July 23, 2021
I’ve been asked for wardrobes including only skirts for a while now… So when a question was sent to me about packing for a three month visit to Poland, using only skirts, I figured it was time to address this!
A long trip can be daunting – about 20 years ago, I traveled for work for six weeks, on a trip that included six countries, and temperatures from shirt-sleeve warm to light snow!
This is what I packed:
My clothes were mostly from Eileen Fisher, and by the time I got back to Chicago I was SO SICK of every stitch of them!
But I was traveling alone, with a gigantic laptop, and so this was how I carried all of my clothes:
I was lucky – as soon as I got to a new city, I sent at least 1 outfit of clothing out to be laundered, and I had at least 1 more outfit cleaned while I was there. Business travel can be nice that way…
But our heroine today had some pretty specific guidelines for us:
As soon as she said “large suitcase,” I knew that I could include more than a dozen garments! I immediately thought of this template:
But I felt like this didn’t include enough tops for 3 months, so I did a little wardrobe template jujitsu!
This will give her five skirts. Yes, she will have to wear each of them 18 times, on average. But with the beauties of Poland to keep her entertained, a wardrobe full of diversions and whimsies isn’t necessary!
So let’s just jump in with a few requested garments, and some obvious additions:
Floral shirt – L.L.Bean; cashmere cardigan – L.L.Bean; denim skirt – GAP; Italian stretch wool pencil skirt – J.Crew
Striped sweatshirt – J.Crew; tie-dyed cashmere t-shirt – J.Crew; chambray shirt – J.Crew; linen tee shirt – Lands’ End
With just these 8 garments, one could travel for at least a week or 2 – laundry assumed!
Next, I thought that we should be looking for the grey additions to her wardrobe. It’s a little bit early to look for grey – it tends to show up more when autumn REALLY kicks in, in October… But if one must pack now, one must adjust!
Waffle knit cardigan – Goodnight Macaroon; oxford shirt – Lands’ End; cashmere crewneck – J.Crew; sweatshirt skirt – Caslon
Her wardrobe plan already looks interesting, and feels versatile:
If I’m looking for a skirt for cool weather travel, I immediately think of wool, corduroy, or velvet…
And I tossed the corduroy shirt-jacket in on a whim; it might be a wardrobe outlier, but I’m pretty smitten with it these days. I don’t really know why…
Twilight tee shirt – L.L.Bean; navy cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; reef teal corduroy shirt – L.L.Bean; corduroy skirt – MUZA
Yes, it would be lovely if the teal pieces matched. We don’t always get what we want, and it’s smart to learn to work around these wardrobe challenges!
The final garments in a wardrobe are always hardest for me – the possibilities begin to seem endless, and you don’t have room for them all!
This wardrobe could certainly use a white tee shirt, or a white shirt or blouse. If a printed blouse in navy, grey and teal were to magically appear in the world, it should absolutely go here.. But I concentrated on teal, and a navy pleated skirt!
I adore pleated skirts – that swish around your legs is delightful…
Teal sweater – Paisie; teal cardigan – Benetton; floral tee – Lands’ End; pleated skirt – Ralph Lauren
THIS is a travel wardrobe! And if she tossed in 1 more garment, it could also be a 21-piece Garde-Robe du Mois…
Obviously there are a lot of ways to wear these clothes; but the purpose of a versatile travel wardrobe is NOT to dazzle the citizens of Poland with a variety of outfits!
This is more about silly things like catching the hem of our seersucker shirt on a fence at a construction site (in Athens, in my case!), tearing off the bottom four inches of said shirt, thus rendering it wearable ONLY under something else…
Or spills. Or clothes lost or destroyed in laundry. Or things that are inexplicable too large, or too small, or just plain uncomfortable – out of nowhere!
These are a few ideas:
I’m SO excited for this heroine, and for all of you who have written recently about upcoming travel…
love,
Janice
p.s. Seven years ago, I built a wardrobe around the colors of pigeons! I think they’re annoying, but beautiful…
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Great wardrobe for a real life heroine. I like the variations in teal from green teal to blue teal. Together they look a mismatch but she’ll only wear one accent piece at a time so having that variety will maintain her interest during her long trip. I particularly like the navy floral shirt and the floral teal tee shirt. She could add in a white top for 21 pieces, though the monochrome tops add in white too. If anything, it can act as a third layer if it gets chilly in November. Alternatively, a navy and teal patterned jersey dress would provide another option for ‘dressing up’. I always take more than I need in case of accidents or lack of laundry facilities.
