How to Pack a Carry-On Capsule Wardrobe
How to pack light and look good, including links to what I wore in Spain.
My mind ceaselessly mimics that of the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. I cannot CHILL.
I must never be late, yet here I am, having spent the last week chilling in Seville, Spain (with Bryan❤️) and now very behind on Substack posts.
Granted, I have less than 50 subscribers and no pay wall, so you could say I’m late, but also maybe who cares?
I do!! There’s a heightening mountain of half-drafted ideas needing a polish and publish, so let’s get back at it. Quiet, Rabbit.
Selfishly… for personal reference, I’ll begin with a post on what I wore in Spain, but it’s so much more than that (!!).
I’ve spent my life traveling (yada yada) and have the balls to say I think I’ve finally nailed the carry-on capsule wardrobe. It took years of tweaking and I still bring an item or two that go untouched on a trip, BUT I can pack everything in a carry-on and personal bag for international two week trips, and not feel I missed anything from home.
Yea. That’s right. I didn’t say weekend trip - I said two weeks! Plus, I’m packing a 13" wide dinosaur of a laptop in order to work on projects while away (my baby. Capable of running Revit, Auto-CAD, and all of Adobe at once), which I predict you won’t need.
And I know this “what to pack” subject has been beaten to Timbuctoo, but we’re not talking how to fit enough underwear in your suitcase. We’re talking how to pack and have a cute fit for both sightseeing during the day and a cute dinner at night. How to pack interchangeable outfits (you love) and what to keep in mind.
Note: My overall style is more minimalist (as pictured above), so I wouldn’t scroll and expect ball gowns.
Cultivating your carry-on…
What to keep in mind:
1. Destination
Are you traveling to Ibiza or a small Spanish town with a cathedral around every corner? In other words, should you pack crop tops or something to cover your shoulders? Be honest.
Not to say I didn’t see crop tops in Seville. I did. But it’s such a buzz kill ambiance wise when you’re surrounded by warm toned, centuries old structures, and walking along cobblestone streets only to see a jarring neon crop top or shorts that a fanny pack would compete with on coverage. C’mon now.
The point here is that you want to be respectful of the locals and their culture wherever you’re visiting and try not to detract from the picturesque world they live in. Attempt to fit in somewhat so that you’re less of a visual disturbance for their day to day life.
For example, I packed loose mid-thigh jean shorts I wear every day in Florida, but didn’t wear once in Seville because I would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Jeans in general weren’t the vibe.
Climate is another reason locals dress the way they do, so researching what they tend to wear will offer an idea of what’s most comfortable in that area. I like to zoom in on Google Map street photos in a city for better insight.
2. Color
Have a base color whether it’s white, black, or navy blue for clothing. And then 2-3 splashes of other colors that work well together e.g. olive green/navy blue/coral in more accessory like pieces such as a cardigan, necklace, or scarf.
3. Know your body type
Stick with tried and true. Think of the outfits you’ve worn that’ve made you feel stellar and why. And be honest when filtering out certain pieces.
For myself, I wouldn’t pack a billowy top and skinny jeans because I know my body type — broad shoulders, narrow hips, long waist, average length legs — (not including boring insecurities, but those matter too!) and that those pieces would make me feel more unbalanced, killing my confidence.
So I’ll lengthen my legs with a chunky heel. Widen my hips with a pleated skirt. Minimize my top half with simple silhouettes such as a plain white t-shirt or form fitting top.
You want every piece you’re packing to pull it’s weight and not sit in a suitcase.
4. Shoes
Unless you’re hiking Yosemite, why are we wearing running/hiking shoes? I’m always perplexed at the sight of anyone under the age of 50 rocking these on vacation. Yes, you’ll walk for miles. Also - yes, there are other comfortable modes of footwear: flats, sandals, short chunky heels, boots, or boat shoes, Chelsea boots, and loafers for men.
I lived in New York City, walking everywhere, and only broke out the Nikes for a run or gym sesh.
Bonus: packing comfortable and stylish flats = more space for clothes or the ability to pack more shoes. Aka five flats vs. two sneakers.
For going out at night, pack a pair of heels that’d go with multiple outfits. If you kept a neutral base layer color wise, this should be easy. And chunky heels over stilettos when in a cobblestone studded city (trust me).
4. KISS
Keep it simple, silly.
If you're on the fence about packing anything, ask yourself if at least three outfits (that you’d actually wear!) can be made with items you’re already bringing.
Usually being on the fence is a sign I should leave it home. Like my woven wicker bag that would've been SO cute with at least two outfits, but took up 1/4 of the carry-on and wasn’t large enough to be my personal bag with that 13” dinosaur I’m dragging around.
Other Tips
Begin packing at least 2 days in advance (sometimes I use a week - it’s exciting!) so you can weed out unneccassaries and add anything you otherwise would’ve forgotten.
Before packing, lay every piece of clothing out on your bed with shoes on the floor below. That way you can see how interchangeable pieces are and make sure each one is pulling its weight.
Wear anything that takes up too much space on the plane. Whatever your largest pieces are e.g. sneakers, boots, jeans, a sweater. And layer up. Plains are notoriously freezing anyways.
Rules are meant to be broken! I love the colors and pattern of this dress below and didn’t care if I was seen wearing it three times. I felt good :) And you can mix up the shoes, hairstyle, bag, or add a scarf.
Look at souvenirs that don’t take up a ton of space for the trip home. Such as stationary, pens, magnets, small saucer plates from a flea market, jewelry you can wear, a silk scarf, a small framed piece of art… here’s a few of my own finds:
LINKS: My Seville Capsule Carry-On
*vintage - linked similar // **sold out - linked similar
Tops:
Zara white tee / Pact white cami / Sezane navy cardigan / **H&M green blazer
Bottoms:
COS white linen pants / **Banana Republic pleated white skirt / *Ramy Brook green silk skirt / **Free People pleated white skort
Dresses:
Anthropologie blue patterned dress / **AE black dress
PJs:
Printfresh shorts / Cotton On black tank
Shoes:
Rive Gauche leather heels / Lulu white mules / Madewell leather flats / **Target Roman Sandals / **gold sandals
Accessories:
*croc skinned clutch / Etsy black leather bag / Longchamp tote (for the dino) / *stone necklace / **bracelets / *clip on earrings
And then a hair straightener, wand, (though both not needed with how little humidity there was), makeup, a ton of cotton underwear, and yea! That’s about it not including the personal bag stuffed with books, a laptop, passport, charging cords, sleep mask, tangled headphones, and beef sticks. And don’t forget socks!
XX
