As British summertime reveals its smiling face (be that through incessant rain or those rare moments of sunshine) excitement boils at the back of our minds at the thought of our impending holiday. Visions of sun, sea and sand cloud our judgement as the small idea of warm weather penetrates our thoughts; an idea which simply couldn’t have been imagined back in January when the excursion was initially booked.
But as the bold words ‘AWAY ON HOLIDAY’ creep ever closer as we flip over the pages on our calendar, the fear of impending weight restriction collides with the positive attributes of flying to paradise. Many times have we all sat on top of our suitcases, screaming at anyone who will listen to help us force together the zips, only to find that a toothbrush hasn’t made its way into a wash kit, or the American plug adaptor has made a great escape into a suitcase bound for Europe.
But this doesn’t have to be the case. Thinking about it logically a beach holiday requires a bikini and a good book. A sightseeing tour: a camera and a jacket with lots of pockets. A drinking holiday to a country with a strip: lots of Ibuprofen and possibly some plasters. See? Easy. But logic doesn’t spring to mind when it comes to choosing between a travel sized hairdryer or an extra pair of sandals (just in case…).
This is where a capsule wardrobe comes in handy. It’s easy to create and it gives you a fantastic excuse to pop out to your nearest shopping centre and purchase that kaftan in the window that you knew would look great when lounging by the pool.
Firstly, pick a theme or a colour scheme. This enables each piece to complement each other so that every top goes well with every bottom, plus a statement dress (or two dependent on the length of the holiday) and you’re all good to go. For example; if ‘nautical’ is your holiday theme try and stick to clothes that are navy blue, red or cream/white. Have jewellery either all gold or all silver so that bracelets, rings and necklaces can all be worn together and you’ll have a classic, put together look that means you never have to worry about having nothing to wear whilst on holiday and you won’t have excessive garments using up the precious kilograms. Also, with those pieces all working together you will find that one jacket can suit three looks. This enables you to get the most out of each piece you bring without worrying about every photo looking the same. This also reduces the amount of clothing you squeeze into your case.
Take a look at my holiday wardrobe.
Location: Turkey.
Length: 7 days.
Objective: Relaxation and casual exploration of the nearby town and markets.
The tank top looks good with all bottoms, the t-shirt with all but the trousers. The jewellery would go with any combination – over the bikini included. The blue jumper goes with every bottom/top combination and the red jumper with both sets of shorts. The flat sandals are for every day and around the pool. Dress up any outfit with the heels. The tank top can also be used as a cover up over the bikini and the denim shorts can be worn with just the bikini top around a pool or on a beach. That gives you enough outfits for 7 days, different occasions and only require 14 items (jewellery and shoes included). Just add underwear and toiletries, plus sun cream and you can jet off and enjoy. It’s that easy.
So next time you try and sneak in that extra pair of sandals just think about the beautifully organised collection you have provided for yourself and stride past the worried holiday makers desperately bartering with the check in desks over a couple of extra kilograms.
Words: Rebecca Jayne Wood
