What to pack for your summer holiday capsule wardrobe, according to a stylist and fashion editor

Jet-setter.

A couple of us in the Fashion Journal office will be escaping Melbourne’s winter for weeks spent in Europe’s dizzying sun. While our respective trips are a good month or two away, we’re enjoying the hullabaloo that comes with prepping for a big overseas trip.

Where will we go? Where should we stay? What must-see attractions are actually must-sees? Spreadsheets have been made, email subfolders have been dutifully created. It’s all stressful enough without even touching on the topic of fashion.

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In 20 odd kilograms, what should you be packing? What wardrobe favourites are making the cut for your precious cargo space? Do you dress in go-to, reliable pieces, or do you dress as your aspirational, vacation self? And of course, you’ve got to account for the weight of new pieces you’ll be lugging home too.

It’s a conundrum too heavy to carry for one lowly writer, so I garnered the help of stylist Molly Johnstone and Fashion Journal’s Editor Cait Emma Burke to help me decide what to pack for my month abroad.

How many items should you be bringing on a summer holiday?

If you’re jetting off for two weeks, Molly recommends packing one to two outfits per day – “a casual lightweight option for the day, for wandering streets or the beach, and then an evening outfit,” she says. For trips around a month long, Molly suggests packing options that can be mixed and matched.

“Start with statement pieces and lots of singlets [and] tops to minimise repeating and washing as it can be quite [a] drag,” she says. For those spending most of their time away by the water, Molly recommends packing five to seven pairs of swimmers, adding they won’t take up much space or weight when packing.

Cait is a keen advocate for capsule wardrobes and has whittled her outfit selection down to a conservative number. “I think I want to have eight core outfits, but I am going for five to six weeks. If I was going for two weeks, six [outfits] would definitely suffice. [I’d] just make sure at least one or two of them can be a little bit dressier.”

What are the most important clothing items someone should pack?

Both Molly and Cait suggest bringing button-up shirts. At least two or three, says Cait, one that’s a plain colour and one that’s striped. “Shirts provide sun protection for the shoulders,” she says. “Multipurpose items such as a lightweight linen or cotton shirt that can be worn over bikinis and throughout the day [don’t] take up much space in your suitcase,” adds Molly.

Cait also suggests bringing a maxi dress, a short dress and potentially a skirt as well. “I think having two dresses is good because they can act as a full outfit and they don’t need anything else [or] the shirts can go over the top of them if you want.”

In terms of accessories, Molly is a fan of practical bags. “A bag big enough for the pool [or] beach that goes with most of your outfits and [is] comfortable to hold… is important,” she says. “Then pack one to two evening bags that have colour and are more of a statement and elevate your eveningwear.” Sunglasses-wise, she recommends bringing a maximum of three pairs; one of them being a classic black style and another being a statement piece to break up your staple clothing pieces.

What are some packing no-nos?

“Not caring too much when it comes to colour ‘rules’,” says Molly. “Mixed textures and patterns help me get the most out of all of my clothing options… don’t be afraid to pair pieces with other clothing items you wouldn’t usually.”

On the practical side of things, Cait opts for pieces simple to wear that don’t require additional assistance. “[Nothing] that’s complicated or annoying to wear – that in your regular daily life, you have to wear it a certain way with a certain bra underneath [and] has to be adjusted in a particular way to be comfortable,” she says.

“You want things that are easy that pack down well. I won’t bring linen pants, for example, because I know they’re gonna get super crinkled and I won’t have access to a steamer. The same with dresses, just making sure the fabric is going to hold up with a few weeks of travelling without access to an iron.”

How many pairs and what styles of shoes should you bring?

Footwear is arguably one of the tougher packing decisions – they’re often bigger, clunkier and heavier than other items in your suitcase. Personally, Molly typically brings two pairs of sneakers with her – one of those she can exercise in but still doubles as a casual shoe.

“My current rotation is the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 trainers, they’re so light and take up little space in my suitcase, and the New Balance ML 610 TB [sneakers], I am loving the maroon colourway,” she says. Aside from sneakers, you’ll also find a pair of Western boots or flat, calf-height boots, platform thongs or wedges, and mules or kitten heels in her travel wardrobe.

Need a hand packing for your upcoming trip? Try this.