Our Guide to Creating a Summer Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

Creating a summer holiday capsule wardrobe is one way to ensure you don’t needlessly overpack your case, and we’re here with some of our top picks - and top tips - for putting together your very own hand luggage-friendly holiday wardrobe!

We’re all familiar with the struggle of trying to fit as many items of clothing as possible into a carry-on bag: folding, rolling, and cramming half of our wardrobe into any available nook and cranny until it’s all too creased to wear when you get to your destination anyway! But what if it didn’t have to be this way? We’ve pulled together some of our favourite Joanie pieces to help you create a mini holiday capsule wardrobe - less time packing, less time unpacking, lighter bags - what’s not to love?!

Whether you’re heading off to an exotic, far-flung destination, or planning a staycation a little closer to home, keeping your luggage to a minimum always makes for easier travels. Not only does packing lightly ensure that you won’t be subjected to additional fees at the airport, it means that you don’t have to waste any time at the baggage carousel waiting for your cases!

When trying to decide what to take with you on holiday, especially when you’re trying to keep baggage to a minimum, it’s a good idea to start with a list of core pieces that can be styled in multiple ways to create several outfits out of only a couple of garments. We’ve divided our list up into three categories: shorts and skirts, tops and t-shirts, and dresses and jumpsuits.

This is also a great tip for sustainable shopping more generally - by selecting pieces that are timeless and can be styled in multiple ways, you’ll find yourself buying fewer pieces of clothing and keeping them on rotation in your wardrobe for far longer!

Holiday Capsule Wardrobe Pick #1 - Shorts and Skirts: 

If you’re thinking about what to pack in your suitcase for a sunny summer holiday, shorts and skirts are a great place to start! They form the basis of so many hot-weather-friendly outfits and can be styled with multiple other items in your suitcase to help you get the most out of your holiday capsule wardrobe. 

When building your holiday wardrobe, we’d recommend choosing either one pair of your favourite shorts or a skirt to pack in your case - they can be styled in the same way, and making the choice to bring only one frees up valuable room in your bag!

Lenny High Waist Shorts

The Black Lenny Shorts are our go-to base for creating easy-to-wear summer outfits. Pair them with your favourite tee for day trips exploring or walking around a hot city, or tuck in a short-sleeve button-down for casual evening cocktails!

Baxter Short Denim Dungarees

It doesn’t get more retro than Baxter! These ‘90s-inspired short dungarees are a great option if you’re trying to keep your packing to a minimum because they work just as well over a swimsuit for days at the beach as they do layered over your favourite top.

Sarah Scallop A-Line Denim Skirt

If denim shorts aren’t really your thing, a denim skirt makes for a great alternative! The Sarah Skirt is one of our absolute favourite pieces year-round and is definitely one to pack in your suitcase because it’s so versatile. Wear it with a t-shirt if you’re looking for a fuss-free daytime look, or with an off-the-shoulder top if you’re feeling more dressy!

Holiday Capsule Wardrobe Pick #2 - Tops and T-shirts

No holiday wardrobe is complete without the addition of some staple tops and tees. Packing a couple of your favourite t-shirts in your bag opens up so many options for outfits because they work just as well styled casually with a pair of shorts as they do as a cover-up over your swimwear on the beach!

We’d recommend choosing two or three of your favourite tops, depending on how long you’re going away for. Go for more casual tees than structured tops, though, because it’s easier to dress a t-shirt up with accessories if necessary than it is to dress down something more formal!

Naranja Orange Tree Illustration Tee

Naranja is a great t-shirt option if you’re looking for something that’s vintage-inspired and can be dressed up or down, depending on what you’re doing that day. Pair it with your chosen denim shorts or skirt for an easy daytime outfit, or with some lightweight trousers in the evening!

Coco Classic Bardot Top

If you’re looking for an easy-to-wear top that’s lightweight enough to be folded up and packed into your hand luggage, then coco is the one to go for! The off-the-shoulder neckline makes this top perfect for sunny holidays and looks great paired with denim shorts or a skirt.

Arizona Desert Moon Slogan Tee

The golden hour hues on Arizona make it a picture-perfect holiday tee and an ideal base to layer dungarees or a pinafore over the top for day trips exploring! 

Holiday Capsule Wardrobe Pick #3 - Dresses and Jumpsuits

Dresses and jumpsuits are realistically the items that are always going to take up the most room in your bag. The key to packing lightly while still incorporating them into your holiday capsule wardrobe is to choose dresses and jumpsuits that can be styled more casually in the daytime and dressed up at night!

Making sure you’ve packed some statement accessories really helps with dressing each item up or down, but it’s also a good idea to pay some attention to the style of dresses and jumpsuits that you pack in your case. If you’re going on a summer holiday - especially if you’re going somewhere really warm - make sure the dresses and jumpsuits you’ve packed are cool enough to wear in the daytime!

Imala Gingham Short Sleeve Boilersuit

Imala is a perfect holiday capsule wardrobe pick because of how light and breezy the fabric is. Jumpsuits like this are ideal for sunny holidays because they allow you to cover up if you’ve had too much sun but still keep you cool enough to enjoy the weather without burning your legs!

Petra Button-Through Strappy Sundress

A sundress - particularly a black sundress - is definitely something to consider adding to your holiday wardrobe. Petra, in particular, is great because it can be layered over a tee on cooler days or to protect your shoulders from burning in the daytime and can be worn on its own at night or when it’s cooler!

Dawn O’Porter X Joanie - Gimlet Orange Floral Print Midaxi Dress

This dress is a showstopper, but it's also surprisingly versatile! The fabric is lightweight and breezy enough to wear in the daytime, but it looks just as great at night styled with heels and some statement accessories.

Looking for more summer wardrobe inspiration? Check out our Sun Shop Edit for more of our favourite summertime picks!