We’re off to Europe for the second child’s overseas study. Here’s what I’m packing (and sewing).
The school group goes for 3+ weeks, we meet them there at the end and continue on our journey. This year, we’re spending time in their “home city” of Wurtzberg Germany for 4 days before the pickup, as our older child is visiting a former host student she got to know during her overseas study in 2023. We will be doing multi-day bicycle touring and hiking, so I need more athletic gear than I usually would. And I still have a 55L backpack to pack it all in! We will be hiking (and mountain biking) in the Dolomites and riding bikes in central Germany.
I usually go for the 5-4-3-2-1 method – 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 shoes, 2 accessories, 1 swimsuit, and that’ll be fine for the regular clothing, but I also need 2 bike jerseys, 2 bike shorts, hiking boots. You’ll also need a rain jacket, underwear, socks, bras.
I usually use on of my 5 as a sweater, and often 1 is either too much or not enough, so feel free to adjust if you’re touring in a different season than mid July. One year, our flight over was massively hot (IDK why!) and the trip itself was hot except for the Alps. I wore the “sweater” (poncho) I brought, twice, both in the Alps, on cold, rainy days.
Five tops:
I will bring two of my boxy slightly cropped tops – and I might sew two new ones this year!. I will also bring a basic white tee (need to sew a new one this year), a long sleeve shirt, a button up, possibly. I often like to double-duty by bringing a sun protective fabric shirt with back pockets, but I am not sure what fabrics i have in stash for this or if I can fit into one I already own. This is a TBD. I also brought an extra tank top last year and a dress. I may need to add both (this would make it a 7-6-5-2-1 packing.
Four bottoms:
One pair loose barrel leg linen drawstring pants OR one pair wide leg linen or tencel pants, two pair of shorts, and a skirt. The skirt is below knee to comply with church visits in Italy. Also I have the perfect skirt with an Italian village print on it! I often will put a very lightweight knit midi skirt in my smaller daypack as an ’emergency change of clothing’ for traveling, as it rolls up tiny. This adds another bottom to your mix but also gives you a much needed change of clothes if you spill something (or your seatmate does.)
Three shoes:
I’m still on the fence, but the Dolomites may require hiking boots, plus walking shoes and sandals – my Teva Hurricane XLT sandals are super comfortable and I can walk miles in them.
Two accessories:
A big scarf that doubles as a pareo, a lightweight sheet, a swim cover up, a scarf. On our last trip, I brought a turkish towel, and I used it almost everywhere as a sheet, plus as a scarf on the plane ride home. I also wore a cooling neckerchief – with the water-absorbing crystals. I have more crystals and might sew myself a new one for this year. This was CRUCIAL for my trip 2 years ago – post menopausal women and heat do not mix well! The crystals absorb water, turn into squishy gel balls, and you can freeze or fridge the scarf before you wear it the next day. Truly refreshing! You can also pour water from your bottle on it, though be sure you have a source to refill (such as at a museum).
A small fanny pack type bag for everyday use (I also wear a neck wallet with my passport, cards and cash.) A hat! A must have for summer. I have a linen bucket hat with a deep brim that I take with me on these trips.
One swimsuit – I have several options already that I just need to pick one to take. I’m thinking a navy blue tankini. The top of it could even be worn as a summer top with pants.
One dress – a great basic linen dress that can be dressed up or down is this Ann-Normandy slip dress. But she also has a short sleeve dress, a sleeveless dress and a sleeveless maxi dress in her pattern line. All stand away from the body and are designed for linen, so the ultimate hot weather dress. I wore mine FOUR days out of thirteen on my last trip, including a couple of sweltering 100 degree days in Prague. New this year, the designer has added pockets to the slip dress, and current owners of the pattern can get it free.
Cycling: two cycling shorts/skirts. If I go with an over-skirt, I could bring one and two pair of regular bike shorts. Two summer jerseys (and arm warmers.)
Hiking – one pair of shorts should be a nylon/wicking/hiking pair. I’ll need to rewear these, or sew them so they look nicer but still are quick dry and easy to get on / off. I’ve got a few already and would prefer not to sew hiking shorts this trip, so I’ll go with what I have.
Recommended sewing patterns:
You can start with one of those “five easy pieces” that Vogue/Simplicity likes to put out or you can mix your own. Here are a few of my favorites:
The top row and first on the left feature the Antero shell boxy tee from Sew Daily. The pants in the third photo below right are an OOP Butterick from the 80s with a pleat at the outer leg hem, but are very similar to the Miller Trousers by Paper Theory. Middle row features two dresses by Ann Normandy patterns.
The center row features skirts – these are A-line skirts with a modified curve edge hem (and I provide instructions!)
The shorts row has my favorites: the Emerson, by True Bias, and the Pietra from Closet Core. They had an italian named capsule some years back, and also had the Cielo top and pants. These would make a great foundation for a travel wardrobe. I also added the shorts from the Ann Normandy collection for a slim Bermuda length if you want more coverage. The middle pic is from the internet, and a basic long a-line skirt with a long slit up the sideseam is easy beginner level sewing. This is shown in linen.
The far right features a jacket – the Wiksten Unfolding (OOP but try the Ginger from Sew Daily) and I added interior pockets to this – would be super handy to do this on your own version. You can even make interior zipped pockets which would be really nice. And last, a vintage pattern from my stash (I selected one vintage one for summer to sew), and I’ll use stash fabric for this one too. Honestly if you had just one pattern to sew for a summer trip, pick something like this – with a few options for tops, a skirt and pants. Try sophisticated neutrals for city travels, or fun colors for island hopping, or village exploring.
Color palette for a me-made hand-sewn capsule wardrobe for Europe
I brought mainly blues/grays last time, with a bright teal dress, but this time, I’d like to add more color:
A cropped boxy top in a bright coral or poppy or teal, to match the printed “Italy” skirt – this is the base garment I’m taking no matter what, and building my capsule around it.
If you bring a one piece or a tankini, you can wear it with a skirt, shorts, or pants for a fitted top look. I have a solid navy, but also have a coral/aqua tankini top and a blue print one too. Any of these would be fine for Italy, so I have my choice from my own wardrobe.
A midi skirt in a bright lightweight knit (to stash in my daypack.) A print is even better, won’t show anything you spill on it.
Color palette for summer for me this year: navy, white, teal, coral/geranium
Inspiration for planning your summer capsule wardrobe:
I pinned several ideas for travel capsule wardrobes here for you to enjoy!