How I Dressed for the Heat in Brooklyn and San Diego
In January, I challenged myself to a six-month shopping "fast" in order to save some money and curb my consumer impulse. It was good for me; I learned to stop making excuses to shop (pre-travel preparation, forgetting to pack certain items, etc.), and gained a deeper appreciation for the ethical wardrobe I'd so painstakingly built over the past few years. Most importantly, though, I realized how freeing it is to remove extraneous decision-making from my life for a little while.
So how did I do? Well, first of all, I only made it about five-and-a-half months, as I really did need some lightweight summer pieces for my upcoming trips. I also let my mom buy me a dress while she was up visiting in April (She insisted! I was powerless against her motherly doting!). But this challenge wasn't about the pursuit of perfection, it was about changing my perspective and proving to myself that I could be happy with less. And in that, I believe I was successful.
When I did decide to shop again, I chose pieces from three of my favorite brands: Marine Layer, Reformation, and Madewell. The first two are obvious choices (Marine Layer's clothes are manufactured in the U.S. and responsibly abroad, and Reformation's L.A.-made clothing is highly sustainable). And while Madewell hasn't always been at the top of my list in terms of ethics, they've made a lot of progress recently in terms of transparency and responsible sourcing, and partner with nonprofits like Fair Factories Clearinghouse to continuously improve workplace conditions. And their denim fits me better than any other brand I've tried, especially now that I'm all about the high-waisted mom shorts.
When I packed for my summer trips to Brooklyn (solo) and San Diego (family in tow), I kept it pretty simple:
- Two black tank tops (one from Amour Vert, one thrifted, both old)
- Linen blend striped button down (new purchase)
- Cotton high-waist mini skirt (new purchase)
- High-waisted denim cutoffs (new purchase)
- Linen midi off-the shoulder dress (new purchase)
- Leather slightly-heeled sandals (mine are Kork-Ease and I've had them forever; I've even had to glue the soles back on a few times)
- Black leather tote (I originally bought my Cuyana tote for work, but it now doubles as a travel/ diaper bag)
- Panama hat (mine has been with me for at least six summers)
- My secondhand military jacket in case it got cold... which it never really did
I basically wore the same 2-3 outfits the entire time, but that's the beauty of travel: no one cares. You can shop the capsule here if you feel so inclined (note: this post contains affiliate links)...
My Summer Travel Capsule:
I don't have any photos of the Hattie dress yet, because I bought it specifically for a family portrait session that we did in Balboa Park. I'll share those out once we get them back (it was a balmy, magical evening in the park, so I can't wait to see how they turned out!). In the meantime, here are a few more shots of the basic tank-shorts-skirt-button-up rotation I've been wearing for the past month...
Jon, Avery, me, my little bro, sister-in-law, and nephew at the San Diego Zoo