When you’re on the road for an extended adventure, carrying lots of luggage can be draining, frustrating, and unnecessary. Rolling suitcases across ancient cobblestone street, dusty dirt roads and up many, many flights of stairs, makes the journey a whole lot less fun. This is exactly the situation where a well-edited travel capsule wardrobe can save the day.

Being able to stuff everything into a simple carryon backpack makes you a much more nimble adventurer. Lightening your load takes some practice, but with a few simple tips plus the carefully selected 20 pieces below, you’ll be well on your way to crafting the perfect capsule wardrobe for your next adventure.

 

Building your Travel Capsule Wardrobe

Packing a capsule wardrobe – that is, a miniature, well-thought-out wardrobe, where everything can be worn with everything else, in multiple situations – is a perfect solution for traveling light. The 20 keystone pieces linked below cover the basics across almost all weather possibilities across the globe, assuming you’re not heading to Antartica or the North Pole.

When packing and editing your travel capsule wardrobe, you’ll want to consider these three aspects:

1. COLOR

I usually opt for almost-all black when I pack a travel capsule wardrobe. Not only does black match everything, but it helps you blend into the local culture and keeps you from looking like a tourist (and a theft target!). The old saying is true: black never goes out of style.

In addition to my black basics, I’ll include a couple pops of color to mix up my  outfits. A light pink tank and an army-green tunic can take your basic blacks to the next level.  Just make sure these colorful pieces also match each other so you can maximize your total possible outfits. I love my regular combo of light pink & army green with black, since it works for any season and doesn’t really rely on color trends. Another color-pop combos I like are cream & turquoise and gray & navy.

2. STYLE

While your outfits need to transition from trail to town, you also need to consider your personal style when you’re packing your travel capsule wardrobe. Below are the basic 20 pieces that I’d choose for my style, but you might be more comfortable with some tweaks.

Comfort is incredibly important in your travel wardrobe – you’ll be wearing these clothes A LOT, so you need to WANT to wear them all. Technical fabrics for shirts and pants, plus good tread on your shoes, are key aspects of this wardrobe — these piece can serve double-duty for hiking, and can be worn in the city, or as layers. Plus, technical fabrics dry faster for when you end up hand-washing these clothes in your hostel sink.

3. OCCASION

Consider what activities you might find yourself doing while on your trip: will you be hiking in the wilderness, walking miles through a city, going to the opera, lounging on the beach, or indulging at trendy casinos?

The 20-piece travel capsule wardrobe below is designed for any and all occasions, but you can specialize your wardrobe to fit your unique travel style and specific plans.

 

Ready to build your own travel capsule wardrobe?

Here are 20 basics that will get you through any occasion, from hiking in Norway, to the beaches of Thailand, to the cities in Brazil, and everything in between. If you like what you see, just click the underlined item name to buy it on Amazon.

Four Essential Easy-to-wear Travel Capsule Wardrobe Bottoms

These four bottoms can take you anywhere around the world. While the Anatomie pants are a little steep, many travelers swear by them as the most versatile and functional travel pants. However, the options below give a little more style versatility without breaking the bank.

1. Wide Leg Pants in a travel-friendly fabric: Styling and functional on their own, these can be also layered with leggings when exploring places with very cold weather, like Iceland, Mongolia, or Canada. They come in a water resistant fabric which is extremely useful on the road, when you encounter an unexpected summer rain storm, or freezing ocean salt spray.
2. Loose Fitting Stylish Shorts: These shorts can easily go from a night out on the town, to hiking the in Hawaii. They are breathable and cool without being excessively short.
3. Breezy Skirt with Pockets: A skirt is nice to have on the road, especially for any warm weather destination around the globe. It’s easy to throw on this skirt and a look stylish with minimal effort.
4. Buttery Soft, moisture wicking Leggings: Can be used as pajamas, active wear for adventurous treks, or layered with other tops and bottoms for something more warm or stylish. Leggings are essential and easy for everyday travel. These particlar leggings are my personal favorite! They are breathable and moisture wicking.

 

High Waist Wide Leg Pants

Loose, Functional and Fashionable Shorts

 

Light Breezy Midi Skirt with Pockets

High Waist Buttery Soft Leggings

Travel Capsule Wardrobe TOPS

Contrary to what you may think, you don’t need too many tops to create TONS of different outfits. Adding layers, like sweaters and cardigans will let you mix things up to keep your look fresh. Each piece should be able to be dressed up or down – from a hike in the jungle to a night out in Paris, it helps to picture yourself wearing each top or bottom in different scenarios, and think about if that is a realistic use of the piece.

The tops below can all be dressed up or down, and you can customize the look by selecting colors that match your wardrobe color pallet. They also match the bottoms recommended above to maximize your mix-and-match outfit options.

Loose Casual Tshirt

Loose Quick Dry Tunic Tank

 

Double-lined Short Fitted Tank

 

Merino Wool Long Sleeve Sweater

 

Chiffon Button Down Tunic

 

Merino Wrap Sweater

 

3 Essential Jackets for your Travel Capsule Wardrobe

While each capsule wardrobe jacket is useful and stylish on its own, these three jackets can be layered together as well, to achieve different levels of warmth. This systems saves lots of luggage space since jackets can be very bulky! But you never want to be caught without proper outer layers when the weather turns cold or wet. All three jackets provide the style you want while out and about in a city, plus the durability you want while hiking in weather-prone climates.

