Project 333 or Unfancy are a great place to start if you’re wanting to transition to a capsule wardrobe - or wanting to learn more about them.

Blogs found via Pinterest or Instagram link to where and how you can buy these essential pieces. And as noted by Ecocult, many fashion bloggers (even some sustainable brands) are trying to get you to buy NEW things, so then they earn a commission of the sale of what you buy.

(I know everyone needs to make a living, but I it's important to know that you may be influenced to buy something - even when you think you're on a site that is micro-consumption focused.) 

The point is, no one really wants to come out and say,

You probably don’t need to buy anything.

Time for Reflection

My guess is if you’re trying to build a spring/summer capsule collection - you probably already have everything you need. So, instead of spending an evening shopping (or several!) pursuing online or in the stores, I think the best way to start creating your capsule collection is to dress for the life you live. So, ask yourself first, 'What/how do I want to spend my summer?' This is a much better place to start than simply looking at clothes you don't already own.

Here's my top 10 ways I want to spend the spring/summer.

1. Kayaking

2. Biking

3. Gardening

4. Camping

5. Going to the Farmer’s Market

6. Making veggie-based, home-made dinners with friends

7. Playing Volley-ball/Tennis

8. Making Brunch

9. Going to Concerts/Festivals

10. Going to Wedding Related Parties & other Partaaays

How do you want to spend your spring/summer?

…… But hey, yeah, you should actually write your list. :) You’re much more likely to keep these ideas as priorities if you write them down.

Now, go to your closet and think about what kind of clothing you need for these events. What would you wear if you were invited to that event today, and had no chance to shop? 

My guess is that you already own something you could wear. Think you're missing something essential - maybe try a spending freeze first, and give yourself some time to really think it over.

Try It On

The next step is to take 30 minutes to try to create new outfits, combing pieces you maybe haven’t tried before. Often, we have our default combos - and it makes our closets seem like we need more things, when actually, we just need to switch up how we’re wearing them. By taking more time to examine what you have and be thoughtful about items you do need is most likely to result in a new item becoming a long-lasting favorite. 

A few ideas to get you started. Long sleeves with shorts. Layers. Pair dressy and not-so-dressy. Wear pants with dresses. Tucked in Shirts. Belts. Scarves. You get the idea. 

S/S Uniform

Based on my top 10 ways I want to spend my spring/summer. I know that my daily uniform will be jeans or shorts and easy, breathable tops--especially if I'm going to be biking everywhere. Basic, but easy, and lots of room for accessories. Think baseball hats, scarves, and a few long necklaces.

After going through my closet and trying out some new combos of my own, I realized that I wasn’t wearing some of my shirts enough because they’re better suited for high-waisted jeans. I also realized a few of my go-to T-shirts were looking a little rough and should probably be replaced.

So. I decided to buy a pair of high-waisted jeans, a white t-shirt, and a stripped muscle tank. 2017 Spring/Summer capsule complete. And now I have plenty of time to plan some overnight kayaking trips, get my garden started, and have much more cash in my bank account.

Now, if the spring weather would just hurry up. 

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