4 dreamy beach destinations – 4 different capsule wardrobes
Palm trees, white sand, and turquoise water. It’s time to take your tired, frozen body and go on a beach vacation. Regardless if you are looking to relax on the beach or explore the local restaurant scene, I have a beach-ready vacation capsule wardrobe to fit your style.
How to create a beach vacation wardrobe in 4 easy steps:
- Decide on a color palette. This will help make your wardrobe cohesive. 3 colors are suitable for a 13-piece capsule wardrobe.
- Decide on the number of items you want to include. Also, make a plan as to what to include. T-shirts? Shorts? Dresses? Decide how many pieces you want to bring from each type of clothing. In this step, you also take a look at the weather at your destination. Make sure you adjust your decision to what you will need.
- Consider which activities you are planning to do, and pick a couple of outfits suitable for those activities. This will ensure that your vacation capsule wardrobe is suitable for how you actually will spend your days.
- Make sure that all the clothes you have chosen can be used to create additional outfits. The more you can mix and match, the more mileage you will get out of your capsule wardrobe.
4 different beach vacations
Are you still feeling unsure?
Not to worry, the best way to understand how to create the perfect beach vacation capsule wardrobe is to look at a couple of examples.
I have chosen 4 classic beach vacation destinations and created a capsule wardrobe for each of them.
4 different ladies
All my ladies have slightly different preferences; they might love colors or dresses, or they might want to cover up a bit more despite the heat.
Ask yourself which of these wardrobes resonates the most with you.
I choose 11 pieces of clothing and 2 bathing suits for each capsule wardrobe.
If you want to create a capsule wardrobe for your whole summer, look no further than my article Build your 2023 summer capsule wardrobe in 6 easy steps.
Cancun, Mexico
Color palette: Pink. Orange. White. Cream.
Tops: White T-shirt. White camisole. White romantic top. Cream denim jacket.
Bottoms: Purple and orange long skirt. White linen shorts. Pink shorts. Pink skirt. Cream pants.
Dresses: Printed long dress. Printed tube dress. White linen beach cover-up.
How to pack
Since this is such a fun and vibrant destination, I choose to embrace two happy colors; pink and orange.
Note that you can use this capsule wardrobe as a template, but pick the two accent colors you prefer.
White and cream-colored clothes actually look good together, so they both work as a neutral for this wardrobe.
If you want an in-depth article about how to create epic outfits, check out What makes a great outfit?
Pro tips for creating a beach vacation capsule wardrobe
The risk with any capsule wardrobe is to end up with a wardrobe that’s too basic. You don’t want to feel like you dress boring just because you have a capsule wardrobe.
When you decide which clothes to bring to this trip, make sure you choose 2 or 3 “standout pieces” for every 10 pieces of clothing you pack.
You want a good balance between fun and practicality.
Don’t go overboard with the prints
The other very common problem is the exact opposite. Packing a bunch of tricky, colorful clothes where nothing matches.
When you pack for a holiday, it’s easy to get a little too excited. You imagine yourself wearing long sweeping colorful dresses, despite preferring a top and jeans when home.
Once again, the solution is to have a vacation capsule wardrobe where basic clothes are between 60-70 percent of the total amount of clothes.
Puerto Rico, Caribbean
Color palette: Lilac. Brown.
Tops: Lilac cropped top. Lilac blouse. Lilac shirt. A lilac tank top. Lilac t-shirt. Brown T-shirt.
Bottoms: Brown palazzo pants. Brown shorts. Colorful shorts.
Dresses: Brown playsuit. Lilac dress.
How to pack
In this capsule wardrobe, I choose to include lots of separates. This gives you the possibility to create many different outfits from only 11 pieces of clothing.
I also choose to use only two colors, (Plus a printed pair of crochet shorts.)
This wardrobe becomes very versatile. Choose your two favorite colors, one neutral and one fun, play along and create the same wardrobe and see how you like it.
Pro tips for creating a beach vacation capsule wardrobe
Being comfortable at the beach is all about choosing the right materials. Pick cotton and linen and stay away from polyester.
If you prefer to be more covered up, choose breezy layering pieces such as a gauze shirt.
A pair of linen pants is another workhorse for your beach vacation.
Consider the air-conditioning
Since restaurants and hotels can be pretty heavy with their air-conditioner, always bring a long-sleeved top such as a cardigan. Another good idea is to bring a big scarf; it is perfect to put over your shoulder if the evening gets chilly.
French Riviera, Europe
Color palette: Blue. White. Red.
Tops: Black off-the-shoulder top. Blue tank top. Navy shirt. Striped cardigan. Striped red top.
Bottoms: Black linen shorts. Black short skirt. Black linen pants. Printed skirt.
Dresses: Blue dress. Black linen beach cover-up. Red dress.
How to pack
For this capsule wardrobe, I chose two classic French colors: red and blue. I also chose black as my base, but you could choose a lighter color for those clothes and get the same stylish result.
Since Europe is a bit cooler than the other destinations, I picked warmer clothes for this capsule wardrobe. With two stunning dresses, you are going to look great when you choose to dress up.
If minimalist outfits are your cup of tea, let me recommend How to create perfect minimalist summer outfits.
Pro tips for creating a beach vacation capsule wardrobe
Considering what kind of clothing you want to bring.
In these capsule wardrobes, I have aimed for at least one pair of long pants and one long-sleeved top (or jacket.)
I have also included two bikinis (or swimsuits) for each capsule, as well as a beach cover-up.
Other fun clothing to consider for a beach vacation capsule is: a shirtdress, a playsuit, a shirt (works great over your bikini), a cropped top and a maxi skirt.
Make sure you have enough basics
I always make sure that I have the basic covers in the form of shorts, skirts, tank tops and T-shirts.
Consider which length you would like your basics in. Do you like longer skirts and shorts? They do come in all different lengths.
If you want to extend these capsule wardrobes, I recommend adding a couple of extra T-shirts and tank tops.
As a general rule, you need more tops than bottoms.
The Maldives, Asia
Color palette: Cream. White. Light blue. Pastel colors.
Tops: White tank top. White romantic top. A white T-shirt. White cardigan.
Bottoms: Blue denim shorts. Pastel pink skirt. Striped shorts. White linen pants.
Dresses: Pastel-colored dress. Blue beach cover-up. Blue maxi dress.
How to pack
A dreamy wardrobe for a cream destination. Here I choose to work with lots of white clothes together with light blue and a couple of pastel-colored pieces. Notice how simple the formula is for what we are actually packing, just one of each and the result is stunning.
A final Note
I hope you have learned how to build a beach vacation capsule wardrobe. My examples should provide you with plenty of inspiration for which clothes will be fun to pack for your next getaway.
Moa Ailert is the founder and editor-in-chief of Her Brilliant Friend.
She has a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and plenty of insight into human psychology from traveling and living in different places around the world.
Moa is currently based in Portugal where she has a guesthouse; Villa dos Irmaos.
She has various websites, among others Ericeira Insider, but Her brilliant friend is her true passion project.
