Holiday Capsule Wardrobe | Style Edit and Packing Tips

What are your holiday staples besides swimwear and a towel? Do you travel light or do you pack everything but the kitchen sink?

For years I took an ridiculous amount of clothes and high heeled shoes on holiday with me and they rarely even made it out of the suitcase because you always need less than you think and because what works at home doesn’t necessarily work when you are on your holibobs.  Thankfully, age and luggage restrictions have given me wisdom and I’ve got my holiday capsule wardrobe almost down to a tee. You can read an earlier post on the subject here.

My top tip is to choose a colour palette for your trip and stick to it! I’ve gone for a monochrome edit here but it’s entirely up to you, just make sure that the pieces that make the cut complement each other so you can mix and match.

When I went to las Vegas a few years ago it was all khaki, animal prints and taupe and it worked a treat! Also do your best to think in complete outfits rather than just throwing individual pieces into your suitcase that you like.

Holiday essentials

I’m heading off to Menorca for a few days soon. I want to travel light yet have enough outfits to see me through from the beach to evening drinks on the terrace and everything in between. Here’s a little list of the things you will find in my suitcase:

Kaftans, tunics and maxi dresses are holiday staples. I’ve invested in a maxi from Pampelone this year, it’s a gorgeous British brand and the Grimaud will be perfect for balmy evenings. On the high street Zara is always reliable but check out Monsoon and Next

Similar to a kaftan, a good peasant shirt looks great over a pair of denim shorts and doubles up as a chic beach cover up. Ideal for days when your shoulders have had a bit too much sun. I recently got this one from Joules and I love it so much, it’s quite casual too so perfect for my mini-break in the Med.

Denim shorts – finding a good a pair of denim shorts is tricky. The last thing I want is a pair that is too short of too tight, a relaxed fit is more comfortable and appropriate if you are of ahem, a certain age. Hush make a pair every year that look really good, although I don’t actually own a pair so can’t say for sure but please head over to Donna Ida because there’s a super sale on at the moment at you can bag yourself a pair of denim shorts for £30. Now go!!!!

Pack smart, travel light

I must confess that I haven’t shopped around for swimwear recently because I have a lovely stripy one piece that I bought last summer. I think this may be the year that I don’t wear a bikini at all. Yes the tan lines will be hideous but I don’t ever flash my midriff so who cares? This black Bardot style one piece from Topshop came home with me the other day, it’s a good one that you could just wear with shorts to hit the beach bar. This one from Stories is worth a look too.

I’ve chosen a lovely pair of black leather sandals from The White Company for this edit but I usually prefer tan leather as it’s more versatile. There’s room for both in my opinion. Always throw in a pair of flip flops, Havaiana’s last for years.

Straw baskets are my favourite summer accessory but you can’t pack them into your suitcase without them getting damaged. My suggestion is that you pack a stylish beach bag like this one from Elizabeth Scarlett and get yourself a clutch bag for the evening with a boho vibe like this one or this one from ASOS.

Add suntan lotion, a Hammam towel, sunnies and a white t-shirt and you’re all set. Happy packing!

Antonia x

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