My "Capsule Wardrobe" for 3 Months in Europe

And five rules to help you build your own

Jan 31, 2023

Paid subscribers, listen to the audio version - narrated by me - here

If you’re one of the many people whose clothes are more a necessity than a form of self-expression, a capsule wardrobe — or some version of it — could be exactly what you need.

I have to admit, I am on the record saying that capsule wardrobes don’t work. I’m a firm believer in not throwing perfectly good clothes away just because they don’t fit into a coordinated closet.

BUT, I still love the idea and since being on the road, I’ve been forced into owning one. And I’m not sure I would return to my uncoordinated mess of a closet if I was living in just one place.

I thought it might be fun to document what’s in both me and my husband’s closet right now and give you some guidance to form your own capsule wardrobe, however, that might look for you.

Get your front-row seats to the Charlie and Sam Brown suitcase wardrobe collection AW22/23.

Rule #1 - Know what works for you and run with it

I’m a jeans and oversized sweater/cardigan kind of woman and always have been, so that’s what I focused on for the bulk of my clothes:

4 sweaters
1 pair of leggings and jeans
1 oversized cardigan
5 t-shirts

Three of these sweaters are second-hand, two from charity shops, and one was a donation from my younger brother. The single pair of jeans was a bit of a mistake because they have just developed a big hole in the crotch and I’m still a week away from being in a country with H&M (the only store whose jeans fit my weird skinny legs / wine belly combo). But hey, my husband tells me you can’t see the hole, so it’s hardly the worst thing.

And because I’m north of 35 years old, I of course have a pair of black leggings for traveling / sticking under dresses / hiking / lounging.

5 T-shirts are enough to last a week in the cold weather and the big oversized cardigan is there to layer up.

Basic? Yes. But it’s been my uniform since I was about 25. Once I realized this is what makes me comfortable, I ran with it. And that makes a capsule wardrobe so, SO much easier.

Rule #2 - Don’t skimp on the outer layer

Up until a month ago, I was lugging around three different jackets - a hiking jacket, a small denim jacket (still in my possession but not needed during winter so it’s back at my folks’ place) and an everyday coat.

Then I caved and bought what is all the rage in Europe - a feather-down temperature-regulating jacket. And wouldn’t you know, it replaces all three. PLUS it packs down into its own tiny little bag.

It wasn’t the cheapest jacket I’ve ever bought and frankly, it’s not the most beautiful. But I’m in love with it because finally, I’m the right temperature pretty much everywhere and it goes great with that jeans-sweater uniform. Top it off with a hat, scarf and gloves and, as we say in the UK, job’s a good’un.

One decent quality outer layer can replace myriad other jackets. If you can, don’t skimp on it.

1 coat
1 scarf
1 hat
1 pair of gloves

Rule #3 - when it comes to footwear, make use of the “decide once” principle

The decide once principle goes like this:

For any decisions that you don’t care that much about (of which there are potentially thousands a day), decide once what you are going to do and stick with it.

I decided once that I was going to buy just three brands of shoes because they are good quality, comfortable and importantly, work with more than one outfit.

Blundstone boots, Allbirds sneakers and Brooks running trainers:

In the summer I also have a pair of Saltwater sandals, the last pair of which lasted me 3 years.

Decide once, never wreck your feet again.

Rule #4 - One set of workout clothes is probably enough

Some people I know own scores of workout outfits. The activewear fashion industry is worth an insane $303 billion, but I’m not all that keen on contributing to that. My mantra is, if it does the job of keeping me cool and comfortable whilst I huff and puff down the street, that’s all I need.

Full disclosure, if I was living in one place, I would probably have two outfits. But I’ve made do with this set single running gear set for the last 2.5 years on the road and I’ve yet to have a problem with owning just a single outfit:

1 running t-shirt
1 running shorts
1 sports bra (not shown)

I get super hot when I run so I find knee-length shorts are fine down to about -3°C (26°F). I also own a long-sleeved running top for super cold weather but I knew I wasn’t traveling anywhere too nippy, so I didn’t bring it with me. And because it’s winter, I don’t sweat too much so can get two runs out of the outfit before it has to be washed.

It does the job of keeping me (relatively) fit. What more do I need?

Rule #5 - don’t forget the indoor comfort

Indoor comfort counts for a lot, especially when it’s freezing outside. For my part, I don’t give a flying wotsit about what my indoor clothes look like - it’s only me and my husband who sees them. Fashion brands, however, think differently, and thus, indoor wear is now a thing.

I’m not buying it and I refuse to haul around three different pajamas that no one is ever going to see.

My indoor wear consists of one ancient pair of pajama bottoms (they’re long enough for my near-6ft frame and it’s a miracle I ever found them, so I’m never giving them up), a t-shirt thoughtfully donated by a winemaker friend and an old t-shirt of my husband’s.

Chuck in a pair of slipper socks — another donation from my mother-in-law — and I’m set.

Indoor wear is important. But it doesn’t have to be extensive to work. It just has to be comfy.

Now my husband’s wardrobe

This is what he lives with:

4 wool-blend t-shirts (he swears by these, the’re antibacterial thus you can wear them for days before washing)
2 logo t-shirts
1 pair of jeans and one pair of black trousers
1 light jacket, 1 waterproof coat, one duck down gilet
2 hoodies
1 wooly hat, 1 cap
1 pair of boots (Redback workboots), 1 pair of general sneakers, one pair of Brooks running trainers
1 running t-shirt and 1 pair of running shorts
1 pair of pajama bottoms, 2 old sleeping t-shirts
1 pair slippers

With these, he can hike, work, sleep, pound city streets, cozy up in the middle of nowhere and only have to wash clothes once a week.

He’s got this capsule wardrobe down even better than I have.

I weirdly love my boring-ass capsule wardrobe

I mean, look at it, it really is quite dull - the only colorful thing I own is my running shirt.

But I love it because it’s highly curated. It does exactly what I want it to which is to keep me warm and comfortable. And because I’m warm and comfortable, I’m more confident than I would be in some awful contraption that reminds me of its presence every few minutes.

Like I say, a capsule wardrobe isn’t for everyone. If I wasn’t on the road, I would likely own a little more.

But not much.

Capsule wardrobe resources

Simple and Straightforward