January 29, 2021
I’ve been thinking a lot about 10 garments in a Travel Capsule Wardrobe, like in the ones that I’m positing for the heroines who are managing wardrobes in 2 homes…
And I thought that maybe it was worth revisiting the Perfect 10 template that is one of my personal favorites!
Calm is still in short supply, so let’s look at more calming art, eh?
Such lovely colors, and such a relaxed and stable feeling to this…
So let’s imagine a heroine who has to make a 3 or 4 day trip – fairly often – but never with any sort of advanced notice. A morning phone call could mean “out the door and on the road” by lunch-time…
Thus, she keeps some things ready for this adventure, starting with a travel outfit that’s soft, warm, and flexible:
(Yes, there are those among us who travel fearlessly in light colored clothing – does anybody have any tips for how this is managed without disaster? Or do you just forge ahead and live with a spill or a spot if it happens?)
Now that our heroine has the start of her travel wardrobe established, she pauses to look at what else she will want:
To my eye, this looks like it’s going to require a neutral 2nd layer, neutral pants in a different fabric or style, and… everything else could be in accent colors. The dress should look good with either cardigan, and also possibly be something that one could wear under the sweater…
Sort of like this:
heather turquoise sweater – J.Crew; blouse – Halogen; striped top – L.L.Bean; light sienna tee – L.L.Bean; bisque cardigan – Barefoot Dreams; oatmeal linen dress – Marks & Spencer; corduroy pants – Theory
These colors are very low-key. Subtle. Certainly a great background for a woman with a strong personality, or a compliment to a woman with gentle coloring and a soft demeanor…
Of course, the original “Perfect 10 Packing” was designed to PACK 10 garments and wear 3, for a total of 13.
But since there are no rules, packing 7 pieces and wearing 3 works out very neatly for a shorter trip (or a visit to a “laundry-friendly” destination, or to a place where you already have some things stored…)
But these 10 pieces – on their own – will not leave one at a loss to get dressed:
Maybe it’s the lengthening days, or the eventual promise of a vaccine, but I’m REALLY thinking about travel these days…
Anybody else ready to just pack a suitcase and walk around the block a couple of times, to stay in practice?
love,
Janice
p.s. Seven years ago, we tackled a scarf and a wardrobe in navy, deep red and white!
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What a lovely wardrobe for a long weekend? Although foreign holidays are being advertised, bookings for UK stay-cations are booming. After last summer, when people got stranded, I think that folk are erring on the side of caution. Visiting relatives might be a safer option.
I would like to have some more light teal and aqua in my wardrobe for summer. This opens up possibilities. Though the peachy colours would be more pink for me. I have a candy striped dress in pink, blue, aqua and yellow which could be my inspiration. Pale grey and stone would be my neutrals. Light blue instead of navy. I’m planning a pastel cluster….
Janice,
This is lovely and indeed it feels , well —- calm ! In lieu of the dress, I might add another top or topper and bottom, depending upon the length of the trip . Thanks for the eye
“ vacation” ! First dose of the Moderna vaccine tomorrow at 10:45 AM — we live in a continuing care community .
I’m a messy eater, and two clothing companies make stain-resistant clothes I like. Ably for t-shirts (they also don’t smell and the company actually recommends wearing them several times before reading) and the much dressier shirts from Elizabeth & Clarke.
Oops – that’s “washing,” not “reading”!
Thanks Janice this is just what I needed to kick start my planing. We are going to our granddaughters wedding the beginning of March in the panhandle of Florida. These colors are perfect. We will be on the road three days each way, I often wear white pants, and don’t have a problem. This time I’m going to travel in yellow sweats. So now I will take turquoise and light green and ?? And maybe light pink.
Still working on what to wear to the wedding, it is a casual wedding in church then reception at the aquarium. I bought a nice Beige linen dress and turquoise jacket last year for this wedding and it got canceled because of covet, now it huge, because I’ve lost so much weight. I’m not sure the tailor can do that much altering. Any ideas?
Nana
Thanks Janice this is just what I needed to kick start my planing. We are going to our granddaughters wedding the beginning of March in the panhandle of Florida. These colors are perfect. We will be on the road three days each way, I often wear white pants, and don’t have a problem. This time I’m going to travel in yellow sweats. So now I will take turquoise and light green and ?? And maybe light pink.
Still working on what to wear to the wedding, it is a casual wedding in church then reception at the aquarium. I bought a nice Beige linen dress and turquoise jacket last year for this wedding and it got canceled because of covet, now it huge, because I’ve lost so much weight. I’m not sure the tailor can do that much altering. Any ideas?
Cynthia
Sorry didn’t understand what I was suspected to do. ?
Oh, this is just great for the quick traveling I think I’ll need to be prepared for in this upcoming season of my life! This wardrobe would require me to pack only one pair of shoes—In a pinch, I wouldn’t have to pack any and only have the ones I wore in transit; although, twice I’ve had shoes fail on me while on a trip, so I don’t think I’d go anywhere without a second pair. I’d want to throw a long, easy skirt into the bottom of my bag for this sort of trip since they are so packable and versatile.
