May 28, 2021
They Might Buy a Camper…
But they’re renting one for a long weekend first, to see if it’s what they’re hoping for…
Limited clothing space, for sure! So she’s planning carefully…
There’s no point in calling just 1 outfit “In Transit,” since quite a bit of their time will be on the road! But one must start somewhere, and this is where our heroine is starting:
earrings – Alex And Ani; sunglasses – Coach; tank top – Caslon; bracelets – Fierce Lynx Designs; watch – Olivia Burton; cropped pants – L.L.Bean; cardigan – Barefoot Dreams; scarf – Echo; tote bag – L.L.Bean; driving shoes – Sperry
She’s sticking with cropped pants – no shorts because she does NOT want the back of her thighs sticking to the seat!
And driving shoes, because she might get to drive. Maybe…
Barrettes – Tasha; cool cypress short-sleeve poplin shirt – J.Crew; earring set – Kendra Scott; Liberty floral puff-sleeve top – J.Crew; beige puff-sleeve top – Treasure & Bond; heart earrings – Kate Spade; tie-dyed tee – Old Navy; masks – Frye; blush wristlet – Heaye; sandals – Birkenstock; rose wash and classic sage cropped chinos – L.L.Bean
So for the 3 or 4 days that they’re away, our heroine will have this wardrobe from which to choose; frankly, it’s difficult to put together a bad outfit from this!
Because our heroines are always women who plan ahead, you know full well that we’re going to see what possible combinations might be available from this 9-piece wardrobe:
note that none of these outfits includes the cardigan, which could be worn with all TEN outfits!
I’m not really a road-trip kind of heroine, but I could see the charms in a foolproof travel wardrobe!
love,
Janice
p.s. Seven years ago I told you about a book that I very much enjoyed, and would still recommend today!
Love this wardrobe? Safe it to Pinterest!
Heading out ourselves next week. A coastal trip in our 30’ travel trailer. Thinking 13 pieces for a 10 day excursion.
Ah, glamping… I hope they get an American Eagle. This is a great little capsule for even non camping life. Combined spiffy and casual. The crops would also be great for air conditioned restaurants. With the cardigan for evening beach strolls. The colors, too are summery and most important, readily available. The bracelet is beautiful, as always.
Nice capsule. I could easily do this with things in my wardrobe. Nice way to start a Memorial Day weekend. Thank you!
Fab color scheme.
We just got a T@B teardrop trailer. Once restrictions have lifted in Ontario, we hope to be camping a bunch this summer. Even though my camping ‘wardrobe’ tends to be a bit on the scruffy side, I like to have a couple of outfits on hand in case we go into town for dinner and for the trip up and back. Otherwise, I’m pretty much in a bathing suit by day and sweatshirt and leggings by night next to the fire. I gave up wearing nicer sweaters camping because they inevitably get stains or holes from the sparks!
Beautiful wardrobe, really soft and feminine, but I can’t imagine myself going on a road trip in these light colours; I’m too prone to spills and messes!
This might be one of my favourite wardrobes that you have ever done! It feels just right for early summer.
A beautiful bracelet and wardrobe, even though not my colors. I was never a bracelet person, but I recently bought my first FierceLynx one and am now a convert. They are comfortable to wear and are great for adding accent in hot weather. Your cactus dividers makes me smile!
As a long time camper, I would add a hat and some type of laced shoes to this wardrobe. Campgrounds aren’t always paved and I don’t personally like slip on shoes on gravel. Folding clothes Marie Kondo has helped me bring more options so less time spent on laundry.
Hi Janice and Everyone! You are right – these colors are pretty foolproof.
A week or so before the aforementioned road to Wisconsin / MSP, we will be camping at a state park about an hour or so away. This is with my husband’s family and we have separate cabins. They remodeled the cabins over the years to widen the kitchens and make the bathrooms more ADA- accessible.
I concur with Isha and Barb’s comments about clothing choices. Fashion pretty much goes out the window when we’re camping. We have a plastic tote full of >ahem< slightly worn clean clothes that are dedicated for this purpose. I do bring along one nicer outfit just in case we go into town for an extended time.
The LL Bean tote is a must when we camp. We each have the beige zippered one with different colored handles to tell them apart. We keep all our toys (ipad, knitting, books, whatever) in them and its easy to keep organized and find!
Also, it’s good to have hiking pants that have upf in them. They are fantastic for hiking and easily hand washed in the evening and dry by morning! If you like cropped or shorts, some have zippers so you have lots of choices. The one downside is they don’t have all the cute colors.
I bet you could work magic with upf clothing in a capsule for camping Janice!! Just thinking and hinting :-)
Beverly, I agree about the hiking pants – so easy to travel with. The colors though! I really like the REI Savannah and Sahara pants but unless you favor black, how you could ever coordinate a travel wardrobe with some of those colors, I don’t know. Maybe it is because I don’t do warm colors, but some of the hues they come up with look like they would be difficult for anyone. I just want some navy ones! Athleta is now my go to for active clothing as they tend to be more multi purpose and their colors seem to go well with their sister stores of Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy.
