TRAVEL || A Warm Weather Packing Capsule Wardrobe

February 9, 2023

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I’ll never forget when TJ and I went to Europe for the first time, back in April 2012 (we were going to Rome and Paris), and my suitcase weighed 65lbs. Yes, 65lbs. It was absurd. I had purchased so many new items for the trip, but nothing really worked past 1-2 outfits… so in order to plan for 14 days worth of outfits, I just packed as much as I could. Literally. Yet, in all fairness to myself (can you do that??), part of this adventure was a recognition trip for TJ’s work, so there were a lot of evenings out that required dressy attire. Still, in retrospect, there was no need for all that I packed. I ended up wearing the same boots everyday in Paris… along with the same jeans… and then I rotated between a couple of tops (and the same coat, because it rained the entire time).

This is a really long winded story to highlight the fact that after packing one of the heaviest suitcases I’ve ever packed, I decided it was time to start streamlining the entire process (well, I decided that a little later on… it’s not as if I had an immediate epiphany or anything). When I started creating capsule wardrobes, I didn’t see why they couldn’t also be applicable to traveling. When you’re intentional about what you pack, and plan with a purpose, you can actually pack quite efficiently and lightly (which I was able to do on our trip to Italy this past summer)…. which actually feels so freeing.

So today I am sharing a Tropical Vacation Capsule Wardrobe. It has a total of 20 pieces (including shoes, hats, and bags) which you can get 20 outfits out with (probably more, I just stopped at 20). Most of the items can easily be dressed up, or down, depending on the accessories you choose. I own the majority of these items and can concur that they do, in fact, mix and match effortlessly.

I realize it’s the middle of winter right now, but if you have an upcoming spring break trip planned for March or April, I wanted to put this together in case you’re looking to streamline the packing process and maximize your wardrobe (and of course, anything similar will work as well).

And with that, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend ahead! We have zero plans, other than a Super Bowl get together at my parent’s, and we’re all looking forward to a little more relaxation this weekend. See you Monday!
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