1 Zady wool coat
2 Kowtow organic cotton (longer in the back)
3 Emerson Fry Imperial Yarn wool scarf
4 Laura Siegel Quilted diamond print leggings
5 Melissa Joy Manning gold bar hug earrings (recycled 14k gold) | $125 at MJM
6 Veja sustainable sneakers
7 Angela Roi vegan bucket bag
8 Eileen Fisher slouchy pants | $178 at Nordstrom
9 Scarf shop fine organic cotton scarf (on me)
10 Melissa Joy Manning gold v necklace | $450
11 Kowtow cropped architectural jacket |
12 Eileen Fisher organic cotton scoop neck tee | $98 at Rodale’s
13 Fortress of Inca D’orsay oxfords | $218 at Kaight
14 James Perse skinny maxi dress | (on me)
15 Emerson Fry Yoshi sweater | (on me)
16 Melissa Joy Manning recycled gold & silver pendant necklace | $150
17 Fortress of Inca Adriana Coco bootie | $218
18 Matt & Nat vegan crossbody/clutch | $90 at Zady (on me)
As a follow-up to my previous sustainable fall wardrobe, I wanted to do one that fits a more minimal aesthetic, and with a very limited color palette (stuff I would wear, basically, and I do wear/own many of the pieces featured). This is a wardrobe for fall, mostly, or if you live in a rather mild winter climate as I do. Of course, you can just add a heavier/warmer coat and layers if you need more warmth to any of these outfits.
Keeping that in mind, the entire wardrobe is very casual, but still chic and put-together in my opinion. I think it can work equally well for stay-at-home moms, creative jobs, work-from-home positions, or just weekend warriors.
For my purposes in this case, “sustainable” means second-hand, organic cotton, traceable wool, ethically made, etc., and NOT only made in the US. Of course, in my opinion, you can make any piece in your wardrobe sustainable by wearing it often and taking care of it, instead of treating it like disposable fashion.
On to the pieces – I’ve included multiple options for each piece here so you could choose which one you prefer. Ideally you would need only one of each piece, although personally, I have a hard time sticking to just one white blouse, for example, but I’m trying!
Bottoms
1 Dark wash jeans : Eileen Fisher | Big Star
2 Black leggings : Under the canopy (organic cotton) | Laura Siegel Quilted diamond print leggings | Kowtow
3 Black Slouchy pants : Eileen Fisher (on me) & Eileen Fisher (charcoal)| Miakoda (organic cotton) | Kowtow (organic cotton)
Tops
4 White blouse : Zady organic cotton | Kowtow organic cotton (longer in the back) | Eileen Fisher organic cotton
5 Black Blouse : Objects without meaning cupro (sold out)| Kowtow organic cotton
6 Turtleneck sweater : Everlane cashmere (not sustainable, but transparent) – on me
7 Crewneck sweater : Zady alpaca pullover (on me)
8 Slouchy sweater : Emerson Fry Yoshi sweater (great for layering over long sleeves and under coats) | Emerson Fry wool triangle sweater (HUGE, and cozy for wearing with leggings & boots – on me) | Eileen Fisher organic cotton cropped boxy sweater
9 Black Cardigan : Zady Alpaca cardigan | Everlane cashmere (not sustainable, but “transparent” – on me)
10-15 Five Tees/tanks for layering : Groceries organic cotton v-necks (on sale for $24 in lots of colors) | Emerson Fry Linen crew tees | Emerson Fry organic cotton arc tank | Kowtow tunic
16 Black Blazer/jacket : Kowtow organic cotton (dark green) | tons of secondhand options | Kowtow cropped jacket
17 slim Maxi dress for layering : long sleeve James Perse (not sustainable, but made in the US) | knit turtleneck dress | Mimu Maxi hug dress (not sustainable, made in the US)
18 Coat/Parka/jacket : Zady wool coat | Emerson Fry Army coat | Nau down jacket
19 Scarf : Emerson Fry Imperial Yarn wool scarf | Scarf shop fine organic cotton scarf
20 Bag : Angela Roi vegan bucket bag | Matt & Nat vegan pouch
21 Boots/Booties : Bhava vegan mahogany ankle booties | Fortress of Inca Adriana Coco
22 Oxfords (or loafers) : Fortress of Inca d’orsay oxfords
23 Sneakers : Veja (gray /on me/ – gold – white)
Brands/resources:
Rodale’s (full of organic and sustainable clothing, beauty and home items)
Kowtow (New Zealand-based minimalist designer, nearly everything is organic cotton)
The Reformation (uses mostly surplus fabric, sustainable materials, probably the most sustainable/eco-friendly clothing manufacturer in the US)
Hackwith Design House (Minneapolis-based independent designer)
Elizabeth Suzann (Nashville-based designer)
Garmentory is a good resource for smaller, independent designers as well as Kowtow’s organic cotton line. Use my referral link for a $20 account credit on your first order!