Kathryn, I purchased Eddie Bauer First Ascent pants for hiking in the Canadian Rockies 2 years ago. I like them so much that I wear them all the time. They have a fairly streamlined appearance for hiking attire and I feel I can wear them pretty much anywhere without looking like I just stepped out of the woods. They are perfect for camping as we do a lot of both hiking and sightseeing on our trips. I have 4 pairs of the pants (one lined) and 4 pairs of the shorts. The colors I have in both the shorts and pants are navy, khaki, gray, and sage green. I don’t think you will be disappointed if you try them.
We use L.L.Bean tote bags for laundry baskets – we each have 2, to sort lights and darks. So easy to haul down in the elevator to the laundry room!
hugs,
Janice
Thanks, Cindy! I will check those out. They do have some great colors.
Great post. This capsule would be good for any summer trip. One cardigan for 10 outfits is genius! I went back to see what book you read seven years ago and I downloaded it from the library. I agree with you on the value of home ec classes. I took sewing in high school and sewed dresses for my grandmother and little sister. I took a textiles class as an elective in college and I learned so much about fabrics. I still use that information when I buy clothes and fabrics for my home. Our test was to identify fabric composition and weave by feel and sight. And it’s one reason why I can’t buy acrylic sweaters
I think you described it best when you talked about a road trip – which is significantly different than camping for me. This is a great wardrobe for a road trip and and not so good for camping (for all of the reasons described by others). If we head out for a weekend in a single spot with campfires etc. I go for very practical, hard wearing items. If we go on a road trip I like something a little dressier for stopping, museums, visiting, shopping and dining out. We love having our own home (fifth wheel) with us on those trips – whether a long weekend or something extended. Thanks for another way to look at what I pack. Enjoy your weekend!
I love these soft colours and the pretty tops with bell-shaped sleeves and looser fit – just right for summer travelling.
I’m now torn between this wardrobe and Wednesday’s wardrobe for my 3/4 day holiday in June. However, I may yet change my mind again depending on the next two weeks posts!
I have achieved wardrobe success this Spring by wearing pink and taupe (my version of beige). My greens would lean towards teal and soft jade. I would be a bit worried about a light coloured cardigan getting grubby after 3-4 days, so would take along an accent lightweight jumper as well.
This wardrobe could easily be extended for a longer trip to include a dress or midi skirt with dressy shoes or sandals, a 3/4 or long sleeve roll-up shirt (for fickle weather), and a couple of tees. Also trousers to walk in and a sturdy pair of boots.
I hate camping – am I allowed to say that? On the few occasions I have tried, it was dirty, cramped, damp, stuffy and hard to sleep. I’ve stayed in a static caravan (bit cramped). I’ve never been in a mobile home, though it might be fun if you plan a proper long road trip, though you might not be able to pop to a corner shop for supplies. However, if you just park it on a site, you might as well book a hotel or cottage in the country/small town or at the seaside. I like my creature comforts of a comfy bed, hot water and a relaxing ‘home from home’ at the end of the day sightseeing.
I agree, Beth. I am not a camper. As Fran Liebowitz once said, “I don’t want to get back to nature, I want to get back to the hotel.”
I always like your camper wardrobes! I hope your heroine and spouse enjoy it, and that we get to hear more of the story.
Oh Janice, I ordered the LL Bean sage cropped chinos a few days ago and they have just arrived ! Had I known that you would do this post, I would have supported your commission on the purchase ! So sorry ! I have not yet had a chance to try them on , but I’ll let you know what I think of them .
Love the colors in this post !
If you click on the link Support The Vivienne Files and then click on Books, Clothes and more and then click on any of the links, like LL Bean, Janice will get her small commission even if the item is not on her blog :-)
Great post! Multi-week coastal sailing trips call for similar types of clothing, as you typically visit towns along the way and go out for dinner, visit museums, etc. Space is an issue, laundry less so as you can hand wash and hang out clothes on a sunny day. After wearing your old outdoor-type clothing on the water, a it’s nice to have a compact wardrobe of coordinated separates and feel pulled together in port. A dress or two would be a nice addition.
A lovely color palette and wardrobe (that I personally would find too light colored and too stiff-fabric for a road trip because I prefer the stretchy comfort of knits in a long car ride). But what I LOVE is the inclusion of the identical cut of crop pants in three different colors! If you found a pair of pants that works very well for you and is comfortable in summer heat, this is very practical…and it makes it easy to know that any top or topper that works with one of the bottoms in terms of silhouette/proportion will work with all of them, which seems like a great thing to know in such a small capsule.
I love this post. We purchased a 28′ travel trailer last summer and have enjoyed trips to see family in Mississippi, Colorado, Kansas, and South Carolina. We visit and then sleep in our own accommodations! We head to a family reunion in June and will see Aunts, Uncles, and cousins we haven’t seen in two years. The camper has afforded us a sense of adventure and pleasure we missed so much while quarantining. This capsule is perfect for limited clothing space and variety.