The best thing about summer is that everything slows down. Many offices have summer hours, dress codes become more lax and people take vacations or quick weekend trips away. If you have a short trip planned this summer, check out my tips on packing a weekend capsule.
Summer Weekend Getaway Capsule: What to Pack and
How to Wear It
You won't need to pack a lot for a quick weekend away, and you really won't need a lot if you follow my tips. Above is an example of a summer weekend getaway capsule. There is a reason I selected each piece. Here is what I included and why.
- One casual top- The red casual top from Madwell was selected for doing daytime casual things, like sightseeing, touring around or just hanging out. I chose this style because it could be dressed up, if needed. Worried about stains and soiling? Adding one more light top to the mix couldn't hurt.
- One dressier top- The printed dressier top from Boden was chosen because, while it could be worn for daytime, it works equally well for an evening out to dinner if styled right. To get the most out of tops you want to wear from day-to-evening, make sure they aren't too evening-specific by avoiding very shiny fabrics, a lot of glitter or other night-out embellishments. Use your accessories instead to elevate your tops for evening.
- One daytime dress- Pack a dress that can be worn during the day that is basic enough to be dressed up for evening too. Remember, the goal here is to avoid packing a steamer trunk for a weekend getaway. I chose this dress from Lands' End for its simplicity and because it is easy to dress up and down.
- One pair of summer pants- Again, with versatility being key here, you want to avoid packing super casual or super dressy pants if you want to get the most out of them. I chose these slim cropped cotton pants from Theory that are easy to dress up and down.
- One pair of shorts, a skirt or a super casual pair of pants- Not everyone is a shorts person. In lieu of this pair from J. Crew, you can easily substitute in a more casual pair of pants, a skirt or skort.
- One night-out dress- A dressier dress, or fancy night out look, should be packed only if you know you have plans to go out where your dressier-casual looks won't suffice. It's not worth the luggage space if you don't need it. If you do pack this type of a look, instead of creating a complete stand alone look, use the accessories you are packing for your other looks to accessorize this dressier outfit. I selected this dress from Reiss for the capsule.
- One pair of comfortable shoes and one pair of dressier shoes- Shoes will really help in making your outfits look dressier or casual. When packing your summer weekend getaway capsule, pack on pair of shoes you can walk in and another pair that will elevate your looks, like I did with the navy Fit Flop sandals and Sole Society block heel sandals.
- One casual bag and one dressier bag- Bring a daytime bag that is sturdy and good to carry on more adventurous things and then have another bag that you can carry in the evening. It doesn't have to be a super dressy clutch, a simple crossbody, like the one I used from Elizabeth and James is a good example. For casual, I used the soft blue bag from Baggallini. To maximize your space, consider bringing a tote and smaller zipper pouch. Use the pouch during the day to carry small essentials in your tote and then use in the in evening as a clutch. I give this tip in my post about carrying one tote bag on your entire vacation.
- Jewelry- You don't need to pack a lot, just a few pieces to finish your casual looks and elevate your evening outfits. I used a long gold necklace from Bauble Bar and a pair of navy baguette earrings from Banana Republic.
Capsule outfits
To get the most out of this summer weekend getaway capsule, here are some looks I created using the pieces above.
#1- Pants and shorts
In both looks I used the Theory pants. For daytime, I styled them with the red t-shirt from Madewell, and also showed the same look using the shorts from J. Crew. If you wanted to elevate this outfit, you could easily swap out the Fit Flop sandals with the dressier Sole Society sandals (with the pants look, not the shorts). In addition to the Fit Flops, I finished the outfit with the Baggallini bag and the gold necklace.
On the right, I dressed the pants up using the printed top from Boden, the Sole Society sandals, white crossbody bag and navy earrings from Banana Republic.
Outfit #2- The daytime dress
On the left, I made it perfect for day using the casual Fit Flops, Baggallini bag and navy earrings. For evening, I just swapped out the daytime accessories with the Sole Society sandals, long necklace and white crossbody bag.
#3- Night out dress
A dress like this from Reiss needs to be packed if, and only if, your weekend will call for such a dressy look. If it doesn't, leave it at home. What you will notice is I didn't bother to add in extraneous, luggage stuffing, pieces to finish the look, I simply used the accessories from the other outfits to finish this one.
I hope you have plans to get away this weekend and with these capsule tips I also hope you will pack well for it too.
