A few weeks ago I experimented with a capsule wardrobe for the first time. I got tired of overpacking on my travels and still not being satisfied with my outfits. Wouldn’t it be ideal if you could pull random items out of your suitcase, and know you’ll end up with a perfect outfit every time? I decided to pick up the challenge of putting together a travel capsule wardrobe that would fit inside a hand luggage sized suitcase. I’d like to share my travel wardrobe with you today!
There are a few points you need to keep in mind when putting together a travel capsule wardrobe:
– All items must go together. Literally. Every item needs to go with every other item.
– All items must look awesome on you. In order to have a worry-free morning every time, you need to be able to rely on your pieces and know that whatever you pull out is going to look great on you.
– Mind the weather you’re traveling to. I’d advise you to always bring some layering pieces, so that you’re prepared for many different weather conditions.
– Don’t bring more than you need. I’ll list what I took for a 7 day trip below- use that as a reference. You really don’t need more than that!
In this case, I was able to fit everything I need for a seven day trip to springtime Dublin in a carry-on suitcase with space to spare. These are the clothing items I packed:
Tops:
– 1 grey t-shirt
– 1 black longsleeve shirt
– 1 black tanktop
– 1 blush blouse
– 1 blush knitted cardigan
Bottoms:
– 1 pair of black pants
– 1 pair of black leather pants
– 1 black skater skirt
– 1 pair of black tights
Outerwear:
– 1 black coat
– 1 black hat
– 1 pair of black boots
– 1 pair of black flats
Other:
– 1 black knee-length dress
– 1 necklace
– 1 black scarf
– 1 black leather backpack
– 1 black leather clutch
And honestly, I could’ve easily gone by with less. As you can see, everything is either black or blush (besides the one grey t-shirt), which makes it very easy to combine everything. These are also colours I love and know look good on me, so I’ll feel happy wearing them every day.
These pieces will get me through nearly all weather conditions (except for extreme cold) and many different activities and situations. I can dress casually or make it a bit more formal, depending on the combinations I make.
I traveled in the most chunky items to make space in my suitcase.
Allow me to demonstrate a just a few of the many, many outfits you can make with these items:
Hat, grey shirt, black pants, boots.
Black tank, black pants, blush cardigan, boots, necklace.
Black tank, blush blouse, leather pants, flats, necklace.
Longsleeve top, leather pants, flats.
Dress, tights, cardigan, flats.
Hat, black tank, blush blouse, skater skirt, tights, flats.
I could’ve also worn the skirt with the grey shirt, the dress with just the necklace, the blouse with the dress, the cardigan with the longsleeve top…. I’m sure you get it by now; everything goes with everything. And I can’t begin to tell you how awesome it feels to not have to worry about what you’re going to wear in the morning! All you need to worry about is that you dress appropriately for the day’s weather, and everything else is sorted.
I definitely recommend you to try putting together a capsule wardrobe next time you travel!
First of all, I’d like to say that I love the pictures. You manage to pose in a way that doesn’t seem overly studied and posey (is that a word?); there are a lot of beauty gurus who try too hard to appear a certain way in pictures and it only ruins the effect.
The combinations look good on you. I think the success of the capsule wardrobe relies quite a bit on using non-colours and neutral colours, because they are easier to match. What would you suggest for someone who doesn’t look good in these colours, though (or, at least in theory)? I’m very pale (as a reference, the lightest shade of the Bourjois Healthy mix foundation is right for my skin tone) and don’t have much contrast in my face, since my hair is naturally a dark blonde, so my eyelashes and eyebrows aren’t very dark. Also, my eyes are a light hazel brown. In theory, I shouldn’t wear black, although I can’t abide by this rule, since I love the contrast and I should wear pastels or a few bright colours. I actually like bright colours more, but they are harder to match for a capsule wardrobe. Sorry for rambling so much, but have you got any suggestions?
Thank you! I actually thought my posing was very awkward so I’m glad it doesn’t come across that way, haha!
I love love love light pastels on girls of your colouring, especially creams, pinks and light baby blues, and light greys. Generally, pastel colours go together very well so if you choose white or cream as your base colour, you can add a bit of colour with the pastel pieces (like the way I used black & blush). You can also choose one bright colour and one neutral, and make sure you have enough of the neutral pieces to always have one to wear with the bright colour, if that makes sense. Good luck! :)
Thanks for the advice. My problem is the colours I like more aren’t those that should look best on me (in theory, at least, I don’t always agree with the colour schemes designated for my skin tone and eyes/hair; for example, I feel nude/pale lipsticks make me look extremely washed out and I much prefer bright and dark lipsticks). Anyway, you are probably right about the neutral pieces. I should refrain from buying clothes based firstly on what colours I like and try and get more neutral pieces so I can mix and match more (though white and cream are somewhere at the bottom of my list).
Honestly though, I think in the first place you should wear whatever it is you like and want to wear ;) If you feel good in the clothes you’re in, you’ll shine and it’ll all look good on you :)
I absolutely love it every outfit! I’ve been reading a lot of books on minimalism lately and this is one of the best I’ve seen! Everything is so practical and comfortable looking! I am trying to make a capsule wardrobe for everyday life and only have about 30 clothes.
Question: Leather pants have always been tight and too hot for me to wear in this USA weather. How do you like wearing leather pants?
Thank you! :) I’ve only worn the (fake) leather pants in cold to medium weather, they’re indeed uncomfortable when it gets too hot. As for tightness, that doesn’t bother me too much, they’re not tighter than my skinny jeans.
I would love to see a video of how you developed your style!