Eileen Fisher (many organic cotton and sustainable styles, company aims to be entirely sustainable in 5 years)
The Real Real (luxury/designer consignment)
Zady (a marketplace for conscious shoppers + their own essentials collection of sustainable clothing)
Emerson Fry (made in the US, sustainable fabrics, small batches)
Fortress of Inca shoes (handcrafted in Peru)
Melissa Joy Manning jewelry (responsibly made, most pieces are made from recycled metals)
Ethica
Kaight
Beklina
Outfits
Jeans + White or black blouse + Crewneck sweater
Jeans + layering long-sleeve tee + EF Yoshi sweater
Jeans + EF Triangle sweater
Jeans + Turtleneck sweater
Jeans + white blouse + EF yoshi sweater
Jeans + white/black blouse + alpaca cardigan
Jeans + layering tee + alpaca cardigan
Leggings + long sleeve layering tee + EF yoshi sweater
Leggings + EF triangle sweater
Leggings + white button front shirt + coat
Black Slouchy pants + Alpaca crewneck sweater
Black Slouchy pants + layering tee + alpaca cardigan
Black Slouchy pants + white blouse + crewneck sweater
Black Slouchy pants + White blouse + alpaca cardigan
Slouchy pants + White layering top + Eileen Fisher boxy cropped sweater
Maxi dress + EF yoshi sweater
Maxi Dress + alpaca cardigan
Maxi dress + alpaca pullover
Maxi dress + Turtleneck sweater
Maxi dress + coat + scarf
+ so many more…..
Substitute black jeans for leggings if you don’t tend to wear leggings much. Substitute slim ankle pants for the slouchy pants if you prefer a slimmer silhouette. Substitute one of the sweaters for a cropped style if you have one you like. Leave out the maxi dress if you don’t wear dresses in the fall/winter.
What do you think? How many pieces do you have in your winter/fall wardrobe? Do you tend to wear the same things? What do you buy multiples of?
Edited to add more sustainable winter appropriate items, because clearly I have no idea how to dress for very cold weather!!
Organic cotton tights by PACT (also available at Whole Foods)
Nau Imperial Down jacket (love the overlap neckline on this)
L.L. Bean Duck boot (made in Maine, still – shearling lined)
Icebreaker merino wool layers (sustainable wool traceable back to the sheep in New Zealand)
Patagonia baselayers (using a lot of recycled materials and merino wool)
Coclico leather boots
Any other suggestions?
I love these seasonal capsules!
I’ve probably got more pieces in my wardrobe right now than I need. However there are a few things I wore in the early fall that aren’t transitioning to the colder weather like I thought they would. I may need to set them aside until spring.
I bought a pair of wide-legged pants (Elizabeth Suzann, she will be the end of my bank account) and I’m looking for a fitted top to pair with them. Any suggestions?
the florence pant? which color? on it!! 🙂 will edit when i find a few things…
I would say this is firmly in the Fall camp if you live north of the Mason-Dixon line. Winter in MN requires much more substantial clothing – wool trouser socks, more sweaters, layers, etc. Cut-out shoes? No way. More boots! Long-sleeved layering shirts. Long-sleeved sweaters. Fleece tights.
Yes! Florence pants in black modal.
yes, you’re right. clearly i have NO IDEA how to dress for very cold weather 😉
That vegan bucket bag is lovely .. I’d love to get my hands on it to ‘feel’ the vegan leather. I dislike when faux leather is plasticy. I may have to order this one 🙂
Monica.
MonicaP´s last blog post ..Lost in the closet – A beaded sweatshirt and jeans from INC.
i can only speak personally to matt & nat’s faux leather, and to me, it is absolutely not plastic-y at all…it looks like leather, feels like leather. angela & roi’s bags are supposed to be wonderful though, so i wouldn’t hesitate to try it. and the price is very good i think!
Love this, Grechen – thank you so much. I know you don’t love the idea of “capsules”, so sustainable minimalist feels just right. Please consider doing these wardrobes for every season as they come around – they’re great!
I bought some of the items from the last one (including the Indigenous big chunky sweater which is really lovely quality – and of course, appreciate all the links.
Hope you’re well, Chris
Have you featured Fortress of Inca shoes before? Because the first time I recall hearing of that brand was yesterday, when a small shop I follow on Instagram featured an adorably chic, walkable pair of heels. Serendipitous!
The more you feature those beautifully crafted and simple James Perse dresses, the more I want one! I can’t get past the idea that I’m just too BIG for a dress like that, though. I know what you’re going to say…but I’ve got to wrap my head around it. I suppose I could hide under a cardi until I felt more confident, but that would be defeating the purpose.
And finally, I’m so happy to see the Eileen Fisher pieces featured. I just love her ethos…AND style!
i featured a pair of fortress of inca shoes in my last sustainable wardrobe post also – i love their styles, and price point…
you are not too big to wear a JP dress. i wore them when i was a size 12/14 – 4 in JP. mostly with jackets/cardigans on top, and that’s okay. i STILL wear jackets/cardigans on top of my fitted dresses sometimes; i just feel more comfortable that way. and i think the nature of the dress makes you feel sexy and confident anyway, even if you’re a little bit covered up, you know? it feels like you’re wearing a hug 🙂