Interested in a simple way to stay chic all summer long? Enter the sustainable summer capsule wardrobe. Intentionally choosing your wardrobe pieces helps ensure not only that they’re mix and matchable, but also that you’re reducing your fashion waste and consuming responsibly. Let’s chat about my top picks for a summer capsule wardrobe.
By: Lisa Fennessy
IN THIS POST:
- Why is this capsule wardrobe different from others?
- How to put together a summer capsule wardrobe
- Sustainable, ethical summer capsule wardrobe ideas
- Summer capsule wardrobe: 10 days of outfits
- You, after organizing your sustainable capsule wardrobe
- Exclusive coupon codes
I LOVE capsule wardrobe posts. I get so much inspo from them like, What qualifies as a basic piece? Neutrals can actually be colors? And especially outfit combos and styling choices like, I never thought of wearing a scarf THAT WAY, but I am now!
The one thing that’s been missing in all of my capsule wardrobe searches however is the “ethical fashion” capsule wardrobe. If you have someone who you follow along with who does this, please drop a comment and let me know because I am on a need-to-know basis.
So with that being said, we made our own! I do own some (or similar) of these pieces, but many of them are wishlist items that I’m coveting this summer. Gone are the days where ethical clothing choices = Eileen Fisher or bust. We found so many fun pieces like overly ripped white jean shorts, a bathing suit that is giving old-school Baywatch vibes and a transitional leopard print cami that oozes ahhhoooga! vibes. Safe to say there is no “giving up looking cute” if you want to opt for ethical pieces.
RELATED: How to shop for sustainable fashion.
Why is this capsule wardrobe different from others?
Short answer: it’s not really. Hahaha. Kidding—you know TNK always has a unique spin!
Long answer: we try not to always shop fast fashion at TNK. An emphasis on fashion brands that are thoughtful and considerate about their environmental impact, as well as paying their makers a fair wage and using eco-friendly materials is a linchpin in our recommendations. So that’s how this capsule wardrobe stands out—you won’t see recs from Abercrombie & Fitch here (I still can’t believe they’re making a comeback and do respect their attempts at more size inclusivity).
ALSO. The entire point of a capsule wardrobe is to reduce your consumption. Yeah, it’s become a handy way for brands and editorial sites to get you to buy more stuff every season, but that’s NOT what we’re here for. Repurpose pieces you didn’t know could work in multiple ways, make getting dressed easier and reduce your personal footprint by only buying what you need = the best way to do a capsule wardrobe.
RELATED: My Honest Review of MATE the Label (Pros/Cons + Discount Code!)
How to put together a summer capsule wardrobe
The truth is that there are absolutely no rules for putting together your summer capsule wardrobe, but these are some of the things you might want to consider:
- Invest in pieces that can be worn across seasons
- Invest in pieces that are classic and timeless
- Invest in pieces you love and that make you feel good
Regardless of how thoughtful you put your wardrobe together, there will be items you will need to replace more regularly like white t-shirts and bras, for example (if anyone has any tips for avoiding yellowing armpits, we’re all ears).
And use this as inspo. You might already have many similar pieces, but if you are looking to fill in a few holes this summer with something cute and sustainable, we’ve got your back.
RELATED: The best sustainable white t-shirts.
Sustainable, ethical summer capsule wardrobe ideas
Don’t let the number of pieces in this list overwhelm you—you likely have some of these classic pieces already in your wardrobe. It’s up to you to figure out where your wardrobe holes are and fill them in as needed. Also, you could easily pare this down to a total of 12-15 items and be G2G for the summer (and some of the fall/spring). Use this as a guide, not a rule.
