Travel uniform vs capsule wardrobe

I always thought in terms of a capsule wardrobe being about colors that work together around a central theme...like those presented on The Vivienne Files. So, picking capsule colors from a scarf or perhaps a painting or sometimes she uses a bracelet or other piece of jewelry and adding them to anchors of monochromatic basics - black, generally but navy would work for me as well for a balanced and workable set of clothing.

For my very casual retired life in North Idaho my clothing is mostly all Tee shirts with jeans or capris and some kind of long sleeve topper. I guess that strictly fits your definition of a "uniform" although I consider it a capsule since I'm going with colors that go with each other? I learned long ago that for me to function, every top has to go with every bottom and every LS topper needs to match every combo.

Are you going for core colors with your tops and bottoms?

Take and wear what ever you want. Everyone has her own comfort and color style. When packing light, it's easier to have colors that coordinate (capsule wardrobe?) and clothes that that are hand washable. Beyond that it's your choice what you like. Sorry, but the term "uniform" reminds me of my Girl Scout days in the early '60s. I think we're getting bogged down on terminology.

I've pretty much taken the same clothes on several trips, black, gray and red. I take 3 pair leggings, 7 tops long sleeve and short sleeve long enough to cover my rear end. Even before my legs turned into old lady Dalmatian legs, I wouldn't wear capris because they look horrid on me. I don't care (much) what's in style. Comfort, washable and light weight packing are important to me.

If cargo pants are your favorites, wear them. The only thing to watch out for is if you are in Italy and wearing a tank top (bare shoulders), a church may not let you in.

Horsewoofie, what are old lady Dalmatian legs? You have me smiling as I anxiously await the answer .

Pat, not pretty age spots. Looks like a liver colored Dalmatian or other spotted creature.

An interesting thread. I guess I have a "uniform" style. I typically take two black slacks, 3 short sleeved shirts of miscellaneous colors, two sweaters typically one black and one another color that goes with most of the shirts, and two long sleeved shirts. Most years I have traveled internationally in the Autumn.

In 2023 and 2024 I traveled in the Spring. I found on clearance a pair of Columbia "professional fishing" ankle length slacks which dry quickly. I wore them on both trips. They can be sink washed and will dry overnight. I wore them most days, but on some cooler days I wore a pair of full length black slacks. I hope these never wear out.

I also take a scarf. On the Spring trips I never wore them. I will take one this Autumn when I travel in Bavaria.

I'll be interested to read what others have to say about this topic.

Happy Travels!

Traveler Girl

I guess I'm confused about the difference between a uniform and a capsule wardrobe. Because I use a 38 L backpack and keep the weight to about 8 kg everything has to coordinate and be sink washable. I'll wear jeans on the plane with a t-shirt and a long sleeve SPF overshirt and hiking shoes. Depending on the season I'll pack 1-2 pairs of hiking pants or 1-2 hiking skorts. For tops it will generally be a mix of 3-4 tees or tanks and one more long sleeve SPF or other overshirt, a cashmere cardigan and a waterproof raincoat. There will usually be at least one "nice" dress or skirt and a pair of sandals or spare lightweight walking shoes. A few pieces of jewelry, scarf or belt and that's it.

And if Horsewoofie has old lady Dalmatian legs then I have old lady tiger stripes (varicose veins).

I pack black. Everything is black - shirts , pants, jackets, may be a pair of blue jeans if I take them, but everything else is black. The color comes from scarfs and you can pack a lot of scarfs in a tiny space. works great for me.

Several things such as place, season, mode of transportation, personal comfort, dressing to blend in and body image. Personal comfort eliminates jeans for my hour glass figure, LOL! When I was a College Student, on a Multi-Country Tour in the Summer I wore colorful Jantzen slacks and tops, and cute one piece dresses that I had sewn myself. I was always having strangers come up to me and ask where I had purchased them. The next Summer Time on an Alumni Tour of France, I wore several mix and match outfiits made of light weight fabrics and wore espadrilles trying to look tres chic. A following trip my Husband and I went to the UK on a driving trip in the Autumn. I wore wool skirts, sweaters, leggings, some slacks and a London Fog full length Trenchcoat, Since I was mostly visitng Castles, Stately Homes and Museums, it was nice to be treated like a local. We next went to the UK in April and now we dressed for modern comfort in knits and fleece with a puffy coat and water-resistant walking shoes, since we were driving, wandering the countryside, including walking Hadrian's Wall. Now, I would lean to Casual these days, as my Stylist is Costco!
P.S. I'm a little peeved at Costco this year because the fabrics used for Spring/Summer tops seem to be a little sleezy and clingy. What happen to the Tees of yore that would drape nicely and not show your bra through?

