I don’t know about you but when I start planning a vacation, I imagine all the beautiful places I’m going to go and the photos I’ll take of myself to remember the trip (or post online if that’s your thing).
Then I start thinking- what am I gonna wear?! Because who wants to look like a slob in these gorgeous places? Not me!
And that’s where the travel capsule wardrobe comes in. It’s basically mix and match outfits that are easy to put together and keep you from having to bring a ton of clothes.
I was a math minor in college (who knows why) and I love a formula so I developed one for figuring out what clothes to bring on a trip. I’m able to pack for any length of trip in just a carry-on + personal bag. And you can too!
I’ll show you how…
The Benefits of a Travel Capsule Wardrobe
The best reason to pack using a capsule wardrobe is that you won’t have to lug around some giant suitcase all over the cobblestone streets of Europe. It is seriously a pain.
Another great reason is that it’s so easy to figure out what to wear each day. You can basically close your eyes, grab a couple things, and they will look fabulous together. That way, you can spend your days exploring instead of figuring out what to wear.
I went on the Gap website and grabbed some images to illustrate how I do it but you can, of course, use whatever clothes you have at home or purchase a couple items to fill in the gaps from wherever you want.
So let’s get into the details.
Clothes to Bring
You only need the following to create AT LEAST 16 outfits:
- 2 dresses
- 5 tops
- 3 bottoms
- 2 toppers
- 2 shoes
- 2 bags
- Accessories
That’s it. Seriously!
How to Pick Your Clothes
For illustration’s sake, I have created a summer travel capsule wardrobe for 2 weeks in Europe (or more). Lots of people go to Europe in summer so I figured I’d focus on that.
>> Want more packing lists? Let me know when and where you’re going! I love coming up with them.
But really this capsule can be used for most anywhere in summer except in places it gets excruciatingly hot (talking to you, southern United States). But you can always amend it a little to suit.
Step #1- Patterns
The first thing you’ll do is pick some patterns to add interest into your outfits. Then you’re going to use the colors in those patterns to put together the rest of your capsule.
It doesn’t have to be something crazy though, it just needs a few colors in it. I love a tiny floral myself but you should pick whatever you’re comfortable in. Stripes are also great if you’re not a floral kind of girl. Or graphic patterns.
You can, of course, just pack in solids and use accessories to add some interest but I love a pretty print- especially in summer.
1 Pattern Dress
I start with dresses because they’re just so darn easy. You don’t have to match a top and bottom or put basically any work into the outfit- it’s already done. You might like to pick ones that are short sleeve so that you can wear a “topper” (more on that below) to change up the look.
It could be a floral or a stripe or a graphic pattern- whatever makes you happy. This cute floral dress has some pink and blue in it so I now have some colors to work with.
1-2 Pattern Tops
They don’t need to match the dress you picked above but should have some similar colors. That way, the toppers you pick will go with both.
For these purposes, I picked a top that has blue, pink, and green stripes. I also picked a button tank that has blue floral pattern (and a skirt that matches- sets make things sooo easy.
1 Pattern Bottom
This one was easy to pick because this comfy and cute blue floral skirt has that matching top (told ya- easy!).
1 Pattern Topper
Next you’ll pick a topper. This is something you can put on top of other things both to keep warm and just to change up your look. It can be a cardigan, a blazer, or a button-up shirt.
I think this is the hardest thing to pick because it will need to go with all the other patterns. I like a stripe because it looks nice with a floral and isn’t overpowering. But of course you could always just pick a solid color instead. Totally up to you.
If you’re going somewhere crazy hot, you probably won’t need anything heavy. Maybe just bring a button-up shirt or two for evenings.
So now that I have my patterns and colors, I can start getting the rest of it together.
Step #2- Solids
Next up, you’re going to fill in with solid colors. You’ll want to find solid colors that go with the patterns you picked.
When you’re trying to find something that matches, it doesn’t really need to match exactly, it just needs to “go with” it if you know what I mean. So a lavender top doesn’t match a blue skirt but it also doesn’t clash with it so it works just fine.