I’d love to see the accessories for this including the silver trainers, ankle boots and luggage suggestions. As well as jewellery and scarves.
Now she will need a coat and I’m of the opinion that coats and jackets (excluding suit jackets) could be counted an accessory for cool weather from autumn to early summer. We have only a handful of them in our wardrobes but they serve different purposes and are made of different materials. We wear them depending on the weather or the occasion.
I like your Starting with Nature wardrobes. Please would you do more of them. Bird plumage is amazing. I’d love to see how you would do a wardrobe based on the Lilac-breasted Roller Bird which looks like its had fun bathing in a paint box!
This blog of the pigeon is particularly inspiring for my move towards softer blues and greys and more lilac and teal. Please would you repeat this and accessories with cooler weather in mind.
Beth T,
More bird plumage inspirations would be great fun to see !
Beth T,
I Googled that bird and it is gorgeous! I would love to see a wardrobe based on those colors as that is my summer palette.
Me too!! Absolutely beautiful!!
As a bird nerd, I concur on more bird inspired capsules!
Janice,
While these are not my colors, nor am I much of a skirt wearer, though secretly I am a “ wannabe”, I am jumping up and down in glee at this format ! As a constant wearer of toppers, this construct of a topper, a bottom and two coordinating tops , multiplied, is right up my alley ! I am thinking of three neutrals, dark, medium and light, and then two accent colors, to fill out this template, including bridging prints, if available ! This same template can be reduced to a 4×4 or a 4×3, depending upon the length of the trip ! Just an altered way to look at how to create a formula. Loving this ! That’s how creative people think, that is how YOU think ! Thank you for being you ! Big hugs !
I agree there needs to be a coat of some sort in here. Unless you are going to Qatar, or some other desert climate, if you are there for a month it will likely rain at some point. I generally pack a couple of really warm sweaters and then a thin waterproof coat. The coat can be worn over a tshirt if it’s a warm rain but works really well as a windbreaker over a sweater. And it doesn’t take up much room. I have a Columbia one that looks more like a trench than the typical sporty rain jacket and I have found it to be super useful.
Thank you for doing this, Janice!! You nailed it beautifully! I’m quite sure that I have comparable pieces to your suggestions – even have a plaid blouse that combines navy, teal and grey. I might need to find a couple of more second layers. I’m super excited to pull things out to see how it’ll all play together. I can already think of two scarves – mine are pashminas – that’ll work. One plain teal, the other navy and charcoal. I will also probably include a scarlet and grey one with a maple leaf pattern (Camadian here).
Since contacting you, I learned that we will stay four months and return home in early January. I’m very excited with the notion of spending Christmas in Europe! I had first thought to buy a new winter coat there – something long (nearly impossible to find where I live) and, preferably in a lovely colour. Black, drab-toned winter coats are my nemesis. But, I wear an XL or XXL and friends who live in Warsaw tell me that those sizes are hard to find. The Polish people are tall, slim and lovely!
That means I definitely need to include everything I’ll need, including my greyish-lavender, nearly knee-length puffer coat. I guess I can put it in the very bottom of my large bag and hope that it squishes down.
After following the Vivienne Files for over a year – and reading the bulk of the archived articles – I’ve learned so much. I will definitely be on the lookout for a new scarf while I’m there. Thank you again, Janice, for applying your experience, organization skills and style to my unique packing challenge❣️
Wendy
I went on a Christmas market tour in Europe in 2017. It was absolutely incredible. You will definitely enjoy Europe at Christmas!
You’ll need long thermal boots as well if you are staying till January. Eastern Europe is below freezing, even during the day.
I generally am not a fan of compression bags, but a puffy coat is the perfect time to use one! We have some that you seal and then roll to squeeze the air out of weird little valve/vents on the opposite end.
My preferred method is to sit on them first! I’m a big kid…
hugs,
Janice
That’s the perfect solution to that packing dilemma. Thanks!
