Last July Megan and I challenged ourselves to explore a month of capsule dressing. For those of you new to the concept, a capsule is a smaller selection of items in your wardrobe to be used in mix and match fashion. They can be designed for seasonal dressing or travel. Click here for our July post.
This year we decided to focus on travel capsules knowing that I would be traveling for two weeks in Europe. Once again, we are testing the limits of fashion on ourselves first. This idea was also born out of the reality that I had a very tight connection in London and checking a bag would be risky.
Kimberly's Packing List - 18 Items for 16 Days!
Thanks to my tight international connection, I decided to simplify what I could. That meant no checked luggage for my 16 day trip to Portugal and Spain.
Photo Thanks to Kelsey Johnson. Capsule Contents (starting at top left): J.Crew checked shirt, navy trench, GapBody tie-back tank, grey cashmere wrap, Letterpress denim jacket, Gap striped scarf, J.Crew orange linen tank, Banana Republic black and white muscle tank, Tahari white tank, Brooks houndstooth sneakers, Cole Haan sandals, Kate Spade crossbody, AG natural jeans, AG denim jeans, Blue tassel blouse, Madewell silk dress, Splendid jumpsuit, Jigsaw natural cardigan (late add)
Week #1 Travel Update
Hello from Spain! I am a week into my trip and wanted to update you on how my capsule is working for me.
Top Five Take Aways:
1.) A Small Suitcase on wheels is a beautiful thing--it's liberating to pack up quickly and go.
2.) Capsule wardrobing is not scientific or fool proof--the weather at the start was unexpected and I had to be okay with a tighter repeat of my warmer pieces.
3.) Sticking to basics helps-the same color palette and layering options make mixing and matching easy.
4.) Consider what you will be doing- I've ended up devoting three pieces for evening options and limiting their day use. For the second portion of the trip I'll be using them more often during the day.
5.) Plan For Laundry- with repeating items more frequently laundry is a must. Many cities have wash and folds or hotels/air bnb have onsite options.
Now off to find some Spanish style!
~Kimberly