4-Day Travel Capsule Wardrobe

When travelling by train or plane, checked luggage costs can get to be expensive. The best solution is to have everything in a carry-on … bonus … less chance your luggage is lost!

What is a Wardrobe Capsule?

It is approximately 10 clothing items that inter-match to create an abundance of outfit combinations!

This example is from my 4-day train trip to Montreal in early June. There are ten pieces: 4 short-sleeve t-shirts, 2 bottoms, 2 long-sleeve cardigans, and 2 pairs of shoes. I also included two bracelets and a necklace for simple accessories. Of course, pyjamas and undergarments were also packed!

When you have a wardrobe in your seasonal colours, everything matches and makes outfit creation easier. I use a coding system to help me work out combinations.

• T = T-shirt
• B = Bottom
• C = Cardigan
• S = Shoes
• A = Accessory

• T1 | Grey with floral detail | The Coco Bear on Etsy
• T2 | Dusky pink cropped | Province of Canada
• T3 | Blue | Old Navy
• T4 | Face pattern | Penningtons (purchased used)
• B1 | Black relaxed jogging-style pants | Mettamade in Hamilton (sadly this size-inclusive slow fashion company has closed)
• B2 | Cropped jeans | Lee
• C1 | Mauve Livorno shirt dress | Not Perfect Linen
• C2 | Aqua drape | Old Navy

• S1 | Grey sandals | Birkenstock
• S2 | Multi-colour canvas strap | Hurley
• A1 | Moonstone & Jasper bracelets | Sprouting Balance (aka me)
• A2 | Multi-coloured knotted agate necklace | Sprouting Balance

We can make over 20+ combinations with these items!

Let’s imagine that we don’t need long sleeves and we will exclude accessories. The image above shows an outfit with a grey t-shirt, black pants, sandals, and bracelets. What other combos could happen with the grey t-shirt:

• T1 + B1 + S1
• T1 + B1 + S2
• T1 + B2 + S1
• T1 + B2 + S2

That’s already FOUR outfits! From one t-shirt! If we do this with the other three t-shirts, we get SIXTEEN combinations!

Then add in the two cardigan options and the accessories you easily get over TWENTY outfit ideas.

I only shared the four outfits I wore while in Montreal. You could see that I had options each day based on my mood. It was really hot while there so I only wore each top one time. If the weather was cooler, I could have re-worn any of the t-shirts.

Now, I challenge you to do this in your wardrobe. Can you pull ten items and create a capsule?