I travelled during June to August to the following countries: Spain, Italy, France & Switzerland. From this experience I thought it useful to do a few blog posts on how to pack a versatile capsule holiday wardrobe for long term travelling. I visited a variety of smaller and larger cities, small seaside towns, beaches, campsites, hostels, air bnbs and hotels so I needed to pack quite a selection of clothes to meet this diverse criteria. Of course the main aim is to carry a small yet versatile collection so that you have as many outfit choices as possible. Especially when (like me) you are carrying all of your luggage on your back you want to make sure you really maximise the potential and only take items you will actually wear.

Keeping it Basic :

Keeping your capsule wardrobe to block colours is a great way to make your capsule holiday wardrobe super versatile. My capsule wardrobe consisted mostly of a monochrome palette with some plain blue and pink separates for a pop of colour when needed. I would recommend having monochrome as a base and picking your 2 favourite colours to wear as your pop colours (they don’t have to be bright, whatever you are comfortable in).

Items : 

Okay colour palette sorted but what items to actually pack?! In each blog post I will break down a couple of different item categories along with my specific recommendations. In June – August it is very hot so one must pack accordingly. Also worth noting that generally compared to London I found the destinations I visited much more of a casual vibe.

Like any of the items that you see?

Click on the images to be taken to the brands website. Any tips please do not hesitate to comment x

If you missed Blog Post 1 check it out here:

Capsule Holiday Wardrobe for Western Europe – June, July & August. Part 1

Part 2

Shorts:

• Detailed Shorts – I like feminine shapes so I opted for a pale pink pair with 3D flower petal details on the waistband and another pair of crepe pale blue shorts with a frilly waistband both of which make a simple strappy top instantly dressier.
• My advice is to choose shorts which have intricate details and that will add a little something extra when paired with the simple tops I mentioned in Blog Post 1 of my Capsule Wardrobe Series such as these options:

 

• City Shorts – great option for daytime city exploring. I chose a pair of pale blue from Reiss
• Here are some great tailored styles:

 

• Cotton Jersey Shorts – I literally lived in these when going to the beach as they dry quickly and are easy to wash making them perfect for beach times where they are likely to get super sandy and wet.
• These are a great option:

• Denim shorts – another great option for the beach but can also be worn whilst city exploring too
• Here are a couple of examples

Swimwear :

• If you love the beach life like me I would recommend taking as big a selection of swimwear as possible as you will live in it.
• The bigger variety of different styles you bring the less likely you are to get tan lines as you are constantly changing the skin exposed. I would recommend taking a couple of triangle style bikinis, a couple of more interesting strappy designs, a couple of moulded cups for when you need extra support and a couple of sporty styles for when you do any sports.
• Packing a few one pieces is also great as they can double up as bodies and be worn with skirts and shorts.
• Mix and match bikinis to create new looks as seen below

 

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Stay tuned for Part 3 …

N.B. These clothes are items I have collected over many years so I have found similar current alternatives. Any tips needed on where to buy particular items please do not hesitate to ask.