by Lookbook, featuring eco-friendly designer VETTA • 19 days ago
The capsule collection trend is here to stay. Having a set of wearable, long-lasting pieces at bay is a must for today's young millennials and jet-setting style bloggers. With the latest bestsellers touting the benefits of minimalism and an increasingly mobile and eco-conscious generation, it's become clear that quality over quantity is the mantra for 2016 and beyond.
Books like The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less have inspired young and upcoming designers like Cara Bartlett to "make clearer choices about how to use time and energy," leading her to conceive a collection of timeless, lasting garments, versatile enough to mix and match into a multitude of combinations. Thus, VETTA was born.
VETTA is a versatile capsule collection that can squeeze over a month's worth of outfits out of only five pieces, each of which are eco-friendly and made in the USA. Designed by Vanessa van Zyl and Cara Bartlett, also a blogger for ethical fashion blog Bien Faire, this mix + match set is made up of a blouse, a tunic, a 2-piece dress, a vest dress and culottes. Coming in at less than $500 for the entire collection, it's perfect for the eco or budget-conscious traveler slash city dweller.
"Our plans for VETTA started to take shape when we saw that there was a gap in the market for responsibly made clothing that was stylish and affordable," says co-founder Cara, who started the company with her best friend Vanesa van Zyl.
They came up with the first design, a 2-piece dress that could be worn five different ways, as something Cara could wear to her 30th birthday party. The dress, in turn, sparked the idea for a capsule collection made for the everyday woman, where every piece was convertible, interchangeable, and made to be worn in multiple ways.
The dress that started it all!
Now, VETTA has grown into a five-piece collection that can be combined into 30 different looks, giving wearers both value and versatility.
Best friends since high school, Vanessa and Cara first began their foray into fashion by repurposing old vintage t-shirts into new clothes. After a season of working as a merchandise buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue and Rue La La, Cara invested full-time intoVETTA with Vanessa. Vanessa, on the other hand, had been launching several social enterprises in Africa with her husband, including a T-shirt company that helps support at-risk youth. Their combined background has led them to eschew traditional fast-fashion practices and focus on quality, timelessness and transparency instead.
"It was important for us to make everything responsibly, so we decided to manufacture our first collection in the US from eco-friendly fabrics," says Cara. "I'm determined to show people that they can shop brands that focus on quality and transparency without sacrificing style or breaking the bank."
Another goal VETTA has sought after is for each piece to have that perfect fit and drape — and according to the designers, focusing on only five items has allowed them to get everything just right. The v-neck belle-sleeve blouse can be worn forwards or backwards. The short-sleeve tunic can be tied to create a crop top, and the 2-piece dress can be worn five different ways. The culottes come with detachable suspenders, and the long vest can double as a dress.
"We focused on really simple and wearable designs that provide value and make it easier to get dressed, not harder. We also designed each piece with the everyday woman's figure in mind, being sure to highlight the areas of the body that are most flattering. For example, the 2-piece dress highlights the collar bone, while the culottes accentuate the smallest part of the waist."
Subtle elastic is used, instead of zippers and buttons, for ultimate comfort. You can wear the culottes to work or play, and you'll never want to change out of them.
Sleeveless tops were avoided for a more flattering (and fun!) look. Instead, they opted for belle sleeves for an easy-to-wear, seventies style silhouette.
Everything has a loose, easy fit that looks put-together, yet casual. The collection is specifically designed to make getting dressed every day easier, while also feeling beautiful when wearing it.
“My hope is that women will start being more intentional about their shopping habits, thinking carefully about what items they would wear the most. I think women would have an easier time getting dressed every day if they thought about their wardrobe as a whole and how their clothing worked together, rather than making individual impulse purchases. My hope is that rather than letting advertisements or the media tell us what to buy, we will think carefully about what we need and then seek out high-quality, responsibly made clothing that we will love to wear for years to come.” — Cara
30 WAYS TO WEAR
The five pieces in the collection are made to go together seamlessly, so it's best to obtain the entire set for maximum advantage. If you already own similar pieces, then buying one or two items to mix and match with your existing wardrobe would be the next ideal choice.
The collection is designed to fill in those gaps in a woman’s closet that make getting dressed difficult. The high-waisted culottes are perfect for any crop tops you have, and the tunic works great as a top if all you wear are leggings. In the end, how you use the collection is totally up to you – we'd love to see all the different ways the collection can be styled, with your own personal touch!
1. THE BLOUSE
The blouse is made from deadstock fabric, leftover from other brands, allowing us to save it from the landfill and give it a new chance. We love the structured look of the poly crepe, and it's easy to care for.
2. THE TUNIC
The tunic is made from Tencel fabric. It's not only absorbent, soft and feels like silk, but is weaved from natural wood fibers that are sustainably harvested and requires less water than other fabrics. Part of a closed loop system that recycles solvents, Tencel is completely biodegradable.
3. THE DRESS
The 2-piece dress is made from Tencel fabric as well. Pull the bottom piece up towards the chest for a different style dress, or wear the ruffle piece by itself as a top to mix + match.
4. THE CULOTTES
The culottes are made up of a Tencel blend with all of the above amazing properties, and a smaller percentage of cotton and stretch (to give it that right fit and drape). It's made in environmentally responsible production facilities, and has the perfect weight and softness.
5. THE VEST DRESS
The vest dress also boasts the advantages of the Tencel blend. An ideal layering piece, it adds a touch of sophistication and edge to any outfit.
These stylish, innovative designers plan on releasing two capsule collections a year, one for Spring & Summer and another for Fall & Winter.
You can pre-order one, or all, of the above creations here!