In June we went on a 4 week trip to the Netherlands and England. The day we left I shared my travel capsule. The items that you see on the bed below are exactly what I packed, along with basics like undies, sleepwear and loungewear. Each item was carefully chosen to ensure that I had outfits for a variety of settings, occasions and temperatures on the trip. Many readers were worried that I might be cold, so just before leaving I popped my citron trench coat into our luggage. The two suitcases went into the hold of the plane, and still had plenty of room to bring back closet souvenirs, a painting, yummies for our snack cupboard, a few ornaments for our home, and gifts for friends.
No matter how well I think through a travel capsule beforehand, there always seem to be items that I wish I hadn’t brought, and others that I miss. I also often arrive home a little bored with the items I wore during the trip. But I’m pleased to report that this is the FIRST time that neither was true. Although this was one of the longer trips we’ve taken, this was definitely my best travel capsule so far. It was close to perfect.
Some thoughts about the capsule:
- We had amazing weather for most of the trip with temperatures ranging from daytime highs of 17 to 32 degrees Celsius (62 to 90 Fahrenheit). Most days were around 20 to 24 degrees with cooler temperatures in the mornings and evenings. It rained twice and only for a few hours. I wore my trench coat once during the day and twice at night. It didn’t get much wear but I am SO glad I brought it, if only to be comfortable on that one chilly day. Many thanks to you for making me pack it last minute!
- We often walked between 10 and 17 kilometres in a day so the most important items in my capsule were the shoes. They worked out brilliantly and I had very happy feet. The white footwear was easy to clean with a damp cloth and nail polish remover when they got scuffed, and they don’t look the worse for wear. My white ankle boots came home a little more scuffed on the toes, but it was worth it because the booties are amazing walking shoes.
- I was happy with the range of outfits the capsule could support. The items were extremely versatile, which made putting combinations together a breeze. There was ample variety in garment silhouette, pattern and colour, which prevented me from becoming bored with my look. I was able to wear high-contrast outfits, columns of colour, and softer tonal looks. I loved that I had both pastels and brights in the mix, and lots of white. I felt fashionable, comfortable and practical every day.
- I wore ALL the pieces, most of them multiple times. The only items I didn’t wear more than once were ones I had packed for two specific occasions: an evening out in Amsterdam and High Tea in London. I knew I’d only wear those outfits once when I packed them, but it was worth taking them along.
- The two pairs of white jeans were a great idea because they made me feel crisp and Summery. There were many people wearing white jeans and trousers in Velp and Arnhem where my Dad lives in the Netherlands. It was like a uniform and I felt right at home. Good thing I could launder my white jeans throughout our four week trip.
- The only time I thought I had a wardrobe hole was when we went walking on stony paths along the Thames and in the woods around Richmond. I could have used a pair of sneakers or sturdier pair of flat booties. But it was only one morning so I coped just fine.
- I carried my turquoise satchel most of the time because it holds more than the clutch. I usually keep my handbags lightweight, but the content doubles when I travel because I plan for a few more emergencies. Next time, I’ll probably pack another satchel, like I did for our trip to Hong Kong in February, instead of a clutch.
- I didn’t think that I would wear my mixed media denim jacket with my jodhpur jeans because they are a similar colour blue. But I was inspired by the street style in Amsterdam where many women (and men) wore denim on denim and looked great.
Greg took pictures of most of my outfits (including the ones I wore on the flights) and you can see them below. In some cases there is also an outfit for the evening, but he didn’t capture all of those. Note that some of the pictures link to my post about the outfit.