I refuse to get hung up on definitions and rules for packing. And like Kathleen, my packing list changes greatly, depending on all the factors she listed. The only commonality from trip to trip is that the colors all need to harmonize for ease in mixing and matching.

‘My stylist is Costco’, too funny! My stylist is Lands’ End, with a dash of Eddie Bauer because at almost 5’10” and I’m always buying tall sizes. My rule is 3 bottoms, almost always pants, I get crazy sometimes and bring a skirt. Never jeans. 4 long sleeve tops, depending on how cool it will be it will be T shirts and t shirt weight turtlenecks and then because I travel usually very early spring, late fall or winter, I also bring 2-3 long sleeve layers, cotton or wool cardigans or pullovers. I run cold so I almost always wear that second layer over my T or turtle.

So 9-10 pieces of clothing, 3 of which I wear on the plane. Almost always boring solid colors that goes together; my big splash are 2-3 scarves with color that keeps me a little less boring. It’s almost like a uniform for travel, most of my clothes are older and are worn for travel, art museums or church here at home.

@Kathleen and Lyndash - you guys have me laughing....yes, Costco and Lands End are my style partners. I'm furious with Lands End who have quit carrying my favorite fabric blend for tee shirts...the ones with a little modal in them because they drape well and dry quickly.

And Horsewoofie and Trotter....hahaha...oh my word. Yes, Dalmatian legs here. Capris are so unstylish but I don't actually care much. I get hot in pants and won't wear shorts so capris it is. As one of my grandmoms used to say "You won't see anyone you know or care about"....!!

My “capsule” has morphed into “uniform”. The colors stay the same (black, white, peach), but the items themselves change. Sometimes the black bottom layer is jeans, sometimes knit pants or skort. Ditto for tops. This way as I shop overtime, when I see something in that scheme that will replace an item that is wearing out, or will fit a different travel season, I know things will go together.

I think Costco should have their own fashion week for spring and fall. Most of my group are sporting the seasonal offerings.

Right back at you, Pam. I’m so mad about the lightweight cotton modal blend Ts disappearing! I’ve been buying them for YEARS! And also finding something in a tall size isn’t easy either. For some reason they are still making the turtlenecks in that blend and in talls for now. They wash and hang dry great when traveling, don’t they?

I'm furious with Lands End who have quit carrying my favorite fabric blend for tee shirts...the ones with a little modal in them because they drape well and dry quickly.

Pam, ME TOO! I am so disappointed in LE. Everything else seems to shrink or look too casual or shall I say frumpy.

As for Costco, you all must buy them out, because I never find what you are all talking about...

I have an inflight uniform: tank, cotton blouse, blazer or vest and black jeans. I deviated to man made material on my last international flight but unless I'm hiking again, I will wear mostly natural fabrics on the plane. (I'm getting off that burning plane with no burns. LOL. Sorry.)

Due to the above LE disappointment, my capsule wardrobe now consists of 3 or 4 merino wool tees (long sleeve, short sleeve, tank mix will depend on the weather), a vest or blazer...or a fleece...but unlikely a fleece as it has yet to make the cut, and 3 slacks (jeans, loose good looking yoga pants or 2..or often one of those is a lounge pair I could wear out in public if desperate). My slacks are generally black and my tops are black/gray/navy or maybe lavender or orange (pick 4 at the most), one Columbia over shirt (lavender). Two scarves as I can always buy more.

I probably shouldn't even contribute to this thread! But, here goes.

My mother loved clothes and always, even in her 90's, dressed in a way that was somewhere between fashion and avant-garde. She was in the fashion pages of newspapers a few times, once for wearing pink satin hot pants to Covent Garden opera in the early 1970's. Closets and closets full of clothes. But I was always what used to be called a tomboy and couldn't see what the point was of being so interested in what anybody wears. I was dismayed that what finally stopped my mother from traveling all over the world (in her 80's) was she "couldn't decide what to pack." I also hate shopping (except for plants).

So, what I wear traveling is the same stuff I wear at home (and actually, the same stuff I wear gardening or cleaning out the garage once it gets too old to look decent): gray or black pants from Lands End, cashmere cardigans from Lands End, quilted vests from you guessed it Lands End, various colors of long-sleeved linen tunics from Jones New York bought on eBay, and Altra sneakers. Summer and winter.

Is this capsule or uniform? I'm thinking uniform.