I’ve found that knowing where you personally tend to have spills and spots helps with strategic planning. In my case, I seem to be able to keep pants and open cardigans clean, but my tops get spots. One of the many reasons I like pale pants and darker tops.
I’d love to see the full packing plan, including a jacket or coat, for this wardrobe. With all these light colors, I think this heroine will need a long trench coat to protect her light clothes during transit!
Hi Cynthia/Nana. Your outfit sounds lovely and turquoise is the perfect colour for an aquarium reception. Your tailor should be able to take in the dress and jacket, perhaps in such a way to leave room for expansion again (it happens…). It’s worth asking. My daughter often buys dresses too large and then takes them in several sizes. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Thanks that is good information, I will go there Monday so I can give her time to do it.
Cynthia
Beautiful art & I’m game to practice packing & walking around the block with a suitcase!
Your mention of the perils of traveling in light clothing made me LOL, thinking of our trip home from 18 days on a Grand European river cruise (our first, and I fear final, cruise). I was wearing my very last clean top, a cream colored tunic. Mechanical issues prevented our flight from taking off, and we were put up in a hotel in Budapest, where over dinner I attempted to shoo away a tenacious fly with a forkful of Hungarian stew, which of course cascaded down the front of me. After our long day in the airport, there was nothing to do but laugh and order another glass of wine. I flew home the next day in a rumpled t and jeans.
Oh my gosh, I’m still laughing out loud about walking around the block with a suitcase just to keep in practice. I NEED that. Hahahaha
I love this “perfect ten” packing template! But I am not fearless enough to travel with light colored clothing.
Here’s a recent travel meme from aarp:
“My husband bought a world map, gave me a dart and said ‘Throw this, and wherever it lands–that’s where I’m taking you when this pandemic ends.’ Turns out that we will be spending two weeks behind the fridge.”
Camille,
I really am laughing out loud ! That’s hysterical ! Enjoy your trip ! Hahaha !
Calm, lovely, getting ready for spring…the heroines of the Twin Cities are with you in spirit.
But oh my goodness, the look back…navy-based florals are irresistible to me and this wardrobe is a delight! I recently built out a similar capsule of this 12 months type from my closet, based on a pair of navy ankle pants with maroon and cream pinstripes and a navy/red/pink/beige/white floral scarf. (I like that this scarf allowed me to bring some pink into the capsule.) I purchased the pants from ThredUp and thought they were going to be navy with white pinstripes, so I was initially perplexed but then delighted with the maroon component. I love to wear the menswear style pinstriped ankle pants with a floral scarf for a juxtaposition. And since I let my husband convince me to buy the coveted Rifle Paper Company navy floral Keds over the summer, I like to throw those shoes in to add yet more florals and a relaxed component to the look.
It’s funny…when I first met my husband in college, he ALWAYS wore red and blue striped shirts…it was his signature. So over the years I have enjoyed having a navy/red striped top of some kind…sometimes a sweater, sometimes a t-shirt. Right now it’s a navy/red striped short-sleeved T. He never wears shirts like this anymore, so I joke that he passed the combination on to me. :)
Sally, I sent you a reply to the previous post regarding the color taupe.
Amanda, thanks for alerting me to your reply; I had missed it! I appreciate the information about stores where you have been fortunate to find taupe. I have not looked at J. Jill or Eddie Bauer in quite a while, so that’s a great place for me to start. I will keep an eye open for the warm weather clothing. I went to college in Houston and lived in Austin for about 10 years, so I hear you on the wardrobe needs of a Texan. Very different from my current location in MN! :)
I was just saying to friends yesterday, who love to travel like we do, that I was going to pretend to pack a wardrobe for when we get to travel next, just for fun . I haven’t done that yet, but maybe during the snowstorm we’re getting this week. Thanks, Janice! I’ll probably do the 13 pieces.
Hi Janice and Everyone! I saw the painting and said “oooohhhhh beach trip!’. Lovely colors that do not (yet) live in my closet but may need to invite them in.
Appreciate the posts for those who get a phone call at a moment’s notice and have to jump up and go. Hugs to you all.
Last week had dose #1 of Moderna vaccine; dose #2 in in 3 weeks. I will -still – wear a mask.
Thank you ladies for the much needed humorous quips this morning
I am inspired by the “look-back”. I am not keen on wearing scarves and hence own only one (I know; hard to believe). I really do like the colors in my scarf, so I may work on creating one outfit per month that would inspire me to use the scarf more.
These colors are wonderful! This inspires me to do a wardrobe in these colors!
Cindy, I like your idea of taking one scarf and creating an outfit per month to wear with it.
Although, you will wear your scarf more which might make you think of other outfits that could also be embellished with a scarf. That’s how my scarf wearing began. I too had very few scarves when I was young. Now I have a drawer full for each season and the out of season are in a sack….
