3 Steps to Curate Your Travel Capsule Wardrobe
If you are looking for travel outfit tips for summer that will also help you to pack lighter, I’ve got the easy formula for you!
And the best part is you don’t *necessarily* need to shop for anything new. We’re going to use your existing clothes for this wardrobe for summer travel 2022.
It only takes 3 simple steps:
- Create 3 outfit templates.
- Create 3 of each type of outfit.
- Transition from day to evening.
Are you excited about this?
1. Create 3 outfit templates.
When I travel, I wear 3 basic outfits:
- Tank Tops & Pants (my practical category)
- Shorts Outfits (for very hot weather)
- Light Dresses (versatile for day to night)
2. Create 3 of each type of outfit.
For Tank Tops & Pants, I make sure everything is interchangeable. That means I can wear any of the tops with any of the bottoms. This allows for lighter luggage and more outfits.
When I’m touristing during the day, I like wearing shorts outfits. The first one is a romper from Express that has a white lace overlay, which is perfect for disguising sweat on a very hot summer day. The second and third outfits feature linen shorts that kind of look like a skirt from the front. Linen is very breathable and my favorite fabric for summer.
My favorite category has to be light dresses. In this set, the first two are linen dresses and the last one is Tencel Lyocell. I’ll show you in the next step how to transition a travel dress from daytime to evening.
Linked: the black dress is the Kaila Knit Dress by Reformation — available in 8 colors!
3. Transition from Day to Evening
I used to pack for vacation with 2 suitcases, because I wanted every outfit to be entirely different. But after traveling to several countries, I found I enjoyed the trip more when I had less outfits and was more mobile with my carry-on only suitcase.
A key to packing light is creating versatility in outfits, specifically in dressing them down for the daytime or up for the evening. Here are some examples!
For the outfit on the left, I’d probably swap the sandals for sneakers to tourist all day, and I’d keep the entire outfit on the right for an evening look.
With this outfit on the left, I’d wear it walking around and trying to cover 10 miles of sightseeing in one day. At night, I could slip on this linen blazer and have an elevated look for mild nighttime temperatures.
Dresses are the most versatile to me. Pairing this & Other Stories dress with sneakers and a claw clip creates a casual look. But in the evening, I could pull down the puff sleeves to reveal the decolatage and add some strappy sandals and a small clutch for a dressy but still relaxed vibe.
Linked: the blue dress is from & Other Stories — very flattering on!
Lastly, swimsuits
In case you’re also traveling to a tropical location, here’s a tip on packing swimwear:
Don’t bring a swimsuit for every day! You can rewear swimsuits. I like to bring a one-piece that’s higher coverage for things like the sauna or to wear as a bodysuit during the day. I bring another swimsuit that’s less coverage to even out my tan at the beach. The bikini on the left is versatile for tanning, because I can wrap it 3 different ways, and the straps can be worn off-the-shoulder.
For more swimwear ideas, read this post next:
7 Women at the Beach Based on Personal Style
Like this post? Send it to a friend who’s planning a summer trip!
Priska
