How to create an out of season holiday capsule wardrobe.
The problem about going away to a hot country when your own is cold is choosing your clothes. There is nothing in this world that I love more than packing, except, not packing. I always start out excited and eagerly awaiting the chance to pack only to find myself at midnight the night before waist deep in clothes and no idea what should come with me.
Last year I made huge mistakes when packing for India and this time around I am determined not go through that again. At Christmas I went out the week before with no idea and only the thought that a trip to H&M would solve all my problems, did it? No, but it sure did make a pretty sizeable dent in my wallet. In the cheaper stores its almost too easy to throw a pile of ‘this might work . . .’ options which ultimately never work in practice this was the case, last year.
I filled my suitcase with every single option that I could think of, from shirts that I had no trousers to work with them, tee shirts that never left my suitcase or that christmas day dress which still has never been worn.
With the Fall Capsule in the back of my mind I desperately want to avoid making these mistakes again. So rather than shopping with no idea of what is actually needed this time I started with a list and preliminary shop. Below outlines what I wore last time, what I have available now and what I felt I needed to buy to complete my holiday capsule.
Of course with the Autumn capsule in mind I put a similar restriction on myself and that was to keep my pieces as minimal as possible. With holidays that going away excitement can make me go a little over the top and rather than letting myself get carried away or a whim I am going to try and make my purchases minimal, multi purpose and as in keeping in my new aesthetic as possible.
When we went last time I spent the majority of my time in a small amount of clothes, I loved my harem trousers, my Saudi scarf and my white tee shirt particularly. It is funny because that week I allowed myself to just wear my favourite things over and over and over again without feeling shame or that it wasn’t allowed and now with the capsule in full swing I find myself doing that now and feeling far more relaxed with my clothes, more stylish and almost . . . happier.
So what did I wear and what can I bring forward this time and whats in the Autumn capsule that could work? (AC)
What did I wear mainly last time?
Harem trousers (AC)
White quarter length sleeved tee
black quarter length sleeved tee
Black Leggings (AC)
White ballet slippers
White Sandals
Blue Sandals
Red Saudi Scarf
Bracelets
Sunglasses
Fatboy (thief proof) cross body
What of this can I carry forward?
The harem trousers (AC)
Black quarter length sleeved tee
black leggings (AC)
Saudi scarf, bracelets and the fatboy bag.
Then comes the fun bit, looking at what I wore last time, at what I would like to wear this time, what I own and what small updates can bring it all together! Planning I believe solves many ills and in particular I think help stops daft, spur of the moment clothing purchases.
Below are three lists, the musts, the wants and the cheeky extras that may be considered. To help keep myself in check I also put a budget on myself which is £50-£70, this may sound daft for just say holiday clothes but I am aiming to ensure that any purchases made are useable year round and more importantly useable in the UK as well as abroad.
What do I need to re buy that I would have worn last time?
Sandals
A light long sleeved tee shirt (H&M?)
Light ballet slippers for house/hotel
New Items that may be beneficial this time
A second pair of Harem Trousers
A white shirt?
Denim look leggings
a light, flattering cover up
Fun extras which could be bought if desired
A blue and white striped tee shirt
A lot of these are just replacement pieces for whats now too gross to be acceptable (white sandals in a place with lots of sand was never going to end well, especially when you spend a lot of time taking them on and off – don’t be precious with your shoes here!). This was the same thing with my little slippers, I loved these and they looked great for the week but as with all white things by the end of winter they had had their day. With that in mind I am looking to purchase a grey pair that will hopefully hold up better this time round.
For new items and doubles, I know I spoke a lot about trying not to buy doubles but its quite hard in this case. I loved my harem trousers in India last time, they weren’t too hot and they had stretch which was great for the two weeks of unavoidable IBS so paying £18 for a second pair to wear the two on repeat doesn’t seem like a bad idea. I intend to purchase the exact shape but in black which I believe will be great for my winter capsule wardrobe, especially for nights out around christmas with piles of gold jewellery and a pair of high heels.
Things that I may of not considered before that I felt may work were things that I actually found in H&M or have been thinking about for a while which are modest in style (India is a modest country and it is important to me that I am respectful in my dressing of this fact). Those are, denim look leggings as it is far too hot for actual jeans! A white shirt with a collar, in a light fabric which is both cool but covers everything. This works at home with pencil skirts or even actual jeans with a pair of heels. A light cover up. I am looking at a £6 cardigan from divided which is light and thin but would protect me from bites and stings, or maybe even a kimono to be pulled over other items. The last is a possible or a if I feel its needed and thats a brighter blue striped white tee shirt. This may lighten up an otherwise dark palette and would work with denim leggings, tucked in harem trousers or left loose or even over a swim costume, perfect.
next week, what I bought and what I put together!! 🙂
therealjlow 