WASHINGTON — Flashback to the 1950s: A well dressed woman living in a city had 42 items in her closet. Back then, it was enough to cover a range of social events over a given year. In the 1960s, fashion-savvy French closets consisted of around 25 outfits — 40 pieces total — according to a report by The Hot or Cool Institute.
Now, fast forward to 2019. Wardrobes have gotten substantially bigger around the globe. The report found that a well-styled woman living in the Netherlands has anywhere from 70 to 429 pieces in her wardrobe.
There's no doubt that social outings and social media have changed the landscape of closets, but experts say it's having a negative impact on the environment.
From the chemicals and dyes in production to emissions just to ship the garments, The Hot or Cool Institute said it's leaving a larger carbon footprint.
To be more sustainable or to be minimalistic, some are opting for the capsule closet. The idea is to have fewer items, that can be worn in multiple ways. Neautral colors are encouraged for easy blending.
"My take on the capsule closet, is that our closets are too jammed full," said Patrica Langan, founder and chief curator of Women for Women's Wear, a D.C.-area-based ethical fashion group promoting sustainable fashion and fair treatment and wages for the women who make clothing.
"We tend to gravitate toward sales. Maybe we buy too much," Langan said.
Langan is teaming up with Bitter Grace and Remake to help others build their capsule closets.
"It's about those timeless staples, those elevated essentials," said Bitter Grace owner, Anne Marie Johnson.
How many garments should be in your capsule closet?
Johnson said the amount of items in a capsule closet can vary, but typically contain 30 to 50 garments, not including shoes. The Hot or Cool Institute allots for 74 items including shoes, for someone living in place that only really has two seasons. If living in a place the has four seasons, the institute allots for 85 pieces including shoes. A sample capsule closet would be six outfits for work, three lounge outfits, five for sports or active wear, two outfits for special occasions and four jackets or outdoor wear.
"For us it's incredibly important to be conscious with your clothing choices, and wearability and longevity are key factors," Johnson said. Johnson's store Bitter Grace sells sustainable fashion with natural materials such shoes made with leather and cornhusks, apple leather, silk, tennis shoes made from the rubbermilk tree, and cashmere.
"Cashmere is all natural. It's biodegradable so it's something that has lesser impact on the environment," Johnson said.
Cutting back on Consumption
Hot or Cool Institute's report, "Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable," found that 25% of items in people's closet goes unused. The institute suggests that people limit their fashion purchases by 25 to 30% or limit the purchases of new clothes to five garments per year. The group said the most effective way to reduce fashion's carbon footprint is to limit consumption or go on a clothing diet.
Other ways to be fashionably sustainable include buying used clothes, renting or swapping clothes, using clothes longer and mending torn clothes rather than tossing them. Hot or Cool also recommends avoiding online shopping and avoiding impulse shopping.