Conference travel capsule - late August in The Netherlands

Sharing for those of you who like examples of small travel capsules. I think I'm quite settled on the capsule, ... so the question for the YLF forum is more related to sharing advice on other successful strategies of keeping a tight travel capsule and how much rewearing without laundering on travel are others comfortable with?

I have a work conference in Utrecht, The Netherlands the last week of August. I plan to wear business casual for the conference, which will include one welcome reception (day before conference starts) and three days of conference. Plus one tourist day in Amsterdam and two travel days.

This capsule is smaller than what many would consider bringing, but I have frequently travelled with very tight capsules. I am quite comfortable with repeat wears on work travel since these items wear well without creasing, the climate is not too hot, and I rarely spill on my work clothes. I need to keep the capsule tight to leave room for running shoes and two sets of running clothes in my carry on. I plan to wear almost everything twice (jeans three times) without doing laundry (except running clothes, which I will hand wash and hang dry after each use). Given the likely weather that will range from cool to warm, I have focused on layering, always including a topper. I will also bring a rain jacket.

I often add another top (short or long sleeve) when I'm packing, once I know the projected weather. But I am also leaving room for some serendipitous shopping.

At the bottom I list my most likely combinations, though several alternatives exist.

Rain jacket (green)

Toppers: NAS burgundy moto, Boden long navy jersey, WHBM floral cardigan

Dress: LOFT navy sheath (stretchy and oh, so comfy)

Bottoms: WHBM bootcut jeans and burgundy trousers

Tops: Cream tank from MM LaFleur, Loft green floral top, COS rust top, navy/purple/burgundy floral long-sleeve

Accessories: Two scarves, plus 2-3 necklaces

Shoes: Rockport burgundy pumps (so comfy), Other pair still to be determined. Possibly my black mid heel booties or a pair of navy flats that I plan to purchase. Must be able to wear all day on my feet and handle lots of walking.

The combinations that I suspect I will make are below. Note that I have tried on all these combinations to ensure that I am very happy with them. I think this is the key to a very tight capsule.
- Travel day 1: Blazer, COS top, jeans, rust butterfly scarf, and booties
- Opening reception: Navy sheath, burgundy Moto, burgundy pumps, long necklace
- Conf Day 1 (or 3): Burgundy pants, cream tank, floral cardigan, black booties
- Conf Day 2 (presenting): Navy sheath, blazer, burgundy pumps, green scarf (remove if warm), long necklace
- Conf Day 3 (or 1): Burgundy pants, green floral top, burgundy moto, burgundy pumps
- Tourist Day: Jeans and either COS top or navy floral long-sleeve top, with choice of topper dependent on weather, black booties
- Travel day 2: Jeans and likely whatever top I haven't yet worn, and navy blazer, booties (bulkiest stuff)

Boden

Jersey Longerline Blazer

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Nordstrom

Faux Suede Eveline Jacket

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White House Black Market

Petite Mid-Rise Bootcut Jeans

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White House Black Market

Petite Luxe Suiting Bootcut Pants

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Nordstrom

Treasure&Bond Floral Fringe Scarf

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Nordstrom

SARTO By Franco Sarto 'Garfield' Western Bootie

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Custom Find

by Toban

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COS

Stretch jersey top with seam detail

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Custom Find

by Toban

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White House Black Market

Three Quarter-Sleeve Floral Cardigan

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Loft

Side Shirred Wrap Dress

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Nordstrom

Treasure&Bond Treasure & Bond Print Tassel Wrap | Nordstrom

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Custom Find

by Toban

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Loft

Petite Coral Springs Bar Back Flutter Top

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Custom Find

by Toban

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5 years ago

Helena

Veteran

I think this is fabulous Toban; I'm all for travelling light! You've got a cohesive capsule, still with plenty of colour and interest. Although I wouldn't wear the exact same outfit every day, I am all for wearing the same pieces over and over ... in fact I never even realized this was a 'thing'; it seems crazy to me that people feel the need to wear something different all the time (but this is just me!). I think as long as things are clean and feel fresh to you, wear away. It looks like you've got plenty of tops, which to me is the piece that needs to be changed the most - re-wearing blazer and pants just makes sense imo.

