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The Trick to Simplified Packing - the Capsule

 As I sit and look outside at the beautiful Arizona landscape on my Spring Break vacation, it brings me thoughts of one thing that I hear from clients that they find frustrating about travel:  PACKING!

Obviously the time of year you are traveling and where you are traveling are a huge key to figuring out what to bring.  But, commonly we find ourselves in the overpacking trap.  We want to plan for every possible contingency plan.  That kind of packing can cause hurt backs and huge fees if you are planning to fly to your destination!

Most people have heard of capsule dressing, but for those of you who are new to the concept, I'm going to give you a little insight.

What is a clothing capsule?

At its very basic sense, a clothing capsule is:

2 TOPS

2 BOTTOMS

1 TOPPER

So, how does this work?  With a capsule of this size, you can create 8 UNIQUE LOOKS.

Here is how you start: 

  1. Choose ONE BASE NEUTRAL color:  That can be Black, Navy, Brown, Tan or White.  
  2. From there, select your bottoms.  Will it be a pair of jeans, a skirt, trouser bottoms, shorts?  I recommend one pair of jeans to be one of your selections.  
  3. Next, what tops would you like to pack?  Tops are where you can have fun with color and prints.  Consider that you will be wearing these items WITHOUT the Topper once, so if you don't like to show your arms, I would not select something sleeveless.  
  4. Finally, choose your versatile Topper.  This could be a denim jacket, a blazer in your neutral of choice, or a sweater or cardigan.

You can add a great deal of personality to every outfit by adding in your what I like to call your "icing": your accessories!  This will be your jewelry, hats, belts, shoes, and scarves.  Don't forget an outerwear jacket based upon your destination, too.

A few additional things to consider when making your choices:

  • Fabric choice.  Either choose fabrics that are wrinkle-resistant, or if you prefer natural fibers which are breathable (like cotton or linen), pack a small handheld steamer for when you reach your destination.  Hang your items immediately upon arrival.
  • As you choose your items, you can consider how you can wear the same item during the day and how to make a few tweaks of shoes and accessories for evening.
  • Alternatively, you can add a few additional pieces to your capsule that work within the coloring of the capsule, but will increase your outfits exponentially.  For example:  you can add another topper or an additional bottom to give you more options!

Here is a visual example of how a capsule works:


Here is a visual example of how the 8 unique outfits come together.  You will see that adding more accessories can make a difference in the "looks":

Look 1:

Look 2:


Look 3:


Look 4:


Look 5:


Look 6:


Look 7:


Look 8:





So, where are you traveling this year and do you think you will try to give a capsule a try when you pack?

Stylishly Yours,




PS - all clothing items are Spring 2023 cabi items.  You can shop them here: https://michelleglass.cabionline.com/

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