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01 Sep

Build the Perfect More Sustainable Spring Capsule Wardrobe

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The sun is back. Let’s take a look at how to create a more sustainable spring capsule wardrobe. Think breathable materials, neutral and pastel colours, and floral prints.

How to create the perfect spring capsule wardrobe

We don’t want to sound repetitive, but hear us out: capsule wardrobes are the way to go. Not only do they make getting dressed in the morning simpler, they foster a more sustainable relationship with clothing.

What is a capsule wardrobe? For the uninitiated or unconvinced, they’re basically a small collection of clothes, shoes, and accessories that are interchangeable, enabling you to build countless outfits from fewer items overall. By using neutral colours that pair well together perhaps with one accent colour, in materials that complement each other, the “mix-and-match” process becomes second nature. For spring colour palettes, we like neutral and pastel tones. And in terms of materials, we love to start incorporating a sturdy denim jacket over breathable linens to slowly transition to the summer season.

A capsule wardrobe for spring should contain transitional and layerable pieces for weather that can’t make up its mind, and ideally, is a mix of things you already own, pre-loved pieces, and a select few more ethically-made items from “Good” or “Great” brands if you need them.

If you haven’t read our hero piece on creating capsules, head over there first. And if spring is nowhere in sight where you are, here are our curated guides to fall, summer, and winter capsules.

The basic steps

Prefer a capsule guide to creating a capsule? We get it. Life is busy. Here are the bite-sized basics:

  • Take stock of what you have for the season and separate everything into repair, give away/sell, recycle, or keep
  • Make a list of what you’ll need for a spring capsule perfect for you, and store anything on the keep list that won’t work this season
  • Find any gaps and fill them with second hand, swapped, or new pieces (inspiration below)

What to include

Spring is an exciting season for fashion, as the warmer weather allows you to experiment and have fun with lighter materials and colours. Of course specific items depend on your location, style, and other needs, but this is a good place to start:

  • short and long sleeve tees (early spring can be treacherous)
  • tops and blouses
  • sweaters or cardigans
  • denim jacket (a great spring basic)
  • dresses and skirts
  • comfortable jeans and pants
  • socks and tights
  • short pyjamas
  • shoes (loafers, sneakers, boots for a rock vibe)
  • neutral belt
  • cute bag
  • sunglasses and hat

Our favourite top rated brands for a more sustainable spring capsule

Need some inspo, or to fill a gap in your budding spring capsule? Here are some of our editors’ favourite “Good” and “Great” brands creating layerable basics to see you through transeasonal dressing.

Yes Friends

Rated: Great
women wearing affordable sustainable tees by Yes Friends

Original White T-Shirt – Ships internationally from the UK

Yes Friends is a UK-based fashion brand that creates more affordable clothing for everyone. Yes Friends' first product, classic cut t-shirts, cost less than £4 to make and the brand only charges £7.99. Using large scale production and direct to consumer margins means Yes Friends can charge you an affordable price for its more responsible clothing.

Find the range inclusively sized in 2XS-4XL.

See the rating.

Shop Yes Friends.

The Classic T-Shirt Company

Rated: Good

Long Sleeve Crew Neck – Ships internationally from the US

The Classic T-Shirt Company is a US brand that creates premium, responsibly-made t-shirts with luxury and integrity. All of its products are made from GOTS certified organic cotton and it doesn't use any animal-derived materials.

The Classic T-Shirt Company’s range is available in US sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop The Classic T-Shirt Company.

HarperSage

Rated: Good

Harper Blouse – Ships internationally from the US

HarperSage is a responsible lifestyle brand for womenswear, making dresses, tops, pants, and more. It's on a mission to create clothes responsibly, empowering women by partnering with a woman-owned SEDEX certified factory in India and using lower-impact materials that are completely vegan.

Find the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop HarperSage.

Colorful Standard

Rated: Good

Light Merino Lavender Sweater – Ships internationally from Denmark

Colorful Standard is a Danish clothing brand that makes organic fashion essentials for men and women. The brand doesn't care much for seasons or trends, instead, it creates timeless and long-lasting products to avoid the downward spiral that is over-consumption.

Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.

See the rating.

Shop Colorful Standard.

Armedangels

Rated: Great
A person wearing a classic blue denim jacket by Armedangels.

Velitaa Denim Jacket – Ships internationally from Germany

Innovative, responsible, and on-trend. Germany’s Armedangels gets a top score overall from us. The brand covers all the basics in womenswear, menswear, and kidswear. Armedangels' quality and long-lasting pieces are made from lower-impact and certified materials, like Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) certified cotton. The brand also adopted the Fair Wear Foundation Code of Conduct to protect its workers abroad.

Its products are available in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Armedangels.

Shop Armedangels @ Earthkind.

Shop Armedangels @ Cerqular.

Christy Dawn

Rated: Great
A person wearing a dark blue whimsical dress with flower prints from Christy Dawn.

Katrina Dress – Ships internationally from the US

Christy Dawn is a minimalist showroom for vintage-inspired women's clothing and footwear, locally made with surplus fabric. The US brand rates "Great", making it a fabulous option for your wardrobe.

Find the clothes in standard sizes XS-XL, or shop the Extended and Petite collections.

See the rating.

Shop Christy Dawn.

Baukjen

Rated: Good
A bright pink pencil silk skirt by Baukjen.

