Sustainably Transitioning Your Spring Wardrobe

It is officially springtime here in Colorado and that means two things: that my dogs will constantly be covered in mud caused by snowmelt, and that it’s going to be three months of never knowing what the weather will be like from day to day! One of the first things I noticed moving from New England to Colorado is that the weather changes constantly- you hear jokes about it wherever you live because weather in general is so fickle, but in Colorado those jokes are SO true. Whereas in Boston the weather usually corresponds with the season it is supposed to be, in Colorado you can have all four seasons in the span of a day! Take today for instance- 78 degrees, bright blue skies and sunshine. You would never guess that these night time winds are blowing in a snowstorm! I’ll probably wake up with a couple inches of snow!

So with all that uncertainty, when it comes to dressing I’ve gotten very good at layering- especially pulling pieces that work well for summer or winter into the same outfit! Now, I’m not the kind of person who is comfortable being cold, so being able to add or remove layers depending on how Colorado’s mood is feeling is the only way I get through Colorado spring! But with layers comes lots of clothing! And while in theory that sounds fun, in the past couple of years I’ve been paring down my wardrobe and building a closet based in sustainability. This means no more fast fashion, no more ‘I have nothing to wear’ while staring at an overstuffed closet, and no more buying clothing because I have the shopping bug! Instead I work with a mix of well-made staples that pair with anything and statement pieces.

You all know that 2020 into 2021 has been an interesting year in terms of the pandemic and staying at home lockdown, so my style has changed to suit this ‘new normal.’ I’ve been buying pieces that work for both working out and lounging as well as pieces that can work for both of those things but be styled into a more chic outfit. You know that I LOVE Adidas, not only because their clothes are comfortable and fashionable, but because they are made with care and their materials are made with sustainability in mind. Some of my favorite staple shoes, like the Stan Smith shoes made with their Primegreen recycled materials and the Ultraboost sneakers made with PrimeBlue- made in part with Parley Ocean Plastic highlight Adidas’ commitment to the environment.

Crafting a Colorado spring-suitable wardrobe with sustainability in mind is easier when you have a dropdown menu of highly sustainable items that are easy to style! So what’s the best way to do this? First take an inventory of your closet- which items you use constantly, which pieces that fit well and are comfortable, and what’s missing. Once I do that, I go looking for specific pieces that will round out a capsule closet- pieces that can be styled up and styled down and items that are made with sustainability in mind. For me, the easiest way to do this is head to the Adidas website and type ‘sustainable’ in the search bar! Not only do you get a menu detailing all of Adidas’ better materials (Primegreen recycled materials, Primeblue made with recycled ocean plastic, Better Cotton certified by the Better Cotton Initiative, and eliminating virgin materials) you can sort by what you’re looking for.

This spring season I knew I wanted a zip up (I went with the Essentials 3 Stripe Fleece Hoodie!), some easily styled short sleeve shirts (the Aeroready Sport crop top looks amazing with both leggings or jeans!), and tights, like the Elevate Yoga Flow tights, that transition from a run to grocery shopping with ease! Chuck in a rain jacket for the unpredictable weather and you’ve got a few pieces that will take you through the rollercoaster of the Colorado spring with ease! Plus, you’ll know that you’ve made great choices by shopping your own closet and from sustainably made stores, helping to reduce your carbon footprint one wardrobe at a time!