I know many of us are traveling for the holidays, so every year I put together a fall packing list so that you don’t have to think very hard about what to pack! I don’t know if I’ll personally use this list because I’m still in love with last year’s list (see it HERE) and still have all of those pieces.
For newer readers, I started packing mini capsule wardrobes for trips because one year for Thanksgiving I packed in outfits in an attempt to not overpack, but none of my clothes went with anything outside of its designated outfit. Once I was on my trip, I absolutely hated the outfits I packed and didn’t want to wear them. Since nothing could go with anything else, I was stuck with the outfits I brought and hated. On top of that, I actually didn’t have appropriate clothing for some unplanned activities on the trip. For a week I was stuck with a suitcase full of clothes that I either didn’t want to or couldn’t wear, and I felt trapped with no options!
Packing mini capsule wardrobes give me tons of options without overpacking. It’s the best! Instead of being limited to set outfits, I have a mix and match suitcase full of outfit options for whatever I want to or need to wear that day.
- 4 tops
- 3 different colored bottoms – skirts, pants, shorts, etc. Each bottom needs to go with at least 3 out of 4 tops, but you’ll maximize your outfits if they each go with all tops.
- 3 completer pieces – The more different they are from each other, the more varied your outfits will look. For example, a vest looks and provides a much different feeling for an outfit than a cardigan while two cardigans of different colors might feel the same after a while. Not always, though! And if you don’t care as much about outfit variety then it doesn’t matter either. This year I went with a pullover sweater as my 3rd completer piece because I liked how it worked so much from last year.
- 2 pairs of shoes – I usually limit it to just 2, and in this case it’s a pair of riding boots and a pair of ankle boots. They’re both neutrals so I can wear either of them with any outfit. You could do ballet flats or two pairs of riding boots. Almost anything will work!
- 1-2 scarves
- A handful of necklaces – This year I think I only used necklaces pretty minimally. Instead, I relied on interesting color mixes and scarves to make my outfits more interesting.
- Jacket (not shown). I always only bring one jacket when traveling to save my precious suitcase space. Jackets are bulky!
- Duration: 7 days. I want to clarify that while this could be used for a 15 day trip, I personally would probably not use this list for a 15 day trip slotting one outfit per day. Using this list that way would only put you back in the trap of having set outfits and doesn’t give you margin for things to get dirty, not having the right outfit for the right occasion, or the weather not cooperating with your planned outfit for the day. For me the point of this is to have some options for those unexpected times, so I can be ready for getting spilled on, the weather changing, or unplanned activities–without packing half my closet for all of those “just in case” events. I would pack this for a 7-10 day trip, but not a 2 week trip.
- For a longer trip, I would pack 1-2 more tops which will go a very long way. Also, maybe one more completer piece, like another cardigan or another pullover sweater.
Here are the outfits!
I don’t really have favorites this year, just maybe 4 un-favorites. 😛 I love the muted color palette on this one and especially love the lighter windowpane scarf! Like I’ve said before, it keeps outfits bright while still looking cozy.
Got any favorites?
Special Announcement: Extended Capsule Wardrobe + Outfits Coming!
If you like posts like this where I give you a list of pieces and show you a bunch of outfits, then keep your eyes open during the next few weeks! I’m excited to tell you that I’ll be launching a Style Challenge program that you can buy into (for you or as a Christmas gift for a friend! or both!) that will provide you with tons of outfits and even tell you when to wear what each day.
It will provide you with way more details to help you put together your Style Challenge capsule (and ultimately a cohesive wardrobe) with as many pieces as you can draw from your own closet. But, if you need or want to add any to your closet I’ll also provide several alternatives for each piece instead of just one or two options like I give in these posts. There will also be some giveaways that only Style Challenge members get access to!
More details will come as it gets closer, but I wanted to give you a heads up to stay tuned!
For all One Piece Many Ways posts, where I take one item and style it several different ways, click HERE.
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