W
Janice if you can, please share a link with this type of puffer coat. I’m looking for this exact thing for our next Alaskan cruise. I love having 2 fold up to nothing windbreakers in our warm cruise packing lists for cool ocean breezes and as a Canadian having a parka alternative that I could squeeze into the carryon during the flight to Florida or California would be terrific on our next warm cruise in the winter.
I don’t have a particular coat in mind, but I DO have an idea about the bags:
https://shopstyle.it/l/bwBDi
These can cut the volume of what you pack by 80%, but!!!
1. Everything wrinkles in these bags. REALLY REALLY WRINKLES… If you have a few days to hang things, like a coat, this isn’t an issue, but if you need to pull something out of your bag and wear it immediately, these will NOT help you… and
2. These bags do not make things lighter! It seems obvious, but if you can fit 3 suitcases of clothing into 1 suitcase, because things are compressed, the contents are still going to weigh as much as THREE suitcases. So don’t go nuts with these unless you’re super-strong!
hugs,
Janice
Wendy, have a wonderful time, that sounds so exciting! I’m enjoying this post immensely from the colours and layout of the capsule to the vicarious joy of travel! I’m from Kamloops BC in ?? and hope to travel again soon!
Thanks very much, Margery! Waving to you from NB!
wendy, You will find in Europe sweat shirts and skirts are not worn out of the house. Those will be house clothing. As long as you know that going over. A few red pieces ie. a red sweater, red pashmina and even red leather gloves would be nice with a neutral long wool coat.
Could you explain the “sweatshirts and skirts” as house attire issue? Do you mean ALL skirts are considered for home-only or when just paired with sweatshirts? I don’t own a sweatshirt (nor a t-shirt, come to think of it). I visited Warsaw two years ago and noticed a much higher percentage of women wearing skirts and dresses than I’ve seen in North America.
Your suggestion of red is very good. Red and white are the national colours of both Canada and Poland. Thank you for the reminder!
She means that anything in “sweats” fabric (top or bottom) will not be worn out of the house, as they are seen as too informal. Poland especially matches the level of formality of say the US in the 70s?
Interesting wardrobe! This palette is my fall/winter one except I add burgundy as the other accent. I don’t know if I could travel only in skirts, but those shown here are so versatile. I do have a Liz Claiborne shirt in a small multi colored geometric print that is predominantly teal that I rediscovered when I started reading VF. It literally goes with everything and I often wear it as a topper. I would also sneak in a plaid flannel shirt in there somewhere too. I second Beth’s request for accessories.
I struggle with longer cardigans when traveling because they are difficult to wear a jacket over. I might bring my gray plaid ruana instead. Then I can wear my navy down vest under it if it is cold. I would definitely bring my lightweight gray down jacket. I often wear the vest over the jacket as neither are too puffy. Then I have a longer waterproof jacket I wear over the whole thing if it is raining. Outerwear is always a difficult choice when traveling because it takes up so much room and if you have a husband who is constantly taking pictures, the clothes you see the most of when you look back on your vacation photos. Maybe a post about outer layers in the fall?
Longer cardigans are definitely a problem for me when traveling. Invariably the lengths of my jackets and cardigans don’t work together. I have to remember to bring shorter cardigans to wear under jackets. Thank you.
I also add in lots of burgundy and deep berry colours in autumn/,winter.
Oh yes the dear hubby taking pictures and you are always in the same outfit! LOL
I googled the bird also. WOW Nature is truly amazing.
I find the inverted 20 piece wardrobe very useful. I have been using a similar framework for my own core wardrobe. I use a 28 piece framework with 7 rows and 4 columns which match your categories. This provides me with a core wardrobe that will last me 2 weeks since I wear 2nd layers and bottoms multiple times before washing. It has really helped me reduce the size of my wardrobe and makes laundry manageable.
Don’t forget the thermal underwear!
This is a great wardrobe, but I find myself craving more color. Especially over a four month period including winter months. At a minimum, I would replace the aqua corduroy jacket with the lovely berry color, which would go with the entire wardrobe and would be a great cheerful accent.
My choice for a bird to base my wardrobe on would be the painted bunting. ?
You are absolutely right about the possibility of getting bored with these colours. I don’t have enough second layers so I’ll definitely watch for berry.
