Accessorize, Mix & Match: Making the Most of a Minimal Wardrobe – Day 10 of 30 Days to Packing a Better Bag

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Welcome to Day 10 of 30 Days to Packing a Better Bag.

You’ve been doing a great job of getting your packing list down to something more manageable, but if you still aren’t convinced that this type of travel is possible, it’s time to look at all the possibilities that exist within a minimal wardrobe.

If you do it right, you’ll have dozens of different outfit choices.

Here are a few of the ways you can make the most of your minimal travel wardrobe:

Stick to One Color Palette

As mentioned in yesterday’s post, it is important to think about your color palettes when packing a minimalistic wardrobe. That way, every item can be used to its full advantage and get mixed and matched with other key pieces.

STEP 1: We recommend choosing a neutral base for your clothing. Whether you choose to go with a black and gray base, earth tones, or beiges and tans. 

STEP 2: Once you have your key pieces in these neutrals, bring some color and some life to the mix, whether that be from brightly colored tanks and tees or accessories, such as scarves, belts, and headbands. 

Patterned material is best avoided unless you have a unique sense of style and like to merge several prints in one outfit.

In yesterday’s example, we removed

• All items that had a pattern 
• Anything that wasn’t in our desired color palette 
• Everything we deemed unnecessary 

In the end, we kept our neutral black and gray color palette and some bright, solid color pieces.

The key is to make sure that every item in your wardrobe can be mixed and matched with more than 2 other things. This is the only way to ensure you will get full use of said item.

If you can only wear that one piece with one other specific clothing item, then chances are it won’t be as useful to you in the long run. (This point is moot if you are packing for a special occasion, of course.) Say no to wasted luggage space and extra weight!

Choose Versatile Pieces

Another important point to think about when choosing your minimalist wardrobe is to go with versatile pieces that can potentially be dressed up or down. 

One might not expect a pair of black, quick-drying technical pants from North Face to be anything other than the gear you’d wear outdoors and hiking, but Brooke has discovered that they can be dressed up or down in a pinch.

Shoot for items like this.

Accessorize to Add Flair

The next step in how to make the most of a minimal wardrobe is to add pieces of flair. 

We’re talking about 

• Versatile travel scarves
• Belts
• Necklaces
• Headbands
• Statement jewelry 

Anything that can take your outfit from normal to formal in seconds.  

A pair of jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt isn’t fancy by any means, but adding a chunky ring, a scarf, and a pair of ballet flats can give it an entirely new look. No one will even know that it’s technically the same outfit you wore the day before!

Take Advantage of Convertible Clothing

Items serving multiple purposes are a great addition to your light packing list.

Convertible travel clothing can be worn in several different ways usually with the help of strategically placed snaps. Take the Encircled Chrysalis Cardi for example. This piece can be worn in 8 completely different ways from a one-shoulder dress (perfect for an event) to a cardigan or scarf (perfect for throwing on in the plane if you get cold).

This way you can pack less and get more unique outfits at the same time!

Similar items include reversible pieces (like those from Splice Clothing for example) or multi-purpose items (like a sarong that you can use as a cover-up or towel on the beach or to cover your arms in a place of worship.

• See how Elizabeth made eight completely unique outfits from only four multi-way clothing Items.

Layer Your Clothes

As we said in Day 6 of our 30 Days to Packing a Better Bag Challenge (Choose Your Travel Clothing – Layers, Layers, Layers), layering is a great way to add variation and color to your travel outfits.

Let’s say you have a t-shirt that you plan to wear a few days in a row, here’s how you can mix things up:

• Wear it with a longer tank underneath in a fun color.
• Wear it under a light long-sleeved button shirt with the buttons undone.
• Wear it with a light scarf
• Wear it with a cardigan and a statement necklace.

And this is just the start! You can get so creative with your layers.

Plan Your Outfits in Advance

It’s a great idea to plan your travel outfits in advance. Not only will you know exactly how many variations you can make from your minimal wardrobe, but you’ll also feel more comfortable bringing fewer clothes with you on your travels.

See all the different combinations you can make with as few items as possible. Take photos of the various looks for easy reference while traveling. 

• You might enjoy this article where Keri planned her 10-day Italy trip wardrobe.

Choose The Right Shoes

We covered shoes in more detail on Day 8 (How to Choose Your Travel Shoes) but we had to point out that a pair of shoes can transform any outfit.

The same outfit that you spent the day in, can easily be dressed up a bit for an evening out just by removing your sneakers and putting on a pair of ballet flats (we love the Tieks fold-up ballet flats).

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The Same Purple Cami

The following is a quick example of several outfits and looks that can be made using our purple camisole. When paired with different neutrals and accessories, this top is about as versatile as they come.

It also helps that it is a technical piece of travel clothing, made of a blend of silk, merino wool, and cotton. It’s the ultimate base layer for any trip style.

Casual, dressy, sporty, you name it. The right wardrobe can serve you many different purposes.

Some further information about the items in the images:

Black Skirt – The one in the photo is a simple stretchy black skirt, but technical black skirts do exist that can be used in this situation. Check REI, for example.

Leggings – A pair is always good to have when you travel.

Purple Camisole – A Silkbody base layer, made from silk, merino wool, and cotton.

Black Jacket – Kathmandu’s Altica200, fleece lined.

Wool Cardigan – Get something similar from a merino wool product company, such as Icebreaker or Silkbody, for example.

Pashmina – Pashminas have so many purposes, from scarves and shawls to blankets and towels. This pashmina can class an outfit up in a pinch.

Colorful Scarf – This circle scarf is great for adding a pop of color to the most subdued outfits.

Capri Pants – These gray capri pants are both sporty and mildly classy (if done right). They are made of quick-drying material.

North Face Pants – These black pants were part of Brooke’s quick-drying travel ensemble for many years. The material also possesses a UPF rating of 50. We love how they can go from day to night with the right accessories.

Blue Necklace – A little something picked up on your travels by chance. This necklace is a souvenir from Thailand.

Were you surprised by just how many ways there are to make the most of a minimal travel wardrobe? Let us know in the comments below.

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