Merino Wool Zip Sweatshirt

Packable Down Mid-length Jacket

Columbia Packable Rain Jacket

The One-and-Only Dress you’ll Ever Need While Traveling

This is the only dress you need while traveling, and maybe the only dress you’ll ever wear ever again. It’s super soft and ultra-stylish, and flattering on many different body styles and shapes! The CRZ Yoga Butterluxe Summer Midi Dress can go from the beach, to the opera, to sightseeing, and you will get compliments at every stop!

CRZ Yoga Everything Everywhere Dress

 

The Only 3 Shoes you Really Every Need:

I always stumble when it comes to choosing shoes. It’s so difficult to pick just the right combination of form and function that fits all the possible activities I’ll be doing while traveling. For long term travel, this is especially difficult, but it really can be boiled down into three shoes categories, and you can choose what you pack in your capsule wardrobe based on your personal style, the time of year, and I give a couple of options for each shoes category below.

Notice that all the shoes below have exceptional tread! It will come in handy for any unexpected (or intentional) terrain, ice or mud you encounter on your adventures.

1. Dressy AND Comfy Boot

This is my favorite category of shoes. I am short, at only 5’2″, so I am always a big fan of a shoes that gives me a little extra lift in the hight department. This is the shoe that will do that for you–it also will be your dressiest option for a night at a fancy restaurant, or a day at a museum, so this shoe needs to coordinate with the clothes above to pull together a semi-formal, and stylish outfit.

 

Black Sorel Chelsea Boots

 

Black Waterproof Wedge Boots

 

2. Stylish Hiking Sneakers

Depending on your style or preferred destinations, you may opt for a high top or a low top hiking sneaker for your travel capsule wardrobe. Whichever your preference is, you will want it to be stylish and comfortable enough for a day of sightseeing in a city, but also functional for venturing off the beaten path, which could mean a hike in Iceland, or in Hawaii!

 

Sorel Hiking Sneaker
Serious Hiking shoe, while also stylish. Best for colder climates.

Sorel Kinetic Impact II
Best All-Around Hiking Sneaker, Stylish and Comfortable

NORTIV 8 Women’s Lightweight Hiking Sneaker
Best Lightweight, waterproof hiking shoe

Sorel Explorer Blitz Lace Sneaker
Packable lightweight Sneaker Best for daily wear and light hiking in warmer climates.

 

3. Stylish Walking Sandals

This will be your footwear for extra hot days of sightseeing, light summer hikes, and trips to beaches and pools. It needs to be stylish, extra comfortable, and have a good tread to handle whatever terrain you might encounter on your adventures.

Keen Elle Backstrap Sandals
Best all around sandal for sight seeing, light hiking, and pool and beach days.

 

 

Arch Support Wedge Sandals
Best option for a little extra height without sacrificing comfort.

 

Chaco ZX/2 Classic Sandal
Best if you will be wearing them for some hot weather hiking & beaches.

 

6 Simple Accessories for your Travel Capsule Style:

1. Crossbody Bag: A low-profile nylon bag will keep your most important belonging safe while on the road.
2. Bathing Suit: Opt for something conservative, with more coverage, as drawing too much attention while traveling can make you a target for tricky people. Bonus points if the top can double as a back-up bra!
3. Scarf/Towel/Blanket/Shawl: Go for something that is 100% cotton, or a linen, wool cotton blend. These materials are absorbent, and warm. A wool blend will also combat odors and be even warmer for colder climates!
4. Sunglasses: A polarized option will give you the best protection and visibility when in bright conditions near water.
5. Hats: Depending on your travel climate you might opt for a panama sun hat or a wool beanie. Either option should be packable.
6. Silk Oner-ear Eye Mask: A good night of sleep on the road is essential for getting the most out of your travels. For nights when your lodging if too bright or too noisy, be prepared with this packable eye mask that also covers your ears for a great night sleep.

 

 

Nylon Crossbody Bag

 

Bathing Suit

Scarf/Towel/Blanket/Shawl

Packable Panama Hat

 

Merino Wool Beanie

Polarized Sunglasses

Silk Over-Ear Eye Mask

…and of course… your TRAVEL BACKPACK:

A backpack is a must for your capsule wardrobe. When you use a capsule wardrobe you can cut down on space, and on weight (it’s no fun dragging 50+ pounds of STUFF all over the world). A good quality Travel Backpack is the best option to keep yourself moving, and give you more freedom than a rolling suitcase, or multiple pieces of luggage. Aim for 40L – 46L to meet carry-on requirements, while having enough space for your capsule wardrobe and the rest of your travel gear. Use packing squares and stuff sacks to get the most out of the limited space and stay organized on the road.

Carry-on Sized 40L Travel Backpack

 

A Simple and Flexible Travel Capsule Wardrobe in 20 Pieces

And there you have it. No more wondering what to wear, wherever you are.  Like anything you see? Just click the name of the item in the list above and you can buy it directly on Amazon or Etsy. This wardrobe could even be used in your day-to-day, though I prefer to have about 10x as many shoes to choose from. 😉 What are you wearing on your next adventure? Share your capsule wardrobe finds in the comments below!

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