The Perfect Summer Capsule Wardrobe for Your Carry-On Travels

As summer is reaching its peak so is the time to travel. For many, with traveling comes the dreaded task of packing. However, there is just no way around the tedious task.

Not amount of checking the weather, reviewing your itinerary, etc will leave you fully knowledgeable on what to pack for your vacation… frankly, that’s just reality. 

However, I am here to tell you that packing can, in fact, be made a little less stressful. Yep, you heard me right. How?! You are probably asking yourself. My answer is simple, the capsule wardrobe. 

Quit throwing random pieces in your carry-on and ‘hoping for the best’ and stop planning out your every outfit right down to what undies you’re going to wear. All you need is fifteen pieces of clothing and a carry-on suitcase and you are all set for your next adventure. Whether it be a week-long or a month.

In today’s post, I am going to be breaking down the items I have packed away and sharing with you the logic behind bringing each one. In Wednesday’s post, I’ll be sharing with you thirty different outfits you can wear with the pieces to show you that the capsule wardrobe is truly the way to go when traveling.

I tried to choose pretty standard items for a summer capsule. Depending on you, you may feel that two dresses aren’t necessary or that you’d rather have two pairs of shorts rather than two pairs of jeans and that is perfectly okay. Today’s post is meant to be a rough outline on what I’d personally wear this time of year.

THE PACKING LIST-

-2 pairs of jeans
-2 dresses
-1 skirt
-1 pair of shorts
-2 tees
-3 tanks
-1 denim jacket
-1 pair of sneakers
-2 pairs of sandals

THE PIECES-

orange tee  // white tee
simple layering and versatality

chambray tank // blue embroidered tank // embroidered tassel tank 
tanks to go with everything and to add a few pops of color

denim shorts // denim jacket // navy skirt 
my favorite shorts, a jacket for layering and chilly temps at night, and a skirt for comfortable wear

dark wash jeans // white jeans
dark wash skinnies because I prefer them over shorts and white jeans for nicer occasions

orange maxi dress // striped swing dress
one maxi for the fancier occasion or family pictures and a swing dress for the stroll

white slip-ons  (practicality) // orange mules (semi-dressy) // denim sandals (casual)

Whether you are traveling or not you can totally use this summer capsule as a guide in sorting through your wardrobe and in choosing outfits. The pieces that I chose are a reflection of my day-to-day activities and personal style.

THE RULES-

Only bring what you’ll actually wear. If you haven’t worn it in months at home, the chances of you wearing it on vacation are slim to none. Pack your absolute favorite pieces that you know and love.

Choose a color scheme. Choosing a color palette to work off of is super important in helping all of your pieces be cohesive. I chose denim, blue, white, and orange for a pop of color and something different.

Only bring one purse. Chances are you are trying to travel light or maximize your space if you’re choosing the travel capsule for your next trip. Don’t add to your load by bringing more than one purse. I chose my Long Champ because it fits the plane necessities like food, a sweater, a book, etc. but I can easily use the tote as my day-to-day bag when I reach the destination.

Three pairs of shoes only. I am a shoe lover but three pairs is all you need. I chose my mules because I wanted some color and a dressier shoe that could still be worn out and about. I added my denim slides for a casual everyday wear and my white Vans because they are the closest thing to sneakers I typically wear and they are beyond comfortable.

THE SUITCASE SITUATION-

Like I said, you don’t have to use this capsule wardrobe only for travel but that’s the main idea of it. With just these 15 pieces you could have a month’s worth of outfits.

I packed away the pieces into a standard carry-on size suitcase so you could see how everything fits. All of my clothing except for the two dresses fit perfectly on one half of the suitcase when rolled. I fit the two dresses next to it and could have stacked the shoes to have even more space but left them as is for picture purposes.

There is still plenty of space in the body of the suitcase for a pair of pajamas, a workout outfit, and some toiletries if need be. Not to mention that the two front pockets that most suitcases have are both still empty for things like socks, underwear, and so forth.

So, as you can tell… you CAN in fact bring fifteen pieces of clothing in your carry-on with extra space and thirty outfits!

KEEP IN MIND-

• Location is key when choosing your pieces! Are you camping under the hot sun or chilling in a cold hotel? Keep these things in mind.
• Check the weather before you leave. There is no use leaving without rain boots and a rain jacket if it’s going to storm four days straight.
• Hiking every day or going golfing? Think about the activities you will be doing throughout the day before packing three pairs of wedges!

Feel free to take inspiration from this capsule or even try it out for your next vacation. Let me know what you think of today’s capsule in the comments below along with any other, questions, comments, or requests you may have for me. PLUS, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the thirty outfit combinations made from these fifteen pieces coming your way Wednesday. You won’t want to miss this one! With love, McKenz.

Latest Post: Weekly Wrap Up #27 (Week In My Life + Outfit of The Week) 
Related Post: Spring 10X10 Capsule Wardrobe Challenge 
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