Curating a Sustainable Wardrobe

This unit teaches students how to source, evaluate, extend, and document clothing choices that reduce environmental and social impacts while maintaining style and functionality. Students will compare brands and platforms, calculate cost-per-wear, practice upcycling and repair, and assemble a versatile capsule wardrobe that prepares them for higher-level application or a capstone project.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze sustainability claims, materials, supply-chain practices, and transparency of fashion brands and resale/rental platforms using evidence-based criteria to rank their environmental and social impacts.
• Evaluate sourcing strategies (clothing swaps, resale sites, rentals, ethical brands) by comparing lifecycle impacts and calculating cost-per-wear to justify sustainable purchasing decisions.
• Apply upcycling, repair, and styling techniques to extend garment life and create at least three distinct outfits from existing pieces while estimating the projected waste reduction.
• Demonstrate the ability to assemble and document a seasonally appropriate capsule wardrobe that maximizes versatility, minimizes environmental footprint, and includes cost-per-wear analysis for each item.