Bookgoddess,
I agree on the the berry color for cold weather !
Ditto. I just ordered a bright raspberry colored corduroy jacket to wear with all my berry colored print blouses in the winter. I have enjoyed the heck out of the gold corduroy jacket I bought last fall, and think a bright berry will be perfect to brighten dreary days.
Why don’t I see these birds in my backyard?? I’m feeling cheated :) The most colorful things I see are little green hummingbirds and the occasional orange/brown flicker. Which are very beautiful in their own way. :)
Hummingbirds would be great inspiration for party wear. All those shimmering colours.
Yet another bird that found the paint box! A male Mandarin duck in breeding plummage would be another contender.
I have never travelled this long, but for several years I have travelled with a wardrobe of 10 items +underwear, outerwear etc. Every single time, this selection has been more than enough (I use and love hotel laundry services though- yes they can be costly, but in addition of providing fresh clothes they also spare me a lot of hauling).
I think I could go with 10 items for up to a month or so, provided weather isn’t totally insane. I may not be dazzling, but so far I have managed to look quite nice. Great accessories do wonders! For a 3-month period I could see myself ending up with something like this selection.
I love the color palette and pieces in this capsule, and I second (or third?) the request for accessories. I’d love to see something(s) that bridge the navy and grey neutrals. This is a pretty neutral-heavy wardrobe so some additional color from accessories would be welcome. It’s a terrific trip for some gorgeous scarves to bring in more color, for example. The 2 tops, 1 bottom, 1 topper template is spot on for how I dress, and I like the idea that you can expand/contract the number of rows to align to your time frame.
I’ve used your framework for years. People always wonder how I have so much in such a small suitcase. It definitely is all in the variety of combinations. I bought the teal corduroy shirt for my 2016 trip to Ireland and Shetland and I’m wearing it still. I purchased my first coat in a pouch last year. It’s a utilitarian black knee length but I add a scarf and a toque or beret and it’s a bit less boring.
Gosh! That’s enough clothing for an entire year!! I don’t think a person would tire of these selections. They are all so timeless and classic. I love that you included some feminine tees. That adds a little spice to this ensemble. And that navy cardigan just officially made it to my “must have” list!
Enjoyed reading this. I have done a lot of long trip packing and this is more than I would take. However, I love the balance and coordination of this wardrobe. So thoughtful.
I find that it’s wearing the same colors all the time that makes me sick of clothes when I travel. I would plan for the last set of 4 to be a tiny capsule in a completely unexpected color. For instance- why not a small holiday season capsule. A red dress/ cardigan/ scarf jewelry to pull out when you need that extra oomph to survive boredom and really enjoy the season in a new place.
I agree! I have a red “perfect turtleneck” from Talbots that made it to my 10 enduring pieces list. I HAVE to wear a spot of red during the holidays!
Brilliant suggestion! I’ll definitely consider that. I cannot invest a lot of money in this trip. I need some good walking shoes (cobblestones are everywhere in the area of Warsaw we will be living in) and I need at least one more second layer. I’ll keep
My eyes peeled for colour when I shop.
I completely agree with this concept, because I have done 3 month trips (the length of one’s visa in Schengen countries if you’re an American) at various times of year and no, I wouldn’t try to carry this many pieces (nor do I wear them, I find, when I have brought them). I would bring a small collection of pieces in a beautiful color that you’d love to wear that coordinates with your other pieces—this will help with preventing two-colors burnout. I always seem to pack at least two nice pieces I can wear out to dinner or an event. It goes without saying that Oct. and Nov. can be cold to the point of snow in Prague, so for me, I personally would only pack one skirt and rely on pants (though I wear skirts exclusively in summer). You’re also going to want waterproof boots and shoes (Goretex protected). But of course checking the weather where you’re going is crucial, as is taking warming or cooling trends into account due to climate change. I’d just prepare for much colder (and probably wetter) weather than this wardrobe takes into account in late October through November.
The pieces in this capsule are wonderful. I also like the idea of a berry 2nd layer. I too would like to see this accessorized. You have such a talent to make a little go a long way Janice!! Thanks for sharing :-). The idea of the compression bag for the puffy coat is spot on.
