one suitcase: beach vacation capsule wardrobe

Here we go again with a new One Suitcase series!!

Due to multiple request (and the fact I'm headed on vacation over Christmas break!) I decided to put together a One Suitcase beach vacation series! This capsule will have super casual looks for a tropical climate that work for activities like lounging at the beach, doing the tourist thing, going to dinner and just general enjoyment of the laid-back beach vacation lifestyle. :)

Post 1/10 -
Between my job & my love of seeing new places around the world I spend a fair amount of time living out of a suitcase. From all the experience I have gained from hauling myself & my stuff all over the place I have learned just how valuable packing smart & packing light is to your sanity. And I think I have gotten pretty good at selecting just my few favorite pieces of clothing to bring and stretching their use though multiple outfits for multiple activities as I travel. So for this second installment of the one suitcase feature I'm going to try out a beach vacation capsule wardrobe. Above are the 16 pieces I will use to create 40 outfit options for this trip!!

The purpose of the "One Suitcase" feature is to try to show you how you can pare down your packing list when you travel without sacrificing the number or variety of outfits you have for the range of activities your trip may entail. I have learned through trial and error (and the pain of lugging wayyy too big a suitcase) that by packing a few favorite & versatile pieces of clothing I can mix and match the items into a surprising number of outfit options. You just have to do a little planning up front. Hopefully the posts this week will show you my method and help you find the potential of the clothes you already have in your closet!

The method:

1. Basics - First I pick some basics pieces to lay the foundation for the trip. I try to pick my favorite go-to clothes. Clothes I know I wear over and over. The ones that go with almost everything. For me, this usually involves  laying out my favorite jeans, basic shorts and a pair of super comfy wedges.
   
   For the basics in this capsule wardrobe I have chosen whites & navys/blues as the base colors. I packed my favorite jeans, white & black shorts, white button down shirt, chambray button down shirt, a navy & a white cardigan and a white strapless dress.



2. Interest - Second, I add a few interesting pieces to compliment the subtle basics. I look for pops of color or fun patterns that will make the basic pieces more exciting. I try to grab items that will compliment each other or at least be somewhat in the same color scheme. For me, I'd usually go for a striped top, a dress, few colored dresses and an interesting blouse that would go with both cardigans.
   
   For this capsule wardrobe I chose a pink t-shirt, a striped tank, a teal tank, an ikat tank, an ikat coverup, a teal maxi dress, an ikat skirt and a green & yellow dress. (I went super casual with this capsule - if I were headed on a cruise or something with a few slightly fancier dress code events - I'd swap one of these cotton dresses with a dressier dress.)



3. Accessories & Shoes - Finally, I add some accessories to complete the outfits. Jewelry, belts and scarves take up very little room and can dramatically alter how an outfit looks. Unfortunately, shoes is the area I still struggle with. I always want to bring just one more pair. But I've learned to limit myself to only either blacks or browns (depending on my clothes) and then nude/beige shoes go with everything.
   
   For this capsule wardrobe I chose three necklaces, one gold watch, white fedora hat, brown belt and a teal clear beach bag.  For shoes I packed silver flip flops, gladiator flats, favorite wedges and a pair of sneakers.
   

Over the next eight days I'm going to show you 40 outfits that I put together with these 16 pieces. I will share five outfits each day listing what pieces they are built from and where I would wear them. And then on the last day I will post a big downloadable image that includes the all the individual 16 pieces and all the 40 put together outfits for easy reference.

Hope you enjoy!

You can check out my first One Suitcase feature with Business Casual clothes here: