15kg of luggage - capsule wardrobe help!!

[spekky]

I’m travelling to the south of France and Italy in the summer. I’ve only got a 15kg luggage allowance on the way out, so need some help with how I can build a capsule wardrobe for the trip.

I like nice summery dresses, or shorts and t-shirts. For the evenings I have two sets of shoes & bags - one pair of gold slider style sandals and a gold bag, one pair of red heels and a red bag (pics attached).

I plan on doing a lot of exploring so day to day I imagine I’ll be wearing trainers a lot - I have a burgundy and cream pair of Adidas Spezials and will probably purchase a new pair of new balance 720s in preparation for the trip. Likely in white or brown.

I will have the ability to do laundry halfway through the trip.

Where do I even start?!

I’m wondering if those of you taking shorts for any kind of break that involves a town / city also wear shorts at home? Obviously they’re fashionable this year so I’ll be buying some - but generally I wouldn’t wear anything in a European city that I wouldn’t feel comfortable in around London.

I’d wear shorts at home but it’s easiest to wear them in a hot country.

I like to have all of my bathroom stuff in a small hanging bag too. I have this one (although I bought mine in Japan where it was a third of the price). I want to be able to grab everything in one go and hang it in the bathroom when we arrive to a new hotel. It’s not huge but enough for the small amount of makeup, toothpaste, hair product etc that I carry with me.

https://uk.muji.eu/products/hanging-toiletry-bag-with-detachable-pouch-9763

If you can do laundry then just take some clothes that are easy to wash and preferably don’t crease and wash them.

I mainly wear dresses but sometimes if I am doing loads of walking and the weather is very hot I want shorts. I can't say I have ever considered whether or not they are in fashion though. I would certainly wear them in equivalent circumstances in the UK. I don't think I have ever given much thought to what I would wear in London vs not London either. I guess I wouldn't wear wellies or walking boots. I might not wear short shorts if I thought I was going to have to sit down on the bus or the tube.

Maybe I’m just panicking, usually before when I go away I’d take a 23kg suitcase minimum!

I think I need at least two purely because I’ll be walking so much everyday. I find it really irritating to do that in the same shoes for a prolonged period of time

Wear you bulkiest items to travel in and layer up.
Use you hand luggage to maximum capacity.(a spare outfit/shoes etc)
Minimise toiletries,/buy what you need when you are out there.(toileteries weigh heavy)
Make sure your colour palette is complimentary and can be mixed and matched,choose neutral base items .
Use accessories to add colour pops.
Lightweight fabrics.
Try everything on before it wins a place in your case.
What you actually choose to take depends on your preference and personal style .
It's helpful that you can do laundry whilst you are away.

I have been on several holidays for a month abroad with less than 15kg of luggage

My tried & tested

1 pair of comfortable shoes for walking
1 pair of sliders

Clothes which are comfortable, light & require no ironing & do not crinkle.
Clothes which are also easy to wash.

A wrap which can be used at the beach or evenings as a sarong or scarf

Fold up mini reusable bag or rucksack

Reusable water bottle

Micro fibre small towel

Solid shampoo bar
Solid deo
Toothpaste can be solid tablets

+++Leave space in luggage to bring some
souvenirs back+++
I like to find vintage items

Wear heaviest items on the plane there & back

Above all, you are on holiday, so you do not need to look perfect !
Just enjoy yourself

Wear a smile !

I recently spent 18 days in Spain with just an overhead cabin bag (quite small with new airline regs) and one personal bag that goes under the seat in front. I like to keep that one small to make room for feet, and so it can double up as a reasonably smart but not heavy day bag for when I'm there. My trip involved sightseeing, sunbathing and some smart occasions in cities where I needed to look well dressed and not like a typical tourist.
Choose a jacket carefully that will be either smart or casual depending on what you wear with it and how you accessorise. Make it windproof (a close woven fabric) rather than "outdoor" gear unless your trip is only hiking and nothing else Choose a smaller bag carefully so it doubles up as crossbody daybag and later a clutch. I did this with small weight limit and always felt well dressed. No need to wear outfits only once but chop and change them. It's fun and innovative. Handluggage is the way to go.
Agree with pp who say would not wear shorts in towns or cities if would not do so in London, etc.

Ah I’d wear shorts anywhere if it was hot enough!

I’m not sure about those red sandals tbh that I’d make them a non negotiable?
you need trainers / something like Birkenstock/ Havianas and a pair of nice flat sandals in gold/ silver.

i would travel in denim trousers and a cream / khaki denim style jacket with a cotton blouse.
I’d take a black linen long dress and a vest /tshirt dress.
a couple of pairs of shorts in neutrals (navy / olive) some vests / tees / camisole type tops.
some linen pants - balloon legged - and a couple of frilly / silky night time tops.

