She would wait until she heard the engine on the 82’ Volvo turn and the tires grind on the gravel before sneaking into her older sister’s room and sliding open the closet.  Quickly combing through the hangers, she would pull down the terrycloth tank top and hold it up against her flat chest.  

It takes years to build your own style and the shapes, patterns, and fabrics change over time with careers, adventures, and age, but when traveling, our wardrobe explores the culture of vacation and new experiences.  

A capsule wardrobe is an intentionally curated collection of items that are versatile and universal enough that all pieces can mix and mingle with each other to create and reinvent outfits.  A capsule wardrobe is a perfect structure when compiling a closet that needs to prepare for the unexpected and match the mood of the destination while all fitting in a suitcase.  

What is most important when building a capsule wardrobe for travel is to invest in pieces that are good quality, flattering to your form, and truly something you are obsessed with.  We live in a world with an abundance of options and there will always be an opportunity to find pieces that check all the boxes.  Build with intention and only buy things that get your reaction of “Oh my goodness, I love this!”

LEOLUNA gives you the bonus to a capsule wardrobe with 5 simple rules to follow when traveling.  With so many options and no closing hours of operation (one of the many advantages of the internet) use these 5 simple rules to guide you in building your capsule wardrobe for travel.

These 5 simple rules can adapt to any budget, any age, and any lifestyle.  So whether you spend most of your time working a 9-5, building a business, or nurturing young humans, the moments you have to express your personal style will be easy to compose with a well designed capsule wardrobe that is built for traveling to any location in any season. 

1. schedule your shopping

You booked your flight and departure is in a few months.  Life gets busy and your countdown until takeoff gets closer without your awareness.  You are rushing to Target late after work hoping that you find something semi appropriate for the trip.  The short timeline forces you to buy items that don’t fit well and aren’t your favorite.  

If you have time before you leave, schedule your shopping.  Plan to go to stores and try on garments, order items online with the space to be able to return, and rotate through delivery schedules of new merchandise.  Block out time for yourself to leisurely preview prospective clothing with a relaxed mindset so impulsivity won’t play a role in decision making and your energy towards traveling will start positively.  

2. save your money

Just like saving and budgeting for travel in the first place, saving your money for your traveling capsule wardrobe will help you actually save your money.  With a preset budget and cash in hand, you will be more mindful about spending on what items are truly worth the expense.  Create a budget and stick with it so purchases are made on purpose and not from haste.  

Our travel clothing adds to the experiences of the trip and spending should never take away from moments like reserving a helicopter ride or snorkeling with nurse sharks.  If shopping is an intentional moment within the vacation, remind yourself of its purpose and save your money for the planned experience.  

3. layering is your friend

The fabric version of accessories, layering pieces can shift the mood of your outfit from day to night and warm to chill.  Within your capsule wardrobe for travel, you should include a bundle of tank tops, t-shirts, and long sleeves.  These pieces can pair together and long sleeves should be light weight with open fronts for easy peeling and ventilation.  No one wants to stuff a bulky sweatshirt into their purse after being suffocated pulling it off overhead.  

The versatility of layering also offers the reuse of certain clothing items to maximize your packing space and choices.  When we plan with layering, we can wear items multiple times within the trip without looking like the same outfit has repeated.  By layering, our outfits can adapt to the moment with comfort and style. 

4. strategize styling

Have you ever picked out a really unique piece and thought, “When would I ever wear this?” Answer yourself by thinking of how many ways you can style the piece with items you already own.  Most of the time, our current wardrobe is waiting to be revamped with new arrivals.  

Finding a top or jacket that can be worn to work, at a weekend sporting event, and also out for a date night dinner is not by accident.  When you find an item that you absolutely love, ask yourself, “how many ways can I wear this?”  The key is versatility when collecting clothes for a trip because suitcases can only hold so much and bag checking is pricey.

5. start small

There is no rush in building your capsule wardrobe for travel.  Some sites will tell you that you need to shop at the beginning of the season and collect a specific amount of items per style, but the only way to create any wardrobe that truly represents you takes time to find. 

Just like slow designing a home, curating a collection won’t happen in a single trip.  If you already know your sense of style and have bookmarked shopping sites that you can depend on, then by all means, use those resources repeatedly.   

Traveling takes us to places drastically different from our home life and gives us a place of wonder and escape.  Explore with bravery and live the life we seek.

LEOLUNA loves you~