At the end of this week my parents are heading to Austria for a friend's retirement party and my mom is worried that she is going to over pack. Although she read through my tips for packing the perfect suitcase, she got stuck on tip #2: lay out all the items you are planning to bring as outfits. Her goal is to bring a limited number of pieces while still having options if she finds out a last minute amendment to the dress code. So for five days (including 2 dressier evening events) I have curated a portable wardrobe of 11 pieces and 6 accessories that create 26 outfit options.
In addition to the plane outfit, my packing list includes a blue patterned wrap dress, a blue wrap cardigan, a white lace long sleeve tee, a long taupe cardigan, a teal silk shell, a grey ruffle cardigan, wool trousers, a grey silk shell with beaded detailing, and ivory dot ankle pants. I kept accessories to a minimum with a reversible metallic belt, a teal patterned scarf, a single necklace to be chosen by Jane, one pair of ballet flats for day, and one pair of heels for night. Since the photos in this post were taken previously, many of the outfits show alternate accessories, but in the interest of suitcase space, I have limited the options. |  |
 Although there are many options for mixing and matching these pieces, it is always helpful to have an idea of your daily outfits so that you don't waste your trip trying to get dressed each morning. You can change your mind later, but start with a plan. | The key for a short trip is to have every able to mix and match. This means that you will want to stay within a single color palette. Although I am utilizing lots of neutrals, the color pops are all cool. Since the weather will be in the high 50s for most of the visit and nearly every outfit will require an extra layer, I have added a third cardigan to the rotation even though it is not completely necessary. A way to avoid the extra cardigan would be to pack tops with longer sleeves instead of silk shells but it is difficult to find cute long sleeve tops that are not tees. However, your outer layers are also most likely to get dirt or food on them, so it is better to be prepared with an extra piece than to try to locate a washing machine in a foreign country.  |  When using neutrals as the bulk of your wardrobe it is important that you still maintain visual interest. The grey cardigan has three dimensional movement as a result of the the ruffles so even though it is a single dark color, it feels light and fun. The lace front on the white tee adds a subtle texture, the tie on the blue wrap cardigan can be manipulated into various bows and knots and the ankle pants have an unobtrusive pattern that prevents the color from looking flat. All of the cardigans I chose are variations of the norm. The unexpected twist (wrap, long, or ruffle) add an extra pop even if the color is neutral. |
| I have chosen my favorites combinations not just from a style point perspective, but so that the collection as a whole is interesting and diverse. There is no point in packing a versatile wardrobe if it looks like you are wearing the same thing everyday! Day 1: Wool trousers with grey silk shell, blue wrap cardigan, teal patterned scarf and ballet flats Day 2: Dot ankle pants with teal silk shell tucked in, grey ruffle cardigan, metallic belt and ballet flats Evening 2: Blue patterned wrap dress with metallic belt, necklace and heels (photo below the break) Day 3: Jeans with printed tee, blue wrap cardigan, teal patterned scarf and ballet flats Evening 3: Wool trousers with teal silk shell, grey ruffle cardigan, metallic belt, necklace, and heels (photo above right) Day 4: Blue patterned wrap dress with long taupe cardigan, metallic belt and ballet flats Evening 4: Dot ankle pants with white lace tee, long taupe cardigan, necklace, metallic belt and heels (photo to right) Day 5: Wool trousers with white lace tee, teal patterned scarf and ballet flats Changing the way that you style an outfit can make a big difference when you are limited by your wardrobe options. If you wear a blouse untucked one day, then the next try tucking in your top and add a belt through the loops; alternate each day between a scarf and a necklace; and if you have the option to skip a cardigan or outer layer one day, do it! The key is to keep any one piece from looking too familiar and to prevent your outfits from looking formulaic. |  |
Curious what all 26 outfit options are? Keep on reading:
| 1. Blue patterned wrap dress with metallic belt and necklace (see photo) 2. Blue patterned wrap dress with blue wrap cardigan and necklace (see photo) 3. Blue patterned wrap dress with grey ruffle cardigan and necklace 4. Blue patterned wrap dress with long taupe cardigan, metallic belt and necklace 5. Jeans with white lace tee and teal patterned scarf 6. Jeans with white lace tee, blue wrap cardigan and teal patterned scarf (see photo) 7. Jeans with patterned tee and teal patterned scarf 8. Jeans with patterned tee, blue wrap cardigan and teal patterned scarf 9. Dot ankle pants with white lace tee, metallic belt and teal patterned scarf (see photo) 10. Dot ankle pants with white lace tee, long taupe cardigan, necklace and metallic belt (see photo) 11. Dot ankle pants with teal silk shell, long taupe cardigan, metallic belt and patterned teal scarf 12. Dot ankle pants with grey silk shell, long taupe cardigan, metallic belt and necklace 13. Dot ankle pants with white lace tee, blue wrap cardigan and necklace 14. Dot ankle pants with teal silk shell, blue wrap cardigan and patterned teal scarf 15. Dot ankle pants with grey silk shell, blue wrap cardigan and necklace 16. Dot ankle pants with teal silk shell, grey ruffle cardigan and necklace 17. Dot ankle pants with grey silk shell, grey ruffle cardigan and necklace 18. Wool trousers with white lace tee, metallic belt and teal patterned scarf 19. Wool trousers with white lace tee, long taupe cardigan, necklace and metallic belt 20. Wool trousers with teal silk shell, long taupe cardigan, metallic belt and patterned teal scarf 21. Wool trousers with grey silk shell, long taupe cardigan, metallic belt and necklace 22. Wool trousers with white lace tee, blue wrap cardigan and necklace 23. Wool trousers with teal silk shell, blue wrap cardigan and patterned teal scarf 24. Wool trousers with grey silk shell, blue wrap cardigan and necklace 25. Wool trousers with teal silk shell, grey ruffle cardigan and necklace 26. Wool trousers with grey silk shell, grey ruffle cardigan and necklace |  |
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