Packing a Travel Capsule Wardrobe
Updated August 2024
The Art of Packing: Travel Capsule Wardrobe
It’s travel season, but before we can board that plane and get off to paradise, we have to deal with the anxiety of packing - UGH! I know how that goes. Especially when you’re traveling for more than a week and really want to pack in a variety of activities - how will you fit it all in? The answer - packing a capsule wardrobe. Capsule wardrobes are changing the game by backing away from fast fashion toward an intentional and sustainable repertoire of clothing that can be pieced together in a variety of ways. By constructing a capsule wardrobe for your trip, you’ll be sure you’ve got everything you need to fit in your carry on, without sacrificing style.
You should know we’ve created the most helpful how to guide that includes your travel planning checklist and how to create your travel capsule wardrobe quickly + easily. And, it’s free! Download below!
What is a capsule wardrobe?
The concept is being incredibly intentional with your clothes. Only owning what you need and love. Everything matches to create a variety of outfits with the same pieces. Capsule wardrobes are sustainable, minimalist, and will out last any cheap fad passing through the market. These pieces will always be in style.
Doing this makes putting an outfit together immensely easier: when everything goes together, you really cannot go wrong, you save time and energy debating if your outfit pairing works because it always does. :)
This ultimately saves you money in the long run because it will limit mindless purchases - if you stick to it, you’ll be more conscious of only purchasing what you need to fit into your interchangeable collection. It’s also a good way of ensuring that you actually wear everything you own rather than those random pieces that sit there for years on end without use *just in case* you need it.
A capsule wardrobe is ideal for travel because its intent is to be incredibly versatile. When you stick to the basics - your options are endless.
How do I do this for travel?
Stick to one color scheme so everything is mix and match. Capsule wardrobes tend to be centered around neutral colors, but you can totally throw some color in there so long as all colors involved are complimentary with each other. Start with your neutrals, and then build from there using your favorite colors that you feel are flattering on you!
Keep to the basics - pick pieces and cuts that are forever in style. This way, you can have so many different outfit combos, and can revisit the same travel capsule for years to come. PLUS, if you find a unique piece while traveling that you just have to buy, you know it will match with what you have packed.
Choose lightweight pieces that fold up tightly and that you can layer for variety.
Invest in your pieces - stray from fast fashion, and shop from ethical and sustainable brands both so you can support shops with humane practices, and so you won’t have to worry about the quality of your clothing ripping or wearing out when traveling.
What do I pack?
To start - fill your wardrobe with the essentials:
-Plain colored t-shirts (2-3), or tanks if it will be hot. Great for layering and daily wear.
-A solid colored dress.
-About 2 nicer tops for a night out or dinner, plain colors within your color scheme.
-Black jeans and blue jeans.
-A leather jacket, a denim jacket.
-Sneakers fit for lots of walking, black boots, and some sandals.
-Black, simple fanny pack you can wear with anything!
-A workout outfit - you really only need one because workout material dries uber quickly, so you can hand wash wherever you’re staying.
-A pair of pajamas.
-Simple neutral colored sunglasses.
- A hat to protect from sun!
Outside of your capsule items, think about your specific trip - what will you be doing? Will you be hiking and climbing rocks? Walking long distances? Lounging by the beach? Submerged in water? Hitting the hot spot restaurants and bars?
Everyone’s capsule will be specific to their individual trip, so the guide above is just a place to start, but the main thing to remember if you’re struggling with packing, is to go with the classic pieces you love the most within one color scheme. And remember that you don’t need too much of anything.
You got this!
Where should I shop?
OMG! You NEED to know about Vetta. They create capsules each with 5 pieces of clothing that you can use to create 30 different outfits, usually including a set, a skirt or dress, pants or shorts, a top, and a jacket. And, they’re SOOO CUTE. You can buy each piece individually, choose from their pre-made capsules (cheaper this way), or create your own. I freaking love their Wander Capsule and this knit set. They use sustainable fabrics and ride largely on solar power.
Cuyana is a bit more high end, and another great company with basic pieces, sustainably made. Their clothing is all solid colors based in neutrals with some light warm and cool toned accent colors added in. Check out their Core selection of “timeless staples for a versatile wardrobe.” Cuyana will prove to you that basics are NOT boring. They are responsible about the amount of clothing they make to avoid overproduction and 99% of their materials are completely sustainable.
Nation Ltd is an environmentally responsible brand which has the perfect travel pieces that are easy to dress up or down, so they are just perfect for a travel capsule wardrobe! There’s something for everyone with Limited, and they use fabrics like Pima Cotton, which is one of my favorites. They are committed to making an environmental impact, and I personally love seeing the tracker of how many trees they’ve saved. It makes me happy to support a business that is saving the trees!
Quince is another sustainable option that offers basics, perfect for travel! They’ve got a nice variety of styles and a mix of colors that are sure to fit into the scheme you pick. I’m obsessed with this maxi dress, which depending on the shoes could work both for a day exploring the city or drinking a glass of wine at dinner. Their products are super affordable and manufactured sustainably with low waste, compostable packaging.
Are you obsessed?
If you create a capsule wardrobe for travel, it might inspire you to have a capsule wardrobe in your closet at home too! As always, we never suggest that you get rid of pieces that you love - rather working with a capsule wardrobe ensures that you love every single thing you own, and that love is shown when you wear each piece frequently!
Originally posted June 2022