{ This Spring Capsule Wardrobe Planner is the first article in my 2021 Sustainable Vegan Capsule Wardrobe series. }
Planning my Early Spring Capsule Wardrobe.
Most people plan their capsule wardrobe’s around a single season: Winter, Spring, Summer, or Fall. But I personally find that too restrictive. I want need variety. Plus, I am really into fashion. But… I’m also a conscious shopper. Sounds like a bunch of conflicting values, right? Well, I’m pleased to say that I have found a way to make it work!
What works best for me is to split each season into two parts: The beginning of the season and the end. Living in Toronto means sharp, oscillating changes in temperature. Early spring is far cooler than late spring here. So splitting seasons is also advantageous for the sake of our weather. Not having appropriate items to wear outside, either too suffocating or not protective enough, always turned me off the typical 10 or 12 item capsule-formulas. So instead, I aim for around 20 pieces (not including accessories).
The vast majority of the items in my closet get reused season after season. About 90% of the items featured in my Early Spring Capsule Wardrobe will be worn in the following seasons too. If I do buy new, I look to local designers with ethical manufacturing practices or brands that maintain sustainable practices.
Looking for brands that are sustainable or locally manufactured? Scroll to the bottom of this article!
This post contains links to shops that I regularly support and am affiliated with. Read my Disclaimer for more information.
Factors to Consider When Planning a Capsule Wardrobe:
There are three factors that are critical to building a long-lasting capsule wardrobe: flattering colors, echoing your Kibbe body ID traits, and channeling your style essence. The first two factors enhance your physical appearance while the third factor communicates your personality. Huh? If that’s all jibberish to you, start with my ‘Build a Capsule Wardrobe Based on Your Kibbe Body Type, Colour Palette, and Style Essence‘ guide.
Trust me, understanding these factors is an absolute gamer-changer! Especially if you struggled in the past to find clothes that feel right on your body.
Breaking Down My Early Spring Capsule Wardrobe:
The pieces I’ve chosen suit my soft hourglass figure and condensed proportions. For example, fitted tops and waist belts draw attention to my softly defined waist. While high-waisted skirts, pants, and shorts create the optical illusion of longer legs. (A girl can dream!) I’ve also chosen a solid foundation of classic wardrobe staples with some accent pieces to add color. (If you’re familiar with style essence, you’ll notice that I channel the Classic style essence.)
Take a peek below! I hope you can find inspiration for your own spring capsule wardrobe. And if you like what’s in mine, I’ve linked to the same or similar items towards the end of this article.
Keep in mind that you should adjust your choices according to your own preferences, physical proportions, climate, and style essence. I will be referencing my color guide (Dark Autumn) from The Concept Wardrobe. Note that light pastel colors are considered ‘neutrals’ for the Dark Autumn color palette. Be sure to swap out my neutral and accent colors for your own!
Here’s what I’m including:
Colour legend: N = Neutral colour A = Accent colour (Based on the Dark Autumn colour palette.)
Tops:
[ N ] Two light neutral cotton T-shirts
[ N ] One fitted white bodysuit
[ N ] One light neutral fitted mock neck top
[ N ] Two light neutral button-downs
[ N ] One fitted navy sweater
[ A ] One accent color long sleeve wrap top
[ A ] One accent color one-shoulder fine French Terry sweater
Bottoms:
[ N ] Kick flare cropped blue jeans (I finally found a petite-friendly option for cropped jeans!)
[ N ] One neutral skirt
[ A ] One accent skirt
[ N ] One pair of navy shorts
[ N ] Light neutral cotton joggers
[ A ] Accent color fleece joggers
Dresses:
[ N ] A neutral, puff sleeve fitted A-line black dress
[ A ] A patterned dress
Layers:
[ N ] One light neutral puff-sleeved wrap cardigan with a detachable waist belt
[ N ] One lightweight, waterproof beige trenchcoat
[ A ] One lightweight pastel trenchcoat
[ N ] One double-layered, longline puffer coat made from recycled fibers in beige and navy blue
Shoes
[ N ] Beige recycled fiber slide-on sneakers
[ N ] Pastel pointed toe recycled fiber flats
[ A ] Pastel slingback vegan kitten heels
[ N ] Camel block-heel vegan boots
Bags & Accessories
Vegan corn-leather pastel bag
Rattan fabric tote bag
Oversized sunglasses
Vintage printed silky scarf
Build Your Own Spring Capsule Wardrobe:
Bookmark or pin my handy graphic guide below. And keep scrolling for the links to items in the guide!
Shop for Sustainable, Vegan Items for your Spring Capsule Wardrobe:
Tops (all veagn):
- Organic cotton printed wrap top by Meemoza, made in Montreal
- One-shoulder fine French Terry wine-colored sweater, designed and made in Montreal by Alltrueist
- SeaCell and cotton sweater in moss green by Frank & Oak
- Organic cotton classic t-shirt in Latte by MATE, made in California
- Blouse in light aqua by Frank & Oak
- Fitted mock neck top in forest green by Meemoza, made in Montreal
- Wrap top in blush-peach by Birds of North America, made in Montreal
- Emerald crop top with ruffle shoulders, waist ties, and hand-printed garden motif by Thief + Bandit, made in Canada
Skirts and Pants (all vegan):
Dresses (all vegan):
- Fitted black dress with puff sleeve by Birds of North America, made in Montreal
- Black cap-sleeve dress with Hand-printed flower motif by Thief + Bandit, made in Canada
Shoes & Accessories (all vegan)
- Block-heel vegan boots in Almond by VEERAH:
Save 10% with ‘NATALIEMILAKARA’ - Beige slip-on sneakers made with recycled fibers by Rothy’s:
Apply a $20 coupon code off your first Rothy’s purchase by clicking here. - Nude Patent-Effect Slingback Vegan Flats by AERA, made with low-impact manufacturing
- Petal Pink pointed toe recycled fiber flats by Rothy’s:
Apply a $20 coupon code off your first Rothy’s purchase by clicking here. - Petal Pink corn-“leather” vegan saddle bag by Alexandra K, made in Poland
- Straw Hand Bag by Stella McCartney, made in Italy
More Spring Capsule Wardrobe Inspiration:
Looking for ideas on how to style these items from my Early Spring Capsule Wardrobe? My Pinterest board called ‘I don’t Know What to Wear‘ is a good source for easy, stylish outfit ideas. Especially for those who have a similar style or body type. (That Pinterest Board has two additional sub-sections: one for Warm Weather and one for Cold Weather.)
And here’s just a few of the real outfits that I styled and wore from my Early Spring Capsule Wardrobe! You can find even more photos on my Instagram.
