Slow Fashion Capsule Wardrobe

This post is all about building a slow fashion fall capsule wardrobe. Wondering what a capsule wardrobe is? Read on.

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Slow Fashion Fall Capsule Wardrobe for Women in 2023

Happy Fall! I kept this fall capsule small – 15 clothing pieces, plus shoes and accessories. Capsule wardrobes are so helpful because they make getting dressed easy. Less options means less decision fatigue, more time, money savings, and less stress. I styled a 15 piece capsule 24+ ways. I could have kept going.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

If you are wondering what is a capsule wardrobe or how do I create a capsule wardrobe, look no further. A capsule wardrobe is simply a collection of clothing pieces that work well together and can easily be mixed and matched. Typically, you will use classic pieces that never go out of style. A capsule wardrobe allows you to create several outfits with a small amount of clothes.

How to build a slow fashion capsule wardrobe that you will love

How do I create a capsule wardrobe is the big question you are probably asking. It might seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be. I recommend you try a small capsule first and work your way to something bigger.

Start by deciding how long you’d like to wear your capsule pieces. If you are planning for an entire season I’d recommend a minimum of 30-33 pieces. You can see my 30 piece summer capsule here and my slow fashion workwear capsule here.

Use the clothes in your closet

Part of slow fashion is wearing what you have over and over. When thinking about a capsule wardrobe, try to use what you already have instead of buying new clothes.

Sidenote: If you are planning a capsule for an entire season or even a full year, you might need to fill in some closet gaps. Consider shopping from sustainable, slow fashion brands or second hand. Here’s a list of my favorite ethical brands.

Thoughtful planning is key

When you start choosing the pieces for your capsule check the forecast. I’ve experienced 70 degree temperature swings while wearing a small capsule wardrobe. Be mindful.

Look at your calendar. Consider the events you have in the near future. Do you need anything out of the ordinary? I’ve created several capsule wardrobes and this one was my favorite of all. Why? Because I took the time to consider everything from social outings, church outfits, loungewear and my everyday life.

While I don’t include pajamas or workout clothes in my capsule, some days I do work from home in loungewear so I added my favorite sweatpants & a sweatshirt. This time I also chose to include a Fall leather jacket.

BEST TIPS FOR BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL CAPSULE WARDROBE:

The greatest tip I could give you for building a capsule wardrobe that you love is to choose your favorite clothes to wear. Don’t save your best clothes for a special occasion. Life is an occasion. Show up and wear what you love. You’ll feel good about what you are wearing every single day.

Another tip: there are no rules. This is your capsule wardrobe. You get to decide how many pieces to include, how long you want to wear them and what styles to choose.

Capsule wardrobes often consist of neutral colors and pieces. However, they do not have to! Choose a color palette you love. I do recommend sticking to around 3-5 base colors so they are easier to style together.

You can see I choose 5 colors: Ivory, Brown, Black, Green and Blue (jeans). I even added a print in the blazer, but made sure it was in the same color family as my other pieces. The Glenn plaid is a timeless print that is easy to style.

Choose quality clothing over quantity. You want pieces that can withstand a lot of wear. Slow fashion capsule wardrobes are all about outfit repeating and getting the most wears possible out of your clothes. Quality pieces will go a long way.

Example of a Slow Fashion Fall Capsule Wardrobe

This 15 piece Fall Capsule wardrobe is made of pieces from sustainable brands only! If you value slow fashion you will love the ethical and sustainable brand picks below:

Jackets / Outerwear

• Leather Motorcycle Jacket (this one runs TTS, if between sizes go up)
• Elma Structured Blazer (runs TTS, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• Oversized Cotton Cardigan (runs TTS)
• Classic Full Zip Hoodie (runs slightly fitted, use code SELA for 20% off first purchase)

Tops / Tees

• Black Long Sleeve Bodysuit (size up if you have a long torso)
• Scoop Neck Tee (runs TTS, use code ASHLEIGH20 for 20% off)

Sweaters

• Oversized Green Mockneck Sweater (use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• V-neck Mushroom Pullover Sweater (runs TTS, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• Ivory V-neck Sweater (runs TTS, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• Striped Sweater (runs small, size up & use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)

Jeans

• Off Black Straight Leg Jeans (similar, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• Flare Jeans (run TTS, size up if between sizes, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off) (similar in black)
• Distressed Straight Leg Jeans (similar under $100 & size inclusive)

Pants

• Black Trousers (this pair is high quality and very comfortable, runs TTS, use code ASHBECKER15 for 15% off your first purchase), (similar, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• Brown Classic Sweatpants (use code ASHLEIGH20 for 20% off)
• Black Trousers (this pair is high quality and very comfortable, runs TTS, use code ASHBECKER15 for 15% off your first purchase), (similar, use code ASHLEIGH15 for 15% off)
• Brown Classic Sweatpants (use code ASHLEIGH20 for 20% off)

Shoes

• Black High Tops (similar)
• Brown Booties (run TTS)
• White Lace Up Boot (use code ASHLEIGHBOOTS20 to save 20%)

Everyday jewelry

• Gold or Silver Hoops (ethically & sustainably made)
• Hammered Pendant Necklace (ethically made, all profit to charity)
• Dainty Gold and Silver Earrings and Necklaces (ethically made, all profit to charity)

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Sustainable Capsule Wardrobe Outfits for Fall

Elastic waist trousers are so easy to style – dress them up for workwear or a night out and dress them down with sneakers and an oversized sweater for running errands and that mom life. These are one of my most comfortable and versatile pants I own. They are made of a linen tencel blend that is easy to care for and doesn’t wrinkle like typical linen – perfect for travel too.

By far my favorite jeans in the Fall Capsule wardrobe are the high rise flare jeans. They paired so well with all of my tops. The key to styling flare jeans is proportions. Make sure to balance out the width of the bottom on top. Definite your waistline with a belt or by tucking in your top.

Arguably the most versatile piece in the fall capsule wardrobe, I loved styling the off-black jeans! Do you see why I suggested sticking to a color palette above? It allows you endless capsule wardrobe combinations.

A 15-piece Fall Capsule Wardrobe is the perfect number of pieces for 2-4 weeks of wear. If you want to challenge yourself to use a capsule wardrobe for a longer time frame you could wear these 15 pieces for an entire season. You’ll be amazed at how you can mix and match a capsule to create outfit combinations you’ve never thought of before.

Want more sustainable brands? Visit my ethical brand directory!

My ethical sustainable brand directory is where you’ll find a list of all my favorite slow fashion brands worth supporting. It’s organized by category to make it easy for you to find exactly what you are looking for. Bonus: it includes all of the discount codes available to Ashleighbecker.com readers.