Enjoy the travel and hope the conference goes well!

Chris987

Your capsule looks totally fab, and you are so smart to try everything on ahead of time. I've only recently started doing this and it makes a HUGE difference to spot any outfit issues ahead of time so you can adjust. It looks like your travel capsule is a mini-version of all the colors you normally wear so everything works! If you have a tightly defined set of outfits, you can live with a lot less.

One idea I've heard of but never tried is to carry a small spray bottle of fabreze when travelling and spritz clothing with it to freshen it up a little if you feel the need, instead of laundering. (workout gear will need laundering as you've planned) On this trip it sounds like the climate is not severe and you'll mostly be indoors so maybe not at all needed.

kkards

Well thought out and put together. What I really like is the you didn’t go all basics and neutral, which is what I tend to do. Have a great trip.

Toban

Thanks, torontogirl, chris, kkards! Appreciating your support for a colorful small travel capsule.

Torontogirl ... I agree, being able to mix and match is key to the rewears.

Chris, yep, I have a tight palette so selecting from it is pretty easy. Trying to include more greens and purples in my fall/winter refresh, though! Having a short trip with a narrow range of activities helps keep it tight, too! Colder weather brings bulkier tops!

Kkards, most examples I find l are based on neutrals, but I don’t get excited about neutral heavy outfits. It’s taken a lot of practice and a lot of thought to keep it colorful and interesting!

Anonymous

I love your capsule-of course! I'll usually only wear tops once and bottoms twice, maybe 3x for skirts, before washing. Trying to do less though to keep my nice things in good condition though.
Ps-keep an eye out for my impending wildcard post

notsaf

"I rarely spill on my work clothes" -- LOL, because I am exactly the opposite (once spent the entire day of a job interview with a coffee stain down the front on the front of my light green silk blouse), which is also one of the reasons I wear (and pack) so much black.

This capsule looks absolutely lovely: I hope you have great runs in Amsterdam and enjoy your trip!

Cardiff girl

You look like a pro when it comes to packing!Have a great trip.

Katerina

This is perfection, Toban. Thank you for sharing this, it is super helpful for me. I love the items and the outfits you selected for the different occasions. It also shows that you have a wonderful well curated wardrobe. I have a tendency to bring too many items on my work trips. Now, after YLF, I am getting better at making effective travel capsules, thanks to you, Angie, Gretchen and other ladies who share their great travel capsules. I have not much to contribute other than agreeing on the trying on all the intended outfits beforehand including accessories. That is the key for me.

Of course, suntiger, my color palette twin. Looking forward to your wildcard post .

Notsaf, yikes, what an interview day! While that is rare for me, it is part of my rationale for throwing in one extra top when packing even if my capsule doesn’t seem like it needs it.

Thanks, Cardiffgirl!

Thanks, Katerina! Trying on the outfits and having a plan for each day is key for me because I don’t want to settle for a simply ok outfit. I also don’t want to have the same look every day. It also helps that I know what to expect both in destination and in activity for this trip. I overpacked for my recent vacation in Canada because there was more variety in locations, activities and weather — but we checked our bags so it was fine to overpack.

My biggest difficulty is shoes! I like a lot of shoe variety but many don’t pass the walk all day test or are bulky to pack or can’t handle rain. I would love to bring my suede burgundy booties but they don’t handle rain well and my burgundy Chelsea boots are too casual for the conference.

Tammyb

Active Member

Thanks for sharing your capsule and strategy. I am with you- I like it right and small. I never want to check a bag! I am comfortable with 2 rewears for shirts and more for blazers, jeans and pants.

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