Nancy, I am with you! The clothes I bring are the clothes I wear all the time…for years. Some packing videos pack more clothes than I have. LOL

I am thinking uniform. I hate clothes decisions.

I have travel clothes that spend most of their lives in my luggage. The only time they get out is when I get home and wash them, or when I wear them on vacations. I take three pair of black pants,four short sleeved tops,two long sleeved tops,a skirt and a pair of shorts for hot days. I too have giraffe old lady legs but when its over 80 degrees who cares? I love being ready to travel at a moments notice.

My trips are long - 6-7 weeks. I take neutral bottoms, one black sleeveless dress and then my tops are colourful. My puffer jacket is turquoise and I love it!

I just get so bored if I only take neutrals. I did it on one trip and ended up needing to buy a couple of t-shirts after three weeks of feeling frumpy and unfashionable.

The main difference between my normal clothes and my travel clothes is that what I take on trips has to be sink washable and quick drying. So my thick cotton t shirts stay home and my merino t shirts come travelling.

I stick with basic colors of black and beige slacks, and beige and grey shorts, and white (yes white) and black t-shirts. I make travel albums of all our trips, and I can look back to 20 years ago and see myself in a pair of beige slacks and a white t-shirt and have that classic look, rather than ask myself, “what was I thinking when I wore that hideous outfit”. Like some of the posts above, these basics go along on every trip. Nobody is going to recognize a pair of black slacks as the same ones you wore last year, or the year before. It makes packing so much quicker and easier when I have my travel clothes ready at a moment’s notice. I am past the age where I would show my midriff, so I go for comfort, elastic waistband versus uncomfortable snaps you have to keep opening after every meal. Costco clothing is my friend too and accompanies me on my trips. Lightweight, quick drying and wrinkle free. That is where I bought a grey mid-length rain jacket that is waterproof and so lightweight it folds up into a tiny packet, and stays in my luggage all the time ready for the next trip.

Neither. I wear what's comfortable, easy to wash, and quick to dry. Mainly things coordinate, but sometimes they don't. Shrug.

Just cleaned out my closet recently and boy I have a LOT of travel pants! They are all summer weight. Our next trip is this December for christmas markets. I have NEVER taken jeans, but an thinking about taking 2 pair hoping I can get more than 3 or 4 wears out of them before they need washing. I am also tall and 90% of my clothes are lands end. In summer I take almost exclusively lands end pima cotton t-shirts. In winter I take pima cotton turtlenecks all of which go with all bottoms.

Just cleaned out my closet recently and boy I have a LOT of travel pants! They are all summer weight. Our next trip is this December for christmas markets.

I did northern Norway in March with woollen long johns under my summer weight travel pants. It worked really well!

The first time I read the term ‘capsule wardrobe,’ was in planning for this trip. For the past 15 years all of our trips have been domestic, mostly camping. So it’s been fleece, jeans, T-shirts, wool socks. I coordinate in real life, but not when squirrels and chipmunks are the only observers. I do have an everyday uniform of short sleeve, semi-fitted tops and slim or straight cut pants, and that’s carried over into planning for our trip to Portugal. I am capsuling in that pretty much every top goes with every bottom (except for a green shirt and green cargoes that I don’t plan to wear together).

My style, travel and at home, also comes from Lands End and Eddie Bauer, but I add a splash of Amazon Essentials for outerwear. Has anyone else noticed that almost always you need to buy a larger EB size to get the same fit as a similar LE one? One thing I love about LE is that they have actual garment measurements. EB's fit descriptions do help a bit with sizing and fit.

I definitely have a uniform that has the same basic garments, but it varies dramatically by color based on my "inspiration" scarf. And I dress the same way at home as on trips, sans the scarf. I've found that if everything works with it, everything works with everything else, whether or not I wear the scarf.

Wool in any form is not my friend. And I've found that tanks don't work as well under my required long sleeve button up shirt as a short-sleeve 100% Supima cotton tee from LE or a short-sleeve "Resolution" tee from EB. The EB Resolution tees are made from a moisture-wicking, stretch blend of recycled polyester and spandex. I like their light weight and how they feel.

Those basic garments include what I wear on the plane and are limited to 6-8 tops and 3 pairs of full length real pants. My favorites are the EB Incline Utility Pants. Runners up are the EB Guide Pro and Rainier pants in that order. All have good pockets, good stretch and are a combo of nylon and spandex.

My favorites for the long sleeve button up shirt are the EB Departure 3.0 ones for their stretch and colors with the UPF Guide ones a close 2nd. The rest varies depending on season, destination and anticipated weather.

