We’re off to Italy where we’ll spend two weeks at the gorgeous Amalfi coast. We’re splitting our time between a hotel in Positano, and sharing a villa with friends in Sorrento. Sam will hold the fort back home with our pet-sitter, and we will miss him terribly.
Including travel, it’s a two-week trip and this is what I’ve packed. A few things upfront before I delve into the details.
- We’ll be doing a lot of relaxing, strolling and slowing things down. We’re looking forward to spending quality time together, hanging out with friends, sightseeing, savouring gastronomic delights, and lounging on a beach that’s a hundred steps from the villa.
- It’s going to be gloriously warm and sunny. Daytime highs of about 25 to 28 degrees Celsius (78 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit), and a little cooler in the mornings and evenings. Apparently, it will be humid, but that doesn’t worry me at all. I love the heat, and quite like the humidity.
- I’ll be putting a suitcase in the hold because I like to have more dressing options than a carry-on can accommodate. I’ll also be doing a little shopping on my trip which requires extra space on the way home.
- I will not be doing laundry on the trip.
The capsule does not include the outfit that I will wear on both sets of flights. It’s the same outfit, and I’ve shown the components at the end of this post.
This capsule came together extremely easily because I’d decided back in February that I would wear dresses, skirts, pretty tops and cropped white jeans on this trip, which is exactly what I’ve packed. I had all the dresses because it’s been the BEST dress season ever.
The Palette
The colours, fabrics and patterns reflect my sartorial preferences. I’ve stuck to my usual Summer palette of optical white, dark and mid-tone blues, denim blue, sour brights like watermelon and citron, and a smattering of black. I LOVE lace and eyelet so there’s a lot of that. I prefer classic patterns so it’s stripes, polka dots and checks all the way. I can wear head to toe neutral outfits, or throw in the brights. I happily wear watermelon with citron and white, and find it harmonious and soothing. All outfits are grounded with white, which calms the eye and adds that crisp and pretty integrity I’m after in my outfits.
No Formula
There is no one outfit formula because I’ll be wearing dresses, a skirt, and cropped jeans with tops. The only constant is flat white footwear, pearls, and my eyewear. Most of the tops can be worn with either the jeans or skirt, which is handy. That way I can pander to my mood when selecting what to wear for the day.
The mix of items is true to my style since it combines classics with trendier items, wardrobe essentials with statement pieces, solids with patterns, neutrals with colours, and old items with newbies. There is plenty of variety but with a good amount of discipline. There are ten fresh outfits which means I’ll wear a few items more than once.
Important: I took the time to try on all outfit combinations with various accessories and footwear options to make sure I liked them. Do not go with what you think will work in your head. TRY ON outfits before you pack to avoid disaster.
Here’s more detail on each part of the capsule. Note that wardrobe basics like undies, camisoles, sleepwear, loungewear and footies are not represented here, but of course I’ll pack them too. For the rest, these are the exact wardrobe items that I packed and will be wearing en route.
Footwear
I built a travel capsule around my shoes because it’s extremely important to have happy feet when you’re walking around a city and using public transport. Once I knew which ultra comfortable shoes I was taking, I planned the rest of the outfits to work with them.
All footwear has been tried and tested, and goes the distance. All footwear is white and FLAT because that’s signature to my style and bookends my hair. No heels at all. I chose mules to inject trendy newness into my outfits. I chose classic loafers because they work with everything and are my most worn Summer shoes. I threw in a pair of sandals for heat and humidity, and the beach. And streamlined white fashion sneakers for extra long walks and plane travel. All footwear options work across the range of outfits, although I prefer some combinations to others.
Dresses
I feel a lot more pulled together and comfortable in a dress, so I don’t bother with shorts. I’ve packed five frocks across a range of of colours, patterns and fabrics for maximum versatility. They’re all midi length apart from one, which doubles as a tunic over white crops. Silhouettes are roomy, or tailored on the torso because I’m off fitted sheaths on this leg on my style journey. I want comfort, swish and romance, and nothing constricting on the lower body. All dresses are sleeved because I don’t wear sleeveless. Silhouettes are casual and smart casual, and quite dramatic. I’ll be wearing them with casual flats, which effectively dresses them down.
Bottoms
I chose three bottoms for days when I don’t wear dresses. White jeans are favourites, so I packed those and two pairs for good measure. Who needs blue jeans when you love white jeans! I’m thrilled with my new lace skirt and threw that in to change things up. It’s a pencil style, but very breezy and comfy nonetheless.
Tops
I’ve packed a range of blue and white tops because they look best with the bottoms and are robust for travel. No bright tops this time round, but there’s variety in silhouette, pattern and fabric to prevent me from getting bored. All tops can be worn with the three bottoms so I can mix and match till the cows come home. I’ll pattern mix, so there are many possibilities.
Toppers
Denim jackets are a wardrobe essential for my Summer style and suitably robust for travel. I chose a light-washed embroidered style with a fluid fit, and a dark collarless tailored peplum silhouette to change things up. Both jackets work over any of the dresses and tops, although I like some combinations more than others.
Accessories
I’ll be we wearing my specs and sunnies along with gold watch, pearl bracelet and pearl wedding ring daily. I’ll throw in the pearl necklace most days too. To change things up, I’ve brought along two handbags instead of one. I MUST travel with a satchel and chose my citron Furla because it converts to a crossbody and adds a bright component to my outfit. The straw bag is a trendy classic and screams beachy-Summer so I packed that too. These bags add polish to my outfits, and are also practical. I chose a cotton citron scarf to complement the bag. I wear Summer scarves in the heat to keep the sun and sea breeze off my neck.
I will also be travelling with an umbrella and a cashmere wrap. I’ve left the wrap out of the capsule because it will not be styled into these outfits. It’s a cosy blanket for plane travel only.
Swimwear
I created my swimwear capsule from scratch back in February and am thrilled with it. I won’t do much swimming, and will spend most of the time in the shade under an umbrella. I can wear the packable straw hat with any of my day outfits.
Travel Outfit
This is the exact outfit that I will wear tomorrow on the flights out to Paris and Naples, and the flights back to Seattle in a fortnight. It follows my strategy for what to wear on long flights. Layers, fabrics with stretch that don’t crease, and soft fabrics are cosy and insulating for plane travel. A jacket, scarf and dressy bag also make my casual outfit look pulled together and polished. Comfortable shoes are essential for comfort when traipsing through airports and cities with luggage.
You can visit the collection page to see my travel capsule in its entirety. The picture below shows the items just before I started packing. Mini in-house fashion stylist Sam gave his nod of approval.
