What's the Perfect Capsule Wardrobe for Traveling?

New York Times

21-07-2025

A capsule wardrobe, that halcyon thing that promises to alleviate the stress of packing and getting dressed in the morning, if only you can figure it out, is really just fashion algebra. How few garments can you mix and match to equal X, X being the greatest number of combinations?
That is why, when you start asking around, what comes back is numerical.
Some travelers claim that the 3-3-3 ratio is the best possible equation: Three tops, plus three bottoms, plus three pairs of shoes equals the perfect capsule wardrobe. Others hew to the somewhat more complex 5-4-3-2-1 formula: five tops, plus four bottoms, plus three pairs of shoes, plus two layering pieces, plus one anything else, like pajamas. Sometimes the addition is a little more creative, as when people view shoes as imaginary numbers. Either way, the point is the same.
It's the math, baby.
Well, and the colors. All such equations are obviously easier when you reduce the variables involved. Indeed, the rule of three may be more applicable to colors. Choose three that can be combined in multiple ways, like navy, cream and black or black, silver and white. Or black and white and pretty much anything else.
What sounds good in theory is often very hard in practice, so I asked Stellene Volandes, the editor in chief of Town & Country and editorial director of Elle Decor, how she added it all up. This is a woman who manages to do both Milan and Paris fashion weeks with only a carry-on, an L.L. Bean boat bag and a zippered tote.
'I roll my clothes tightly in the carry-on — generally three blazers, three pairs of black pants, a few blouses, a few black shells, sometimes a dress,' she said. 'Shoes — no more than three pairs — go in the tote, as do travel-size beauty products.'
After all, you can always restock when you're away. And remember: The travel outfit counts, so do not waste it wearing a sweatsuit you will never wear again. One colleague suggests wearing a pantsuit on the plane because you automatically have two more variables to play with. The trousers can be worn on their own, the jacket can become a blazer on its own, and together they can be a smart look for dinner.
Then, Ms. Volandes continued, be tough with yourself. 'The key is that you have to be OK with sometimes not having multiple options, and you have to be OK repeating,' she said. 'As a rule, I don't pack anything I will wear only once on a trip.'
This may seem like a 'duh!' point, but we are so conditioned by social media to think that every day should bring a cute new outfit that the idea of re-wearing can seem almost subversive. And don't forget: Unless you are traveling with a group, most people you meet on holiday will see you only once anyway and will have no idea you are repeating a look.
This point is both liberating and more sustainable — and may even carry over into your nonholiday life. Besides, you can always have fun with accessories: jewelry, scarves, sparkly flip-flops.
The numbers should be seen more as guidelines than actual dictums. One pair of pants (linen, silk, jeans) and one pair of shorts, combined with a variety of tops, can take you pretty much anywhere you want to go.
If you love changing bottoms, though, a perfect white tee works with almost anything. Just make sure to include one long-sleeve shirt and one jacket. These days, weather may be the most unknown variable of all.
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