You’ve probably picked this up over the last few years but recently I have well and truly drunk the minimalist kool-aid and it is delicious.
I’m not quite sure how this happened to be honest. I used to be a hard core collector of all the things. I had little tins full of bits of paper and treasures. I had boxes full of programs and tickets from every theatre show I’ve ever been in. There was a box in my cupboard that was overflowing with notes my high school best friend had passed me in class with Mrs Leo DiCaprio emblazoned across the front in her overly-swirly handwriting. A wrapper from Freddo Frogs we’d shared on the bus to an excursion in Sydney. Every single flower I was ever given, dried and kept in plastic takeaway containers.
All that stuff is gone now. I have a few things I’ve kept. Some sweet birthday cards from Mr Smaggle and little gifts from my mates over the years, but most of that stuff just isn’t a part of my life any more.
This minimalism has trickled down in to my wardrobe too. I used to have an overflowing wardrobe. I’d op-shop and add to my collection constantly. Slowly over the years I’ve pared my wardrobe back to a handful dresses, a few key pairs of shoes and very select accessories. It makes packing an absolute breeze. I know capsule wardrobes are all the rage right now so I wanted to share my 13 piece travel wardrobe that I can wear in almost any weather except for hard core snow. Note: I don’t wear pants because I find them hideously uncomfortable and plus dresses are more efficient anyway.
I travel a lot – I’d say about 4 months of the year, I’m living out of a suitcase at the moment and this is pretty much all that’s in it right now…
1. White cotton dress
2. Black cotton dress
3. Striped cotton dress
4. Patterned cotton dress
5. Over sized cotton/wool blend cardigan
6. Nude ballet flats
7. Cute and comfy sandals
8. Kick ass water proof boots
9. Cotton scarf
10. Crocheted wool wrap
11. Black opaque tights
12. Grey knit tights
13. Navy down jacket
Wearing
4 (nude flats) + 6 (patterned dress) + 10 (crocheted wool wrap) =
This is one of my favourite go-to multi-activity outfits. I wore this for a walk into town to grab a coffee, a wander around a country town looking at all the shops, I slipped my shoes off for a walk along the beach in the afternoon and then I was able to wear this dress out for dinner to fancy-ish restaurant. It’s also super comfortable – I could happily wear this dress every day for a week. Bloody bonza.
Capsule Wardrobe Tips
1. Comfort is key
If it’s not comfy you won’t wear it. I like to do a nap test with an item of clothing before it’s accepted into the travel wardrobe club. I need to be able to comfortably have a nap in something. Then it passes the test. Any article of clothing you can wear all day and not rip off the second you walk in the door are also winners.
2. Stick to a simple colour palette.
Neutrals like black, white and grey go together quite easily without too much trouble. If you love colour, go for patterns to get your colour fix. I personally find matching blocks of bright colours very difficult so I tend to just avoid it altogether.
3. Be strict with yourself
If you only pack four dresses, that’s all you’ll wear because that’s all you’ll have. It’s so freeing and you don’t have that guilt of carting around a giant bag full of stuff you won’t use.
I had just the loveliest Easter weekend. I went to the Burrawang markets (and was lucky enough to get a smooch from my mate Beth who was manning the primary school bake stall), had a burger at Bernie’s in Moss Vale, went to just about the best Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to in Kiama, drank wine and whisky with one of our mates who came to visit and slammed through some serious crochet designs that I can’t wait to share.
What did you get up to this Easter?
What are your travel staples? Do you struggle with packing too much stuff?
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P.P.S If you want to learn to crochet, today is your lucky day. There’s a 7 day free trial on offer right now…. get on it!
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