Lilianna Ecojilin Skirt – Ships internationally from the UK

Baukjen is a London-based womenswear brand, with a focus on more ethical and sustainable style. Its clothes are designed for you, and designed for good. The brand uses lower-impact materials including recycled materials, which helps limit the amount of chemicals, water, and wastewater used in production.

Find the range in sizes XS-L.

See the rating.

Shop Baukjen.

Boyish

Rated: Good

The Jovi – Ships internationally from the US

Love the & Other Stories vibe, but hate their fast fashion business model? Boyish has all the quality, fit, and authentic washes that you could want without the harmful practices.

Find sizes 2XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Boyish @ Wearwell.

Shop Boyish @ Reve en Vert.

Shop Boyish.

MUD Jeans

Rated: Great

Regular Dune Stretch – Ships internationally from the Netherlands

Dutch denim brand MUD Jeans is all about sustainability. Not only does it offer a repair service, but it also provides a rental service where you can lease a pair of jeans for up to a year. MUD Jeans uses a combination of GOTS certified organic cotton and post-consumer recycled cotton.

MUD Jeans are available in a range of sizes, usually from W25 L30-W33 L32 for women and W28 L34-W36 L34 for men.

See the rating.

Shop MUD Jeans.

Dedicated

Rated: Great

Organic Cotton Chinos – Ships internationally from Sweden

If you love a great graphic print, Swedish label Dedicated has you covered. Dedicated is a responsible streetwear brand for men, women, and children. All cotton used in its clothes is 100% organic, and most pieces are Fairtrade certified, which means that you don’t have to sacrifice your ethics to dress in style.

Find the clothes in XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Dedicated.

Shop Dedicated @ Earthkind.

MATE the Label

Rated: Good

Tencel Sleep Tee Dress – Ships internationally from the US

MATE the Label creates clean essentials made with GOTS certified organic fabrics and lower-impact dyes. Its goal is to offer women everywhere a clean product that is just as beautiful as it is responsible. It is proudly female-founded and is predominately operated by women. This US brand also manufactures locally to reduce its carbon footprint.

Find the range in inclusive sizes XS-3XL.

See the rating.

Shop MATE the Label.

CARIUMA

Rated: Good

Off-White Canvas – Ships internationally from Brazil

CARIUMA is a more sustainable Brazilian sneaker brand that wants you to feel super comfortable while providing effortless style in organic canvas, leather, and suede styles.

Find CARIUMA's shoes in US sizes 5-13.

See the rating.

Shop CARIUMA.

NAE

Rated: Good
close up of black chunky vegan loafers by nae

Black Vegan Loafers – Ships internationally from Portugal

NAE is a Portuguese footwear, bags, and accessories brand using innovative materials to create goods with “No Animal Exploitation”. Its lower-impact materials include recycled PET from bottles, OEKO-TEX® certified microfibres, recycled car tyres, natural cork, recycled thermoplastic, and even pineapple leaf fibre.

Find most of the shoes in sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop NAE.

Shop NAE @ Urbankissed.

Shop NAE @ Immaculate Vegan.

Good Guys

Rated: Good

Duke Vegan Boots – Ships internationally from France

Good Guys creates cruelty-free shoes for women and men, founded and designed by Marion Hanania in Paris. Through Good Guys, Hanania aims to create the perfect cruelty-free, made in Europe closet, where no animal product is involved, and the production guarantees fair trade working conditions.

Find most shoes in EU sizes 36-46.

See the rating.

Shop Good Guys.

Shop Good Guys @ Immaculate Vegan.

Unbelts

Rated: Good

Unbelt Classic – Ships internationally from Canada

Unbelts was founded with two goals in mind: helping you feel great in your jeans, but also creating quality jobs for every single person along the supply chain. Unbelts creates stretch belts that make pants fit perfectly without bumps or gaps.

See the rating.

Shop Unbelts.

Parker Clay

Rated: Good

Topa Mini Bucket Bag – Ships internationally from the US

A bag that saves lives? You got it. Parker Clay is an American based brand looking to create a future without exploitation by bettering lives and communities in Ethiopia. The brand has partnered with Ellilta Women at Risk program, fighting to bring women out of prostitution by providing a more stable income and safe working environment. Parker Clay also helps preserve traditional Ethiopian techniques, materials, and styles, ensuring that this fast growing country is able to remain close to its beautiful roots.

See the rating.

Shop Parker Clay.

Afends

Rated: Good
A pair of brown, rectangular sunglasses.

Platinum J Sunglasses – Ships internationally from Australia

Born in Byron Bay, Australia, Afends is a more responsible brand leading the way in hemp fashion. Drawing inspiration from the environment, streetwear, and surf culture, Afends’ mission is to create more sustainable clothing through innovation, action, and positive change. As true hemp advocates, it purchased 100 acres of farmland called Sleepy Hollow to grow its own hemp crops and ignite the hemp revolution.

Find most of the range in sizes XS-XL.

See the rating.

Shop Afends.

Looking for more spring inspo? Check out our favourite versatile sustainable spring staples under $50

Editor's note

Feature image via Armedangels, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet and animals. We love to recommend some of the best more sustainable brands, rated “Good” or “Great”. We also encourage shopping pre-owned as another great way to reduce the impact of our fashion choices. Use our directory to search thousands of rated brands.

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