And, honestly, if you want to be bold- clash away. Lately I’m into the bold color combos of the 80s. I’m dying to wear bright purple and green together but haven’t quite worked up the nerve yet.
1 Solid Dress
Make sure your solid dress looks good with the toppers you pick and you’ll be good to go. Again, dresses are so darn easy. And they’re cool in summer which is perfect.
3-4 Solid Tops
I pretty much always bring a black top and a white top. But of course you could do navy and white, or grey and white, or whatever neutrals you want.
Then I’ll find a color that goes with the bottoms and the toppers. I picked this lavender top because I liked the frilly little sleeves but it could have been any color really that goes with the bottoms.
Another great option for a topper in summer is to bring is a button-down shirt. I often bring a denim one but I thought this green was pretty with the other colors and that there are shoes other match. Wear it on its own or over a dress or top. It could even serve as a swimsuit coverup in a pinch.
2 Solid Bottoms
I always start out with jeans. I mean, they don’t have to be JEANS jeans if you want to get all fancy. They could be trouser jeans or chambray pants or whatever but always bring some sort of jeans. They go with every single thing you’ll bring.
In summer, you might only wear them on the plane or at night but I always bring a pair. But feel free to sub in some linen pants or shorts if you want.
Then you find a pair of pants or a skirt in a solid color to go with the pattern tops you picked. Choose white jeans if you’re daring. I’m too clumsy for white pants but maybe you’re not. I usually opt for my favorite flowy black ones because they hide spills and are nice and cool in summer.
1-2 Solid Topper
And lastly, you might want to have one more topper. If you picked a blazer above, make this one a cardigan or vise versa.
Again, you can count a button-down shirt as a topper. But know that it does get chilly at night in Europe in summer depending on where you are and you might want something more at times.
>> Check here for more travel capsule wardrobes all year round
☀️ summer, 🍁 fall, ❄️winter, & 🌷spring
Step #3- Shoes
This, in my opinion, might be THE most important part of packing your travel capsule wardrobe for Europe. There will be lots of walking and the older I get, the more important my shoes become.
I have awful feet and having shoes that are comfortable is really really important for me so I can get out there and explore rather than sit in my hotel room with my feet up downing Aleve. But it doesn’t mean that I have to wear ugly shoes. There are lots of great looking shoes that are also comfortable.
2-3 Shoes
You can absolutely get by with only two pair of shoes. Yes, I said two.
First, I highly recommend you wear some tennis shoes for daily walking around. Get some in white to match everything or find a fun color that goes with your outfits. They don’t need to be ugly to be comfortable so find some cute ones.
The other necessity for your summer travel capsule wardrobe is a pair of sandals. Make sure they’re comfortable enough for walking around all day and also nice enough to wear out to dinner.
If you really really want to bring a third pair of shoes, I’d do a pair of comfy flats or some dressier sandals. You’ll regret bringing heels since they don’t play well with cobblestones. And heels are awful anyway and damage your feet- just don’t wear them.
Step #4- Accessories
There are a just a few more things you’ll need to be fully dressed and looking your best.
2 Handbags
You’ll need a small handbag for when you don’t want to lug all your stuff around. It’s nice after a long day of sightseeing to head out to dinner with only your phone, money, lipstick, and reading glasses (OK grandma 👵🏻). I always go with a crossbody so I don’t have to worry about purse snatchers.
During the day when you’re out and about, you’re going to want something a little bigger. This can be a medium sized crossbody, a hobo, or a tote. It should be something that can hold everything from the small bag plus a water bottle, snack, something for blisters, Aleve, and maybe a camera or selfie stick/tripod.
A lot of times, I just stick my small bag into the medium one during the day so I don’t have to transfer stuff in and out of bags and forget something (like my room key or credit card).
If you want something even bigger during the day, use your personal item from the plane (mine’s always a backpack). It’s helpful to take during the day if there’s rain in the forecast and you want to bring an umbrella or rain jacket; if you want to pack up a picnic for lunch at a park; if you want to bring a jacket or sweater for chilly weather after sunset; or if you head out on a hike and want to bring lots of water.