Regardless of season or weather, the last main items of my uniform are a hooded rain jacket and my ankle high, waterproof, lace-up boots.

Lo, Yes I also have to order 1 size larger when buying EB. Although I haven't bought directly from EB in quite a while as I felt they were trending market toward a younger crowd. All those travel pants I found are EB though:). I did notice last time I was at Costco they had the EB convertible pants and a couple of LE items!

My travel clothes have to be washable above all else, and that includes jackets.
I take items in black, white and pale grey; then add one or two colours.
Red or blue in the winter, and paler greens or blues with purple for warm weather.
No beige!!!
Every top has to go with every bottom, and everything has to be worn at least three times for it to be useful.
If clothing has pockets, that’s a bonus.
I like thin cotton skirts for summer weather, much cooler than capris and they cover my knees.
I’m with most of you: no shorts….only worn in my back garden!

I pretty much bring the same wardrobe on each trip--black walking boots and black casual sneakers, black jacket and purse, 2 pairs long jeans (black and dark blue), a selection of tops--a couple short or sleeveless ones in warm weather, otherwise long sleeved jersey tops and perhaps a light sweater or cashmere. Since everything goes with black and dark blue jeans I liven things up with colorful tops.

I mix things up a lot, depending on the trip. For most of Europe, for example, I lean toward a lot of black. For Egypt, Turkey and the Mediterranean, I tend to choose lighter colors.

Although I don't have a lot of hard rules, I do employ a few strategies to coordinate clothing.

• Pick 12 items -- shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, jackets, raincoats, or whatever. (This was some very good advice I got on this forum. The person who suggested it said to limit it to 10 items, but I have never been able to get it down to 10.)

• Aim for a dark neutral (black, brown, navy), a light neutral (white, cream, beige, light grey), and one or two colors.

• Try to have one combination of bottoms and an outer layer that is matching or really well coordinated --- not necessarily a formal suit, but some combination that can function like a suit.

• (This part gets more complicated.) I think of tops as either lower layers (t-shirts, turtlenecks) or upper layers (jackets, coats, sun shirts). If one of the upper layers has color, I tend to go with a semi-complementary color or neutral for the lower layers. For example, if I pack a red fleece, then all of my lower layer shirts will be neutral or blue. I find it difficult to coordinate colors on the same side of the color wheel. It's just too hard to get things to match. Pants are always neutral for me.

As I read everyone's replies, I realize I am really tired of my travel wardrobe. Next year for England and Ireland I'm changing to Navy with splashes of Light Blue and Burgundy. I won't need to buy much, only a rain coat, since I have almost everything hanging in the closet. I have more layering pieces in navy than my usual black, gray and red.

It doesn’t sound like y’all are bringing very many things. We’re gonna be gone for 17 days. Would you only bring three pairs of pants and four shirts for 17 days? Help!

Michelle, for 17 days, I’d still bring 3pr leggings/pants and 7 tops. Same as I pack for 30 days.

Welcome to the forum. There are lots of discussions about packing light. I usually end up with a 20 lb rolling carry on and a 6 lb personal item tote. The basics that will get me by, two pair of shoes, a sweater or two, maybe a jacket, a packable rain poncho, 5 sets of undies and socks. Personal items, drugs. Electronics. Sink washing laundry supplies.

Make a packing list, weigh every thing. Revamp and update list. Repeat until you can lift your suitcase into an overhead bin and carry everything up and down stairs.

For 17 days I would bring 2-3 bottoms (skirts or pants depending on weather, activity and season) and a total of 6 tops (short sleeve, tank top, or long sleeve depending on weather, activity and season). On the plane I would be wearing pants, a short sleeve shirt, a long sleeve shirt and maybe my rain jacket or packable down jacket, again, depending on weather. It's essentially what I bring no matter how long the trip is. Everything is sink washable. But for more than about 10 or 12 days I will arrange to have laundry done either at my Airbnb, hotel or outside laundry at some point.

I don’t pack either a capsule wardrobe or a uniform. I aim for a variety of colors and styles in my five outfits that are typically 2 dresses and three tops with two pants.

I just rotate my outfits (sink wash at night) & add a scarf or necklace when needed for some variety.

This has worked fine for trips up to 30 days. One of the dresses is nice enough to attend a nice concert or opera.

For 17 days I'd bring 3 pairs of jeans, and probably 8 tops--depending on weather, a mix of sleeveless, short and 3/4 or long sleeves--and 4 pairs each undies and socks, because I am a dedicated sink washer and tend to be in one place for several days so it's simple to just wash items as I wear them. I could do 4 tops, sure, but I do like to have a choice.

