Earlier this spring, I spent a week in London for work. While I was mostly sitting in an office all day, I also took every opportunity I had to get out and explore the city a bit. I had a great time wandering around London, and you can expect another post shortly on all the places I visited in such a short span of time. But as silly as it seems, I first wanted to give an update on what I wore for this trip.
The capsule wardrobe is not a new thing – I’ve been seeing posts on it across my social media for years now. Stylists and bloggers will recommend a specific style of blue jeans, a versatile trench coat, et cetera. While I’ve always loved the idea, it never really worked out for me and my style choices.
Until this trip, when it suddenly clicked for me. I figured out how to pack all my outfits for one week in a carry-on suitcase, accounting for the unpredictability of London weather in the spring and focusing on pieces that made sense for both work and fun. Not struggling for what to wear was a magical experience. I wanted to share the tips that made it work for me and will hopefully allow others to replicate their own capsule wardrobes, either for travel or everyday.
Tip 1: It’s okay if every single piece is a basic.
I felt funny packing my suitcase because there were no “statement” pieces. Everything that went in there was very simple and straightforward. Usually, my style is at its most exciting when I am traveling (versus my uniform of a black bodysuit at home), so it felt weird to only be bringing the basics.
Here’s my list of the clothing items I packed, which ultimately gave me 12 outfit combinations for both work and personal wear.
- Bottoms: black trousers / blue jeans / black midi skirt
- Base layer tops: black tank top, white short-sleeved crop top
- Layering tops: black and white striped cardigan / oversized white button down shirt
- Black classic dress
- Outerwear: white trench coat / black cropped tweed jacket
- Shoes: black chunky loafers for the daytime / black pointed low heels for nighttime
Most of a capsule wardrobe will consist of basic pieces.
Tip 2: Figure out what your color palette is, and don’t deviate.
Optimal color palettes are different for everyone – for me, I always lean towards black with gold accessories. For some of my friends, it might be neutral colors, or they know that their eyes pop when they wear green. You know best what flatters you and what you like – it depends on your own style, coloring, and what you usually gravitate towards when you shop.
The reason I advise to figure out your color palette, at least generally, is not to keep you from experimenting with colors and hues, but to make sure all of your pieces will work together when you dump them out of your suitcase. You can have more room for varying colors in your wardrobe at home – but when traveling, make every piece count.
For example, here I am wearing a black jacket with gold buttons. I’m a gold girl. All of my jewelry is gold. I think that if I had this exact same jacket, but with silver buttons instead of gold, I would not feel the same easy way about throwing it on, because it would not effortlessly blend with what I already have.
Know which colors and shades you like to wear.
Tip 3: No impulse buying.
Every fashion blogger in the world will probably tell you that you have to have a trench coat. I agree it is one of the most versatile and classic pieces imaginable. Personally, I have always lusted after the trench coat look given how refined and simple it is. But until I found the coat pictured below, I couldn’t make trench coats work for me.
The one I’m wearing in this photo works for me and my capsule wardrobe for a few reasons. The colors (stone white, with black buttons) are in my wheelhouse – but the coat itself isn’t black, which adds a bit of variety. The cut of the coat is long, so I don’t have to worry at all about what’s under it. And it’s a nice enough coat that I can wear it to work, but also wear it to a cocktail bar afterwards.
It might take you a bit of time to find all of the perfect pieces for you. If you have an idea of what you’re focused on, and don’t allow yourself to impulse buy a piece that’s almost what you’re looking for, you will have a much better shot of ending up with the perfect item that you will always return to in your closet. Otherwise, you’ll have lots of clothes that are almost what you want to wear – but not quite.
Tip 4: Accessorize simply, but don’t skip this part.
Where would this simple outfit be without a belt?
Seriously, just cover up the gold buckle of the belt with your finger for a moment and look at the outfit. It suddenly looks way less put-together.
Accessories are what will tie the basic pieces together into something that looks intentional. The accessories I packed for this trip were:
- Black belt with a gold buckle
- Gold jewelry
- Purses (I brought two – this is where I failed to travel light)
- Black sunglasses
Don’t forget the final touches, or the all of the basic pieces in the outfit might not come together for a completed look.
Bonus Tip: Sometimes, the coat is the outfit.
I noticed this was especially true for my week in London, when it wasn’t particularly warm (mid 50s-60s) and I spent a lot of time walking outside. I’m actually wearing different outfits in all the photos below, but does it even matter? The coat is the look.
If you’ve been working on your capsule wardrobe for a while, it’s likely that many of these tips are already be common knowledge to you. Hopefully it’s helpful to see it all in one place and to visualize each piece against a scenic London backdrop. Now that I have this recipe for success, I know I will never pack the same way for a trip again.