Other Accessories
A great way to change up your look is with accessories. It’s especially great if you prefer mostly solids instead of patterns for your clothes. It makes things easy but keeps it from being boring. I mean, who wants to look boring in the photos of their trip of a lifetime?
You can use jewelry like necklaces and earrings to make things interesting. One big, bold statement or a bunch of little necklaces or bracelets that you can mix and match both work. Dangly earrings are always good- especially if you have your hair up in the heat of summer.
A hat can change things up too. In the summer, something with a brim is a good idea to keep the sun off your face and out of your eyes.
Sunglasses are both necessary and can also be a fashion statement. And, bonus, they cover up those jet lag eye bags. Not that I have them (I do, I have them).
A belt is a good idea too- either thick or thin. Use it to add shape to dresses or over a shirt to add interest.
And a scarf is a great accessory to have. Wear it around your neck, tie it into your pony tail, use it as a belt, wrap it around your purse strap, or turn it into a headscarf. Really, the options are endless.
The Basics
I bring 5 pairs of undies and 5 socks (make sure they’re wicking) and wash them every few days. Usually 3 bras are enough to get me through.
I love a pair of silky PJs. They smush down into nothing and I have even been known to wear that comfy, slinky top as a shirt under a blazer. Don’t tell!
And in summer, you’ll need a bathing suit of course. I just use one of my dresses or that button-up shirt as a coverup.
The Outfits
But how do you put it all together? Matching is so hard!
Creating outfits should be pretty easy since it all goes together. This is, of course, the whole purpose of a travel capsule wardrobe. Your vacay should be easy, not stressful.
The following are just some of the options. I’m sure you can come up with even more. The floral dress + blazer for instance- now you’re at 17 outfits!
Happy packing!!!
Longer Trips
“But what if I’m going on a reeeealy long trip?” you ask. Lucky you! But you’re going to need to do laundry. Harsh I know, but you can set aside a little time to clean clothes on your epic trip.
Sixteen outfits will get you through a couple weeks before you need to do any laundry aside from socks and undies. I usually wear each top or dress twice before I feel like it’s gross. Jeans I can wear pretty much indefinitely.
If you’re in Europe, there are laundry places everywhere. You drop your clothes off, go sightsee, and come back to pick them up clean, folded, and packaged to take home. A luxury I definitely don’t have at home.
I bring a laundry bag to separate my dirty stuff and also my shoes in my suitcase and it’s helpful to haul stuff back and forth to the laundromat if I need to.
Some hotels also offer laundry services. You’ll pay a pretty penny for it but if it’s worth the cost to you then go for it. It is definitely the easiest.
Alternatively, you could rent an apartment with a washing machine for a night or two as you travel around. The only caveat is to make sure you’ll be there long enough for your stuff to hang dry because dryers aren’t a thing in the rest of the world like they are in the US.
And as for underwear and socks, I take mine in the shower with me every few days and wash them while I’m in there. Soap, rinse, wring dry, hang. Super easy. Opt for ones that dry quickly. I have mesh undies that dry in hours and all my socks are wicking which means they dry usually overnight.
Shorter Trips
If you’re traveling for a shorter number of days, just take some of it out until you have the number of outfits you need. It will all still match. I’d take out one of the pants or dresses before getting rid of a top but that’s just me. Or bring it all and change into a fresh outfit for dinner every night. Whatever.
Questions about Travel Capsule Wardrobes
Do I need to buy all new clothes?
Absolutely not! I don’t. This example is just for inspiration and to help make it easier for you to plan. You can absolutely ransack your closet and find most of what you need. But I won’t lie- I do use packing as an excuse to buy a little something new. I won’t judge if you do too.
What do I wear on the plane?
You should wear your largest, heaviest shoes and carry your bulkiest topper on the plane to save room in your luggage. I avoid wearing jeans because they aren’t especially comfy on the flight. Sometimes I do wear a pair of leggings on the plane that take up basically zero space in my luggage, dry in no time, and weigh close to nothing. But do NOT wear them around town- they scream tourist. I didn’t include them in the packing list because they’re not really necessary. You can just wear your comfiest pants instead. Or wear leggings on the plane and then use them for hiking if you’re into that.
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