“It doesn’t sound like y’all are bringing very many things. We’re gonna be gone for 17 days. Would you only bring three pairs of pants and four shirts for 17 days? Help!”

I agree with others. For 17 days I pack the same as for 30 days or even 6 weeks.

3 bottom pieces - 2 long pants, 1 capri or another long pr depending on destination and time of year.

3 or 4 Short sleeve tees

1 long sleeve shirt/topper

1 sunshirt possibly

Look at it this way - 3 bottoms times 4 tops = 12 outfits.

Add 1 scarf to the 12 outfits - thats a total of 24 outfits

Add a 2nd scarf which gives another 12 so a total of 36 outfits

I have all my tops go with all my bottoms and the topper goes with everything. The best place to start is to lay all your potential clothing items out on the bed and see what goes with what. I also weigh every item and make sure ever item will wash in the sink and dry mostly overnight.

Everything I take is a clothing item I wear regularly. It’s taken a while to get to this point though!

I add up and combine all my outfit choices as Pam does above.
With my very few items, the first time I took carryon only, I had 36 outfit combinations.
It does take a bit of practice.
Remember, all the people you meet on a trip will never see you again, so it doesn’t matter if you repeat the outfits!

I vary the “outfit” based on the seasonal weather, but it is mainly black, underwear to shoes and coat. Fleece or a light down if early spring, late fall and then decreasing to denim (black) shirt if I still need something, moving on to Chico’s or Eddie Bauer, Columbia for a light jacket or rain coat. I recently upgraded to a Columbia raincoat, of course in black. I do like Kohl’s golf Tek Gear or athletic wear because it can be sink washed and dries over night, particularly for shirts and even their Tek Gear leggings. (The side pockets are invaluable.) I top it off with a ScottEVest and maybe a waterproof or sun hat if needed. Yes, it can be a little warm if the temp goes up but I try to stick to UPF (golf wear) if that’s the case. No one really knows if I have 1 of each piece or 5, I like to keep everyone guessing. I’ve found it to be an easy and non-stressful way to travel, no decisions about what color I’m wearing (I do admit to an occasional scarf). I traveled with a friend this year who I’ve know for 40 years and told her about my way of packing and travel strategy. She packed jeans for 85 degree weather that had rhinestones embedded in them and then refused to have them hotel washed! To each his own, at least my clothes were refreshed nightly in the sink or an occasional travel stop for laundering. I’m a uniform girl. And I can fly with a carryon and small personal item with ease. I’m always under the limit for weight!

Posted by Rabs

No one really knows if I have 1 of each piece or 5, I
like to keep everyone guessing.

My Mom and her cousin used to do US based bus tours in the 1980s & '90s. They noticed on one trip that one woman always had on the exact same outfit and wondered if she every changed her clothes. I asked her how they knew she didn't have multiple sets of the same outfit. They were never around to see the luggage being brought to the bus, so who knows.

Check out Athleta Endless high rise pant for a women’s pant that rolls easily, feels like yoga pants but looks like a dress pant. i took them on my last trip and ending up wearing them on repeat. Pricey but worth it. I also do a test run to see which clothing never needs ironing before I travel. Pinterest also has lots of ideas for a travel capsule wardrobe.

I have a Travel uniform. And I mean an actual uniform. Three sets of identical clothes dressed up with a colorful scarf.

As a child I begged to go to military school so I didn't have to put up with all the problems with the mean girls at school being fashion police. It was a long time ago, so I had to wait for college to be one of the first female cadets. (Merchant Marine not Military). In all my years going to sea, I always made sure I had one set of work clothes to wear, one to be in the wash, and one extra.

I am old and retired, the joy of which, is no one really looks at what I am wearing. No need for makeup and my close cropped hair needs little care.

My Uniform kit is:
A French style black beret.
Three identical loose black dresses with very small cap sleeves.
Three pairs of thin black footless tights.
Three black sports bras.
Three pairs black comfortable women's briefs.
Three pairs of thick Smart Wool socks.
Comfortable low top hiking shoes (my brand is Oboz).
One brilliantly colored sarong looped around my neck like a scarf, which can be used for many things while traveling, including catching peoples' eyes enough that they have no idea what else I am wearing.

In cooler weather I add:
Two thin black long sleeved mock turtle-necks to make the dresses long sleeved when needed.

The great thing about this uniform is that I can sit crosslegged in a park having a picnic and later in the day go to a very nice restaurant for dinner without more than a change of shoes.

The only odd thing my mode of dress has caused is that occasionally someone will complement me on how well I speak English and ask me where I am from.