10 days in Europe and only carry-ons? That’s the plan!
I’ve used a capsule-style approach to packing before, but this will be the longest trip I’ve planned this way. Here’s a quick look at my packing technique so I hopefully don’t spend 10 days in the same hoodie and leggings—but everything still fits into one carry-on suitcase, with room to spare.
Before any trip, there are a few things I take into consideration when packing: activities, weather, access to laundry, luggage capacity, and length of stay.
For our 10-day Europe trip, we’re visiting 3 countries and 5 cities in October. There will be an infinite number of pictures, a few activities with specific clothing considerations, plenty of walking, and unpredictable fall weather.
One major advantage: about halfway through the trip, we’ll be staying in an Airbnb with access to laundry. This makes the planning a bit easier knowing I only need to have enough versatile pieces to get me halfway through the trip. Everything gets washed, and the next combinations give me 5 more totally different outfits with the same clothes!
Most importantly- comfort is a must—but I also want to look cute!
My packing goals
I have definitely come home from a trip to review my pictures and realize I am wearing the same hoodie and jeans in every picture, for a week straight! For this trip, I want outfits that make me feel picture ready without sacrificing comfort, layers that work for cooler mornings and warmer afternoons, minimal suitcase space, and plenty of outfit options without bringing my entire closet.
The solution I’m testing for this trip? A capsule wardrobe.
My travel capsule wardrobe formula
The easiest way I’ve found to build one is surprisingly low-tech: I lay everything out on my bed.
I arrange nine pieces into a 3×3 grid like this:
| Bottom | Layer | Top |
| Layer | Top | Bottom |
| Top | Bottom | Layer |
Then it becomes a visual game.
I want each row to make an outfit.
Then each column should make another outfit.
Then I check the diagonals.
Finally, I look at other combinations—like the four corners—and see what else I can create.
With just 3 bottoms, 3 tops, and 3 layering pieces, I can easily build around 12 outfits, and because everything coordinates, there are usually even more combinations beyond those.
That means I’m not wearing the exact same outfit in every picture, everything still feels put together, and my clothes take up half of my suitcase—or less.
The bed test
This is where physically laying everything out really helps.
For this particular trip, I had a layering piece that I knew I was going to bring. Except once I put everything together, I realized that no matter where I moved it in the grid, I couldn’t make it work with more than one or two outfits.
So it got cut.
Same thing with a long-sleeve top. Super cute with a pair of jeans…and basically nothing else I was bringing.
Cut.
Color becomes much easier to evaluate this way, too. I have a great fall cardigan that I love, but most of this capsule started leaning toward blues and greens. Once everything was laid out together, the cardigan suddenly looked like the odd man out. I decided my shorts would be my pop of color because they go with everything better.
Also cut.
The key to making this system work is that every piece needs to earn the space it takes up in your suitcase.
It doesn’t necessarily need to match everything, but if I can only figure out one way to wear it, it probably isn’t making the trip.
What else am I packing?
For Europe, I’m adding two pairs of shoes: my everyday Hokas for our heavy walking days and my white leather Air Force Ones when I want something a little more polished.
I’m also bringing one heavier jacket that works with almost every outfit combination, plus one jean dress.
Does the jean dress follow my perfectly optimized capsule wardrobe rules?
Not really.
But I want to bring it, and sometimes that’s reason enough. We have an afternoon tea, a West End show, and a tour of the Vatican that all have me feeling like I want to be just a little more dressed for the occasion without getting too fancy.
Finally, I’m packing a scarf or two that coordinate with the whole color palette. It takes up almost no room but gives me an easy way to change up an outfit—and feels appropriately European. Add my socks, undergarments, and pajamas and we are good to go!
My final layout looked like this:
The end result is a suitcase full of clothes I actually want to wear, enough variety that I won’t look identical in every vacation photo, and plenty of room left over for everything else we need for 10 days in Europe.
And that is my kind of carry-on packing. Follow for an update after the trip to see what I actually wore, what worked, and what I would change!