You are going to Europe. Eat gelato in Italy. Visit a couple of museums in Paris. Catching a concert in London. Whatever is on your agenda, I have created 4 different capsule wardrobe examples, all suitable for travel to Europe.
Inspired by Europe
I chose 4 different European destinations and created a capsule wardrobe to match each of these destinations. But of course, you can bring all of them to different destinations.
For every capsule wardrobe, I chose 13 pieces of clothing. I also show a couple of accessories, just so that you can see how they bring the looks together.
Let the process begin
This thought experiment will supply you with plenty of inspiration, later on we will talk about the 4 steps you need to create your own capsule wardrobe.
If you are traveling in the spring, check out my article The best casual spring outfits, for more ideas.
The Amalfi coast
It doesn’t matter if it’s your first time in Italy or if you have been soaking up La Dolce Vita for the last 20 years. Going to Italy is always exciting.
Color palette: Cream. Light blue.
Tops: Cream shirt. Blue T-shirt. Flower-top. Cream denim jacket. Knitted lightweight cardigan. Cream camisole. Cream tank top.
Bottoms: Cream linen pants. Denim skirt. Linen shorts. Long striped skirt.
Dresses: Gingham dress. Beach cover-up dress.
Every piece of clothing in this Capsule wardrobe fills an important function.
You have a nice, but still casual, dress for dinner. You can dress up your skirt with the camisole.
When it gets a bit chilly, the cardigan or the jacket will be perfect. The pants are great for traveling.
This capsule wardrobe is breezy and casual, yet you will never feel under-dressed.
Greece
Who doesn’t love Greece? The food is delicious and the color of the ocean is to die for. I imagine this traveler as someone playful; brave enough to embrace the color pink.
Color palette: White. Cream. pink.
Tops: White shirt top. Patterned shirt. Cream T-shirt. White lace cropped top. Cream cardigan. White tank top. White romantic blouse.
Bottoms: Pink long skirt. Pink shorts. White denim shorts. Cream pants.
Dresses: Pink beach cover-up dress. Pink dinner dress.
I packed both romantic and practical clothes for this trip.
There will be a mix between sightseeing, (visiting Pompeii anyone?) and dinners spent watching the sunset in the Aegean Sea.
The shirt will protect against the sun. The cropped top will be fun for those warm nights full of music. When it is time for a fancy dinner, the maxi dress will look spectacular.
Summer in London
There is something magical about a week in a warm London. The music scene is vibrant, the parks are full of greenery, and there is always a flea market going on. Browse second-hand bookstores, try food from all over the world, and view ancient masterpieces in one of the many museums.
Color palette: Black. Lilac. Denim.
Tops: Black tank top. Lilac blazer. Lila T-shirt. Printed top. Black leather jacket. Black T-shirt. Denim shirt.
Bottom: Black pants. Black skirt. Denim skirt. Lilac skirt.
Dresses: Lilac shirt-dress.
Since London is a bit colder and slightly more formal, I packed both a blazer and a leather jacket. A shirt dress and a denim shirt were two other great additions to this wardrobe. I still kept things pretty casual. That’s how most of us want to dress for travel in Europe.
If you are over 40, I strongly recommend my article Summer capsule wardrobe for women over 40.
Visiting Paris
If you are going on a European trip, chances are that you are going to visit Paris. The city of light has been attracting travelers for centuries. Walk in the footsteps of the great Impressionist. Soak up the street style and don’t forget the cuisine. In Paris, inspiration is everywhere.
Color palette: Grey. Red. Denim.
Tops: Denim jacket. Striped top. Red T-shirt. Grey tank top. Grey cardigan. Knitted grey short-sleeved top.
Bottoms: Dark grey linen shorts. Denim shorts. Jeans. Printed midi skirt. Denim skirt.
Dresses: Grey silk dress. Red cotton dress.
A few red pieces breathe life into your capsule wardrobe. When you pack a lot of denim, it becomes surprisingly easy to wear a red T-shirt. Grey is an underrated color choice for a capsule wardrobe, especially for summer. It is lighter than black but just as versatile.
Wondering how to get that chic and nonchalant Parisian style, read my article How to create perfect French summer outfits.
Create a travel capsule wardrobe for travel to Europe in 4 easy steps
1. Choose a color palette
Two or three colors are suitable for a 13 piece capsule wardrobe. Study my examples to see how it is done.
2. Choose the number of clothes
You can also decide how many tops and how many bottoms you want to include. It is common to choose more tops than bottoms. As you can see in these example, 2 dresses are a good number for a 13 pieces capsule wardrobe.
3. Lay everything out and start creating outfits; make sure you can mix and match
This is where your capsule wardrobe comes to life. Ask yourself; where am I going in this?
4. Decide on which accessories you are going to bring. Shoes, bags and jewelry help complete your looks
Two or three pairs of shoes are good for a 13 piece capsule wardrobe. One small bag and one bigger bag are also good.
More tips for creating a Capsule wardrobe for travel to Europe
When you create a capsule wardrobe, there are actually a couple of different starting points you can choose between. So here I will give two alternatives on how to go about it.
You can start with outfits
First, decide how many items you are going to bring.
Then, pick some of the activities you will be doing, and choose suitable outfits for each and every activity.
Do this until you have reached your clothing limit.
Do the clothes work together?
Lay all the clothes out and see if they make sense together.
You should be able to create a number of new outfits from those outfits. If the clothes don’t fit together, you start making changes until you have a coercive capsule wardrobe.
This method is good because you put the focus on the things you will actually be doing, and you choose clothes accordingly.
You can start with the types of clothes
You can also start by taking a look at my examples and finding the exact items you want to bring. Maybe you love rompers or shirts, dresses or jeans? We all have our favorites and a trip to Europe is the time to wear those favorites.
Write a list of what you want to bring. For example; breezy pants, tank top, shirt, jacket, two dresses, a midi skirt.
Search your closet for those items. If you don’t have them, make a shopping list and search the internet. (Or second-hand stores.)
When you have alternatives for each item, you lay them out and make sure you can use them together. For example, the jacket should work with both the dresses and also with the pants. You should be able to wear the tank top with the midi skirt.
A Final note on how to create a Capsule wardrobe for travel to Europe
Whether you like it or not, every time you travel, you are forced to create a capsule wardrobe.
You can as well become good at it. You hone your skills by evaluating your choices when you are back from your holiday.
See which clothes you got to wear the most and which outfits you liked the most. A trip is actually an excellent opportunity to learn things about your style.
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.
