How do you turn one carry-on of clothing into outfits for Capri and Cambodia? Kilimanjaro and Auckland? Machu Picchu and London? Sydney and the Serengeti? I’m sharing my secrets!
I already shared what I packed for my trip around the world, and today I am sharing what I wore. I wanted to share how the clothing in my one carry-on translated into outfits. I didn’t set out to create a capsule wardrobe, I think that makes things overly complicated. I packed solid colored and striped shirts and jeans, black leggings, and army green joggers and I was able to mix and match from there. I also packed a handful of summer dresses, and bought a couple on the road.
I wore three different types of outfits: summer dresses for warm days and more formal occasions, jeans and a shirt or casual sightseeing, and workout attire for days I was biking or hiking.
During the trip, I replaced some clothing as it became too worn. I shopped at Zara, Mango, and H&M and bought a few dresses and shirts.
What I Wore:
Summer Dresses:
Casual Outfits:
Workout Attire:
I didn’t feel like I was wearing the same things over and over again. I felt like I had just the right amount of clothing, and when I got totally sick of something or it was too worn I just replaced it with something new! My J.Crew tees got stretched and faded so I replaced them with tees and tanks from Mango. My sneakers were disgusting and very worn, so my sister brought me new light pink sneakers.
My Rules for Packing:
Avoid white and light colors that stain and can’t be worn more than once without being washed.
Jeans go with everything.
Pack machine washable clothing only.
Choose items in fabrics that won’t wrinkle much.
If it is a long trip, less is more. Unless you are going totally off the grid to a place like the Sahara, the Amazon, or the Serengeti, there will be stores and you might want to save extra space in your bag so that you can do some shopping.
Bring what you need for your itinerary. I had to cover my shoulders and knees when I visited temples in Asia. I needed workout gear to bike through Vietnam.
I left more expensive items of clothing at home and brought reliable basics, and replaced them when necessary.
Read More:
My Complete Packing List for a 101-Day Trip Around the World
The Best and Worst Things I Packed for a Trip Around the World