Capsule Wardrobe and Our Habitat

By Kajal Malpani

“THERE IS NO BEAUTY IN THE FINEST CLOTH IF IT MAKES HUNGER & UNHAPPINESS”

Mahatma Gandhi

In this era of ‘fast’ fashion, stopping, thinking and taking it slow is not everyone’s cup of tea. We all want new and ‘in’ clothes every time we are out to explore the world. That instagram worthy picture doesn’t understand the term ‘repeat’ and hence slow fashion and minimalism doesn’t come naturally to everyone.

Is there a cool alternative? Of course! And many! For people who love experimenting with fashion, who love making a statement with their clothes, the ideas like renting, capsule wardrobe and second-hand fashion alternatives are gold-mine. It has to be. A person who is conscious of the harms of fast fashion cannot be making statements through it. Our environment faces the brunt of it as the fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world. The industry causes water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, waste accumulation, soil deforestation, rainforest destruction and water consumption. Not only this, the fibre of cloth matters a lot. Sustainable alternatives like Bamboo and Hemp, not only require less water but are biodegradable and safe for mother earth.

A new concept which looks like the light at the end of this dark, endless tunnel is the Capsule wardrobe.It is a concept wherein a certain number of standard clothes are used to create new combinations for upto 5 times the number of clothes. For example, a piece of shirt is made in such a way (with detachable sleeves, cuffs and what not!.. that it can be worn in 12 different ways.) Also, the material of this shirt is eco-friendly, vegan and cruelty free. Now, consider 6-7 such pieces and your entire month’s wardrobe is ready.

We live in a world where around 750 million people don’t have access to clean drinking water but 200 tonnes of fresh water is used to create a ton of fabric. And this is just creating the fabric! The manufacturing, production and transportation is a whole new story on another level.

What is our contribution to our planet? What do we stand for? How do we want the earth to look in the next 50 years? Are some of the questions we need to ask ourselves before buying another Denim jean and adding it to that pile in the corner!