This is such a beautiful capsule! I’m a sucker for anything navy and grey and I think I will use this as inspiration for my fall capsule plan. Teal is gorgeous as an accent. I remember that pigeon wardrobe capsule. It was one of my favourites.
I agree seeing this accessorized would be fun.
Love these grids. I went with 21 items of clothing in my summer capsule and it was similar. 1 dress, 2 cardigans, 5 pair of pants and 12 tops.
Even when I include more clothing items this grid is so helpful to visualize how much I need.
Great wardrobe, and great colors. I’m expecting to spend almost three months in Paris during the fall (Sept – Nov). But I’m planning on pants only, probably no skirts. Casual attire rules at the universities. Maybe one dress for the opera? But then what shoes do I take …. And although my French colleagues don’t care what I wear, there’s also the feeling that I have to up my game while in Paris!
Paris was surprisingly casual the last time I was there – lots of jeans, lots of gym shoes. Even with that, many people are amazingly attractive!
And unless you have really good seats for the opera – like down on the main floor – you can easily wear nice pants…
Enjoy; I’m eaten up with jealousy!
hugs,
Janice
As always, a great collection. Perhaps a ‘French 5-Piece Wardrobe’ could be incorporated to reduce the number of navy pieces and add another accent colour. You always include a top to take an outfit to another level but I feel that is missing here. Maybe the accessories will pull together the outfit I don’t see.
I’m loving this post, have been following new posts since yesterday and suspect I’ll be following for the rest of the weekend…! I think is the travel nostalgia!
Four years ago in what feels like another lifetime (had a baby, now a toddler, plus pandemic, just so you can relate), I spend 3 months in Germany thanks to a grant for my research stay. I took a medium size suitcase and with Janice help (of course) I took a tidy mini capsule for the days I needed to look professional.
Wendy, congrats on your trip, sounds awesome! One word of advice, buy shoes in Warsow! I took my “winter” ankle boots and waterproof sneakers and did nothing in the real cold. And that could be a true space saver + nice souvenir (bought 2 pairs on sale, trekking boots and wool padded country boots, still in great condition!).
I second the birds wardrobes, by the way!
Have a blessed weekend yall!!!
I appreciate your tip of buying shoes in Warsaw. We contacted a friend living there who said that very few stores sell anything over a women’s size 8. I take 9.5W. I have excellent tall thermal winter boots (good to -40C) and will try to find room for them. I can fill them with small items so the luggage space isn’t wasted.
Everyone’s excitement here for my upcoming trip is really helping me feel excited too! I’ve been a bit lost in the preparations for leaving home.
I will report back partway through the journey to let the gang know how the wardrobe is working for me.
What a brilliant idea for filling footwear with small items? I must try that when I go on holiday.
It has been fun ‘dressing’ a real person. I used to only wear skirts and dresses in my 20’s. Now that I’m ‘retired’, I should wear mine more often instead of reserving them for special occasions which are few and far between these days.
Thermal boots will be a must. Hope you have a great time in Warsaw.
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Janice, Thank you so very much for doing a capsule for those of us who only wear skirts!! You picked my favorite neutral(navy) and used my favorite accent color(teal)!!! Really looking forward to the accessories!!
I love skirts but they don’t seem as popular in shops or online these days and they are often black or peculiar shapes. My preference is for A-line midi or ankle length. They need to look elegant as being 5ft, some skirt lengths can make me look frumpy. I also can’t wear pleats. I tend to buy skirts I likd when I see them, even if they are out of season. Skirts for me have to have some interest whether it is a decorative detail or pattern.
I SO understand your frustration with the lack of skirts in stores. The struggle is REAL! I’ve resorted to making most of mine. They’re nothing fancy but I can tailor them to my needs, size and preferences, plus, that’s how to have the colours you need.
Also, try the “Gathered in Grace” online clothing site. She sells lots of skirts and is great to work with. My daughter purchases clothing from her several times each year.
I hope this helps!
Just a thought – consider your fibers. Merino, cashmere, and “gear” layering items (like uniqlo heattech) all compress beautifully and don’t wrinkle, unlike cotton & corduroy. Also consider a packable down jacket for under your hooded rain jacket – they squish down tiny & make a big difference in the cold. Yes, I’m a hardcore carryon-only traveler!