When I’ve been trying to figure out what clothes to take away with me, I’ve been drawing inspiration and tips from Travel Fashion Girl, a website dedicated to helping women pack less but stay stylish.

I’ve decided to do up a packing list inspired by Travel Fashion Girl’s European Summer Packing List. And here is what I came up with:

The suggested list included:

2 or 3 Short sleeved tops
1-2 long sleeved tops
2 tank tops (summer)
1 dress

2 or 3 shorts/skirts (any length is fine)

1-2 pairs of light trousers / leggings

1 Swimsuit

2-3 pairs of Socks

1 “sleeping outfit”

1 knit or light sweater

1 scarf

Sunglasses

Jewelry

Waterproof Thongs/flip flops/sandals

Flats

Comfortable walking/trekking shoes

Umbrella

Hat

I stuck to that list, choosing items that can easily be mixed and layered.

Things to note about my chosen items:

• Swimmers are reversible
• The PJ top could also be worn as a casual day top
• The long sleeve blouse could be used as a light jacket, as well as being able to roll up the sleeves to make it a 3/4 top
• Belt can be worn either around hips with jeans or around waist with dress.
• Shorts are casual enough to wear to the beach but dressy enough to wear in the street.
• A maxi skirt is essential for travel – it’s lightweight and comfy, but still conservative enough for churches and religious sights.

How I would improve this list:

• Add 1 more dress: I think you should have a patterned dress and a solid colour dress to make it easier to mix and match clothes. I think that a black dress that can be worn day and night is the perfect addition.
• Add a Blazer: blazers can instantly dress up an outfit, especially if you are going out somewhere nice. There are a lot of casual blazers that look cute with the sleeves rolled up slightly.
• Less Jewellery: The original list had pictures of 2 watches, 3 necklaces, bangles and other pieces. I would keep it a lot more simpler. 1 watch, 2 necklaces and one other piece of jewellery such as some funky earrings are enough to add some interest to an outfit. You’ll likely find lots of interesting pieces of jewellery during your travels anyway.
• Pack some ‘going out clothes’. I think its worth packing a ‘going out’ or dressier outfit. For example packing just another top with a little bit of embellishment on it will instantly dress up the jeans or the black skirt and it won’t take up much space in your bag.
• The original list said to pack a rainproof jacket. I don’t think its worth sacrificing luggage space, especially when you’re packing an umbrella.

Overall this is a pretty comprehensive list, and Travel Fashion Girl is really helpful for girls like me who tend to overpack when travelling. I would also recommend to check out the capsule wardrobe free downloadable pdf – it’s helpful in creating a minimalistic packing list.