1. Playa Pocket Blouse | $158 2. Nightie Tank | $145 3. Adriano Top | $100 4. Edith Upcycled Eyelet Blouse | $130 5. Sydney Boyfriend Shirt | $128 6. Patti Short Sleeve Tee | $52 7. Cool Stretch Tank | $20 8. V-Neck Midi Dress | $98 9. Inez Bubble Sleeve Dress Black Jersey | $78 10. Poplin Tiered Dress | $228 11. Linen Wide Leg Pant in Wheat | $188 12. Riley High Rise Straight Crop | $188 13. Emilie Short High Rise Vintage 6.5″ | $149 14. The Angel Like Crazy Shorts | $128 15. S.E.A. Suit Shortall | $148 16. Remi Reconstructed Jacket | $198 17. Shelter Cotton Cardigan Birch | $236 18. ‘Sconset SeaWell™ Sweater | $128 19. The Malibu One Piece | $98 20. Cannes Straw Bucket Hat | $99 21. Perfect Hoops in Gold | $88 22. Sunski Camina Sunglasses | $58 23. Soto Belt Bag | $198 24. Italian Leather Circle Crossbody Bag | $89.90 25. All-Day Cross Strap Sandal | $138 26. Mariana Sandal | $68 27. Veja Esplar Logo Sneaker | $150
Summer capsule wardrobe: 10 days of outfits
With these pieces, you can make more than 250 outfits, no problem. (Yep, we called back to our high school algebra days and did a complicated permutation calculation to figure that out. *Pats self on back.*) Here are just TEN that we cooked up for a chic, timeless summer wardrobe.
Shelter Cotton Cardigan Birch | S.E.A. Suit Shortall | Perfect Hoops in Gold | Sunski Camina Sunglasses | Soto Belt Bag | All-Day Cross Strap Sandal
Poplin Tiered Dress | Remi Reconstructed Jacket | Cannes Straw Bucket Hat | Perfect Hoops in Gold, Sunski Camina Sunglasses | Italian Leather Circle Crossbody Bag | Mariana Sandal
Sydney Boyfriend Shirt | Riley High Rise Straight Crop | Perfect Hoops in Gold | Sunski Camina Sunglasses | Soto Belt Bag | Veja Esplar Logo Sneaker
Cool Stretch Tank | Linen Wide Leg Pant in Wheat | ‘Sconset SeaWell™ Sweater | Perfect Hoops in Gold, Sunski Camina Sunglasses | Italian Leather Circle Crossbody Bag | All-Day Cross Strap Sandal
V-Neck Midi Dress | Cannes Straw Bucket Hat | 2″ Perfect Hoops in Gold | Sunski Camina Sunglasses, Soto Belt Bag | Veja Esplar Logo Sneaker
Adriano Top | Remi Reconstructed Jacket | Emilie Short High Rise Vintage | Perfect Hoops in Gold | Sunski Camina Sunglasses | Italian Leather Circle Crossbody Bag, | Mariana Sandal | Veja Esplar Logo Sneaker
Playa Pocket Blouse | The Angel Like Crazy Shorts | Perfect Hoops in Gold | Sunski Camina Sunglasses, Soto Belt Bag | Veja Esplar Logo Sneaker
Inez Bubble Sleeve Dress Black Jersey | Perfect Hoops in Gold | Sunski Camina Sunglasses, | Soto Belt Bag | Italian Leather Circle Crossbody Bag | Mariana Sandal
Sydney Boyfriend Shirt | The Angel Like Crazy Shorts, | The Malibu One Piece | Cannes Straw Bucket Hat | Soto Belt Bag | Veja Esplar Logo Sneaker
Edith Upcycled Eyelet Blouse | Riley High Rise Straight Crop | Perfect Hoops in Gold | Italian Leather Circle Crossbody Bag | All-Day Cross Strap Sandal
You, after organizing your sustainable capsule wardrobe
Coupon codes
- LOVETRUST: TNKLOVE20 will save you 20%
- Pact: NEWKNEW15 is valid for first-time customers to get 15% off full-price items.
To save on other ethical beauty and lifestyle brands, check out our EXCLUSIVE coupon codes!
What pieces are catching your eye?
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Erin Maloney
June 20, 2023Check out foxandbloom.co / @daniella.siebert on insta
She does capsule wardrobes and focuses on sustainable/ethical pieces from places like Everlane, Quince, Nisolo, etc.!
Lisa Fennessy
June 23, 2023Running! Thanks for the lead!