So as your non negotiables, you want to take:

2 trainers
3 PJs
2 sandals
assorted dresses and shorts/T shirt outfits

is that right?

i would wear the heavier of the trainers, plus your heaviest other items- belt, etc, and jumper if you’re bringing one (useful in air con). If you’re bringing trousers I would wear them; a dress if not.

Get the lightest fabric pjs or nighties you can find, like really light cotton, because it will be so hot (they’ll offer a bit of protection against mosquitoes as well). Then they’ll just roll up and squash in.

If you like bigger knickers, consider taking fewer pairs and hand washing them when you’re in the shower. Stuff them into your trainers in the suitcase.

You can also hand wash light cotton tops. I have a few in Indian block printed cotton and they wash very easily and dry quickly. I just use the shower gel or soap I’ve brought or that the hotel provides and target the underarms. Then a good rinse, shake it out before you hang it up overnight and you have a nice clean top in the morning.

Agree about taking neutral base items (beige, denim, khaki, charcoal, grey, depending on whether your tops are warm or cool colours), and the sudoku method looks great- I haven’t tried it but I’ve seen it and can see it could be useful.

Small items can be what make your wardrobe feel less basic- things like scarves, belts, and jewellery or a stunning item like a silk kimono that layers over all your neutral base items.

have a great time!

Potentially you could order/buy toiletries at the airport if you’re struggling on weight.

My limitation isn’t usually weight, it’s the size of suitcases we can get in a small hire car the other end. I remember the year I tried the black/White/pink capsule wardrobe. The white T shirts got covered in sun cream and the pink made my mild sunburn look 10 x worse. Since then, I wear dark - usually navy, tops and blue patterned dresses and cover-ups and resist the urge to take a suitcase full of white tops. Metallic flip flops & sandals can be worn day or evening and go with anything, unlike red. If you like red, a red wrap & gold or bronze sandals would be more flexible than the red mules you posted.

I find taking toiletries & suncream for a family takes up a good chunk of the available space, but this is easier if you can buy toiletries at your destination. This year, I have bought some pouches in Boots that are a bit like baby food pouches to fill with shampoo etc, to cut down on weight & space.

It’ll be baking hot in the South of France and Italy in the summer - possibly 40 degrees plus. Your black and red are the ‘wrong’ colours for these areas but if you like them, then wear them.

A lot of continental women will be in elegant, simple designs in natural fabrics. They’ll be well groomed (hair salons abound). Pastels, white, beige, linen, light lined silk, light cottons, simple tan belt for dressing up or a pop only of colour.

Mediaeval towns have cobbles and uneven surfaces so trainers are good - wear trainer socks and air at night to keep them fresh. I wouldn’t wear heeled sandals to go out unless you’re going to really fancy places. There are lots of dressy flat sandals - gold works well with beige and white and can be dressed up with jewellery.
15kg is plenty in my opinion for 9 days, particularly with access to a washing machine half way through.

Aren’t you going to look a bit scruffy most days, @patooties? (Obviously it depends where you’re going and what you’re doing - but I’d find it a slog to keep linen and cotton separates looking immaculate. And having to iron in the heat makes me want to cry, even with air conditioning.)

I just think they’re fun and would be a nice pop of colour for a night out!

Nah - I’m on holiday not a business trip!

Fair enough! 😄

Shorts = spot the tourist. I rarely see locals wearing them. There's nothing wrong with them, we can wear what we want, but personally as said above, if I wouldn't wear them around my own town I wouldn't wear them away somewhere. I just don't like them on me or anyone. But each to their own.

Lightweight slightly cropped (ankle length) trousers are far better in the heat I find, since the skin is so exposed in shorts thus making me hotter! And I have crap legs with broken veins so there's that.

Shorts are for kids IMO.

I wear shorts here in summer. Nice slightly tailored ones. Get loads of compliments on them !

X2 floaty dresses for evening
X2 shorts (one denim, one not)
X1 day time dress (practical, one you can sight see or walk in)
X2 swimwear
X2 floaty trousers (one day time for walking, one more dressy)
Sarong for pool/beach
X2 t shirt style tops
X2 vest style tops
X1 linen or slightly heavier shirt you can layer with
X2 eveningy tops
Wear your light jacket when travelling

I think this is mad 😂 I’d not wear them to work but at the weekend I’d rather be in shorts!

Everyone (and OP) keep saying 15kg but she also has two carry on bags so it's more like 35kg, which is loads and loads of space/weight.