Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Summer Fashion: Cute Outfit Ideas for Women on the Move
If you are looking for sustainable and stylish fashion choices, look no further! Let’s look at cute outfit ideas for women on the move.
Better Brands
Be sure to educate yourself about the retailers from which you buy women’s tops, pants, dresses, and skirts. Some clothing retailers (like Lands’ End) commit to sustainability. Others, well… not so much. When in doubt, check out their website or ask an employee about the company’s sustainability efforts. If they’re serious, they’ll have facts at the ready for you.
There’s no reason to give up style for sustainability, either. You can choose classic pieces and create on-trend outfits while making your carbon footprint smaller. By choosing better brands and eco-friendly fabrics, you’ll be on your way.
Eco-Friendly Fabrics
When shopping for clothing and footwear, look for biodegradable fabrics (like 100% cotton) or fabrics made from recycled plastic. For example, when shopping for women’s swimsuits, you could use search words like “sustainable” or “recycled” when browsing your favorite retail sites. When you find a garment that looks cute, be sure to read the full description. If it is made from partially recycled materials, they will be listed.
Why not pair a colorful eco-friendly one-piece swimsuit or tankini with a cool cotton swimsuit cover-up in all-white? This is a classic look that will keep you stylish and comfy. White is also a good choice for a swimsuit cover-up because it will go with all of your suits, so you’ll only need one cover-up even if you swim often and own several suits.
Capsule Wardrobe Wonders
Capsule wardrobes don’t just eliminate decision fatigue when getting dressed, but they are also a great way to be eco-friendly. When you create a capsule wardrobe, by definition, you will be dressing with fewer items. This can be a great opportunity to buy better quality, classic pieces like black dress pants that will last not just for a season or two, but for years to come. By focusing on fabrics like cotton, silk, or wool, you will not only have the opportunity to upgrade your wardrobe, but you will be making eco-friendly choices at the same time.
Creating a capsule wardrobe can be easy and fun. If you want to do a little research, there are plenty of books and videos available. Some key pieces you will want to include will be at least two pairs of neutral pants, a great pair of women’s jeans, a neutral blazer, a neutral skirt, a pair of neutral women’s shorts, a pretty dress, a classic white blouse, and a couple of casual tops or T-shirts. You probably have some of these in your closet already. By mixing and matching these pieces and varying your jewelry, footwear, and handbags, you can create dozens of outfits. Creating a capsule wardrobe is a great opportunity to clean out your closet for a fresh start for summer, too.
A go-to summer outfit from your capsule wardrobe will be your favorite jeans with a women’s white blouse and cute sandals. For daywear, this can take you almost anywhere. For the evening, add your neutral blazer, perhaps swap out the sandals for heels, and add a bit more jewelry and makeup for pizzazz.
Savvy Clothing Swaps
If you ever borrowed clothes from a sibling growing up (whether they knew it or not), you understand the value of a clothing swap. Why not recreate the thrill of free clothing finds with a group of friends or a community group? Chances are you have some items in your closet that you are ready to donate, and you might have friends with gently used (or even brand-new) garments hanging in their closets or tucked away in their dressers that they no longer wear or want. Some of these could be just right for you, and you can return the favor.
A fun way to do this is to invite your circle of friends, moms’ group, book club, or another group of gals over for drinks and snacks. Invite everyone to bring as many boxes or bags of clothing, shoes, and accessories as they would like to clean out from their closets. By hosting this at home, you can designate a dressing room where people can try on possible finds. At the end of the evening, chances are everyone has found something fabulous, and the rest of the items can be gathered up and given to charity. Everyone gets a “new” outfit like a fun new dress, a clean closet, and your local charity gets some great stuff, too.
Creating sustainable and eco-friendly summer outfits can be easy and fun. Why not give it a try this summer? You’ll be glad you did!