Home » A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for two weeks in Europe
A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for two weeks in Europe
One of the stranger joys of keeping a laptop for a REALLY long time is that you stumble across files that you completely forgot existed. To wit, I found my old travel planning file from 2003/2004! And thus I can tell you with a great deal of certainty what I wore on a combination business and leisure trip I took to Copenhagen and Berlin in late August and early September 2004. What a blast from my wardrobe past it was to find this.
As with all business trips I take, I grew to roundly detest all of these clothes by the time I got home. But this trip required only a carry-on bag, and I always consider that a success!
Love your post! Did you have means to launder some of your tops that you wore twice? How do you suggest keeping clothes "fresh" if you are without a washing machine/dry clean service? Thank you! Katie in California
Dear Katie, I'm never opposed to rinsing something out while I'm showering, or in the bathroom sink. I often travel with inflatable clothes hangers (weird, but true) which puff up to be about 2 inches deep, and keep the front and back of shirts from touching when they hang to dry (so they dry faster). And my love of ironing is well-documented…
Happily, when I was traveling on business, I was usually allowed to have a bit of laundry done by the hotel. I NEVER do this when I travel for leisure, as it is brutally expensive. But hand-washing is fast, easy, and well worth the effort, to me.
The great thing is that with the exception of the unfortunate black pleated pants everything would look just as wonderful and appropriate 7 years later. Now that is a good wardrobe!
I don't know if it is available in the Staes and elsewhere but if you can find Forever New lingerie wash it is fantastic for travelling. I have used it since the mid eighties to hand wash all my lingerie, anything silk, linen, wool or cashmere. I even use it to wash my Hermes scarves!
Dear Gracie's Mom, Actually, the pants are silk, so the pleats aren't too "pleaty" and so the pants are still pretty wearable. The 80's style pleated pants – oh la la la, do I remember those… And you can get Forever New at Intimacy stores in the US. I HIGHLY recommend bra fittings at Intimacy as a great way to reclaim one's upper torso from the ravages of age! thanks so much for being here, Vivienne
I love it! I don't think I would have gotten sick of these clothes. I ADORE that turquoise scarf. I wish these were the kind of clothes I could pack for my next two week trip….to Dominican Republic. ; )
What brand are those t-shirts? I love the length of the sleeve. Since I have thick upper arms, I'm always trying to find short sleeve t-shirts with short sleeves that length.
Dear GM, I buy almost all of my tee shirts from Lands' End; they currently have some that are a blend of cotton, rayon modal, and lycra – they're lightweight, don't wrinkle when hand-washed, and are easy to pack! thanks for asking, Vivienne
I just bought a couple of those t-shirts from Land's End that you are referring to and love them! I'm planning to buy a few more as they will make great layering pieces for winter. Helen
First I'm glad I met someone else who admits they love ironing. Ironing takes a form of meditation for me. I love all the ways you combine the clothes . I'm in short badjet and I will use what I have already for a long long time. So all this inspiration I get from your collages is precious to me. I think my scarves and a careful combination of colors will strech my wardrobe a great deal. Thanks again for all of the advice you offer to us working women with a tight budget.
Must be the time period but this wardrobe reminds me so much of my work wardrobe from that time frame! Great planning and packing though.
J'adore! So versatile… Love your posts on travel.
Arte
Love your post! Did you have means to launder some of your tops that you wore twice? How do you suggest keeping clothes "fresh" if you are without a washing machine/dry clean service?
Thank you!
Katie in California
Dear Katie,
I'm never opposed to rinsing something out while I'm showering, or in the bathroom sink. I often travel with inflatable clothes hangers (weird, but true) which puff up to be about 2 inches deep, and keep the front and back of shirts from touching when they hang to dry (so they dry faster). And my love of ironing is well-documented…
Happily, when I was traveling on business, I was usually allowed to have a bit of laundry done by the hotel. I NEVER do this when I travel for leisure, as it is brutally expensive. But hand-washing is fast, easy, and well worth the effort, to me.
thanks for asking!
Vivienne
The great thing is that with the exception of the unfortunate black pleated pants everything would look just as wonderful and appropriate 7 years later. Now that is a good wardrobe!
I don't know if it is available in the Staes and elsewhere but if you can find Forever New lingerie wash it is fantastic for travelling. I have used it since the mid eighties to hand wash all my lingerie, anything silk, linen, wool or cashmere. I even use it to wash my Hermes scarves!
Dear Gracie's Mom,
Actually, the pants are silk, so the pleats aren't too "pleaty" and so the pants are still pretty wearable. The 80's style pleated pants – oh la la la, do I remember those…
And you can get Forever New at Intimacy stores in the US. I HIGHLY recommend bra fittings at Intimacy as a great way to reclaim one's upper torso from the ravages of age!
thanks so much for being here,
Vivienne
I love it! I don't think I would have gotten sick of these clothes. I ADORE that turquoise scarf. I wish these were the kind of clothes I could pack for my next two week trip….to Dominican Republic. ; )
I LOVE how you set this one up so I can actually see an outfit put together instead of just the pieces! Thanks! That was fun! :D
What brand are those t-shirts? I love the length of the sleeve. Since I have thick upper arms, I'm always trying to find short sleeve t-shirts with short sleeves that length.
Great post. Thanks!
Dear GM,
I buy almost all of my tee shirts from Lands' End; they currently have some that are a blend of cotton, rayon modal, and lycra – they're lightweight, don't wrinkle when hand-washed, and are easy to pack!
thanks for asking,
Vivienne
I just bought a couple of those t-shirts from Land's End that you are referring to and love them! I'm planning to buy a few more as they will make great layering pieces for winter.
Helen
I love it when you show how to put outfits together!
Still totally current. Love the black/god–so sophisticated.
First I'm glad I met someone else who admits they love ironing. Ironing takes a form of meditation for me. I love all the ways you combine the clothes . I'm in short badjet and I will use what I have already for a long long time. So all this inspiration I get from your collages is precious to me. I think my scarves and a careful combination of colors will strech my wardrobe a great deal. Thanks again for all of the advice you offer to us working women with a tight budget.