However, have too many scarves that don’t get worn. Creating specific outfits for each scarf is more disciplined. This might help me to assign my scarves to my two month rotation wardrobes.
I am looking forward to Janice’s next blog on the 6 scarves for 12 months.
Some of my scarves have similar colourways and/or themes but are made of different materials ie cotton and silk. I find that I wear different garments depending on the material of the scarf.
Thanks Beth! For January, my scarf outfit is based on the basics Janice chose for the Mountain View scarf. I am looking forward to following what Janice comes up with for that scarf in particular as the palette is pretty spot-on with what I usually wear.
You asked us: “ Anybody else ready to just pack a suitcase and walk around the block a couple of times, to stay in practice?”
And the answer is YES! I’ve been doing the Project 333 seasonal capsules. My current one I borrowed your Snowy Owl posts for inspiration.
But out of the 20-22 clothes (accessories and outerwear make up the 33) I like to mentally pull a 10 item packing mini capsule. Much like this. Just to stay in practice. I’ve done a lot of carry on only travelling from emergency trips to aging parents to cruises.
Yes I’ve even thought of packing these mini capsules just for fun! Even weighing the total pack to see if I can still keep it light!
You did a 2014 post on Stress Dressing that became my template for weekend trips from then on and helped me through some high stress stuff going on in my life since. The no brainer way to look pulled together when I was anything but. (Big huge thank you btw and blessings on you forever Janice for that one)
But I get a lot of joy from each of these heroines that you create Janice, travelling vicariously, thinking through the capsule, imagining if I was there in it. This year more than ever. When we get through this- Dh has booked our 2022 cruise and maybe more than 1 if I read the tea leaves with him.
You deserve a medal for keeping us all sane and happy. And IN PRACTICE FOR PACKING FOR REAL TRAVEL! ?
And PS- I love this one.
Thank you for mentioning that 2014 post on stress dressing! It’s super helpful. I’ll have to think through what colors/garments I would include in such a group. – nancyo
Nancyo it was such a help for me and still is – kind of a distillation of my favourite pieces that I know I can feel and look good in that all go together. I’m wearing part of it today.
Grey jeans, white textured knit top, grey cashmere cardigan and a grey and white square silk scarf. A black leather purse and loafers if we needed to go pick up the grocery order. Pearl earrings.
Add another pair of black pants, a cream fisherman knit pullover and a top that’s winter white with a charcoal dip dye hem and you have my current stress dressing mini capsule. 10 pieces I can always count on. Thanks to Janice!
What date is the 2014 post on stress dressing?
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2014/05/how-to-get-stress-dressed.html/
love,
Janice
Beth it was May 14, 2014 and the title was How To Get Stress Dressed. Janice put together 3 colour groups based on black, grey and beige brown. She used 6 garments plus shoes, purse, scarf and earrings that you select as a group so that no matter what craziness is happening you can get dressed, it will fit, coordinate and get you through without a lot of decisions.
I’ve adapted it- I don’t do a dress but I like a pullover sweater to add the cozy factor because I get chilly under stress. It became my weekend packing template too.
Call it my security blanket. Soft, cozy and easy. Her neutral core idea works for me too because when I am stressed colour is just hard to cope with. I’ve done grey & white, navy & white and currently I’m using grey, white and black.
It’s so helpful that no matter what capsule I put together for a season, this core set is always at the heart.
I’ve been through parents on both sides needing sudden help, deaths, my husband’s brain tumour diagnosis (he’s doing fine- non cancerous and on a drug that keeps it shrunk) my own health- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and removal of my thyroid in June. They figured cancer before Covid hit, my surgery was delayed several times. The last few years were a stress palooza and through it all — this concept of Janice’s she called Stress Dressing was like a warm fuzzy security blanket.
(((((Margery))))
I’m so happy to know that this idea was useful to you!
hugs,
Janice
Thanks Janice for the link and also to Margery for sharing how you used the stress wardrobe. You’ve had quite a time of it these past few years but I hope that better times are ahead.
Clothes are the armour of my self-care I’m not well or feeling stressed. I also choose cosy and comfortable clothes because I feel cold and get flare-ups of various ailments when I’m stressed. My husband says that I’m the walking embodiment of cosiness! My family know that things are bad by the clothes I wear.
I have noticed during lockdown and flare-ups that I reach for elasticated waist trousers and a loose top and/or jumper usually in grey or blue but then I might add a pink or lilac cardigan to cheer myself up. Even in the midst of tragedy, I’m comforted and cheered by colour. Jewellery would be my watch, a necklace or pendant, and a ring. I like to be wrapped up both inside and outside.
When I am traveling with light-colored clothing, I always pack a Tide To-Go Stain Remover Pen for immediate “first aid” after a spill – because, sooner or later, there will be a spill :{
Trying to follow but sign up for me doesn’t show full pix when I hit not a robot. Cannot see pick request or all pix.
I got you subscribed – I have no idea what went wrong with the link. I’ll try to fix it…
hugs,
Janice