one suitcase: spring business casual capsule wardrobe

I'm excited for this week!! It's time for another One Suitcase post!! It's... One Suitcase: Spring Business Casual Capsule!

(I'm currently working with my bookclub friend on the next installment of the One Suitcase post which will be One Suitcase Europe but in the meantime hope you enjoy this one!)

Post 1/8 -
Between my job & my love of seeing new places around the world I spend a fair amount of time living out of a suitcase. From all the experience I have gained from hauling myself & my stuff all over the place I have learned just how valuable packing smart & packing light is to your sanity. And I think I have gotten pretty good at selecting just my few favorite pieces of clothing to bring and stretching their use though multiple outfits for multiple activities as I travel. So for this installment of the one suitcase feature I'm going to do a spring business casual capsule wardrobe. Above are the 16 pieces I will use to create 30 outfit options for this trip!!

The purpose of the "One Suitcase" feature is to try to show you how you can pare down your packing list when you travel without sacrificing the number or variety of outfits you have for the range of activities your trip may entail. I have learned through trial and error (and the pain of lugging wayyy too big a suitcase) that by packing a few favorite & versatile pieces of clothing I can mix and match the items into a surprising number of outfit options. You just have to do a little planning up front. Hopefully the posts this week will show you my method and help you find the potential of the clothes you already have in your closet!

The method:

Basics - First I pick some basics pieces to lay the foundation for the trip. I try to pick my favorite go-to clothes. Clothes I know I wear over and over. The ones that go with almost everything. For me, this usually involves laying out favorite pair of work pants and favorite pencil skirt.

For the basics in this capsule wardrobe I have chosen navy & beige blazers, brown & denim pencil skirts, grey editor pants and white blouse.

	Navy blazer - H&M similar similar similar		Beige blazer - Banana Republic similar similar similar
	Brown pencil skirt - Banana Republic similar similar similar		Denim pencil skirt - Loft shop same similar similar
	Grey 'editor' pant - Express shop same similar similar		White triple pleated blouse - Forever 21 shop same very similar similar

Interest - Second, I add a few interesting pieces to compliment the subtle basics. I look for pops of color or fun patterns or even texture that will make the basic pieces more exciting. I try to grab items that will compliment each other or at least be somewhat in the same color scheme. For me and work, I'll usually go for a favorite patterned dress and some bright cardigans.

For this set of interest pieces I picked two patterned dresses, two patterned skirts, two bright cardigans and four blouses.

	Black & white geometric dress - Ann Taylor love polka-dot! similar		Green shirt dress - CAbi shop same similar similar similar
	Beige pattern pencil skirt - Loft tweed lace tweed		Striped a-line skirt - Corilynn shop same similar similar
	Mint cardigan - Old Navy similar similar similar		Navy tie neck blouse - H&M similar similar similar
	Pink sleeveless blouse - Loft similar similar similar		Red cardigan - Old Navy shop same similar similar
	Red floral camisole - CAbi shop same similar similar		Blue floral blouse - H&M similar similar similar

Accessories & Shoes - Finally, I add some accessories to complete the outfits. Jewelry, belts and scarves take up very little room and can dramatically alter how an outfit looks. Unfortunately, shoes is the area I still struggle with. I always want to bring just one more pair. But I've learned to limit myself to only either blacks or browns (depending on my clothes) and then nude/beige shoes go with everything.

For this capsule wardrobe I chose four necklaces, one gold watch and three belts. For shoes I a pair of t-strap heels and a pair of mary janes.


	Brown t-strap heel - Charles David similar, similar, gold accents, wedges Brown mary janes - TJ Maxx similar, similar, similar
	Sunburst necklace - House of Harlow shop same, similar, similar Gold & pink bead necklace - JCrew Outlet really cute, very similar, similar, similar Gold, silver, pearl multi-strand necklace - Ann Taylor similar, similar Teal/Mint stone necklace - Loft mint tusk, clustered pendant, beaded pendant, layered Gold link watch - Michael Kors shop same, great knockoff, similar
	Gold belt - Target shop same, similar Wide woven belt - TJMaxx similar, similar Skinny dark brown belt - TJMaxx similar, similar

Over the next eight days I'm going to show you 30 outfits that I put together with these 16 pieces. I will share five outfits each day listing what pieces they are made from. And then on the last day I will post a big downloadable image that includes the all the individual 16 pieces and all the 30 put together outfits for easy reference.

Hope you enjoy!!

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Here's a couple of FAQ's I've gotten over the course of the past few 'One Suitcase' posts:

Do you wear all 30 outfits when you pack a suitcase like this?

Not typically. I just like to have extra options when I travel. Most times I'll have 30 options for a two week business trip. Just nice to know they're there! :)

What about toiletries & undergarments & tech accessories - why aren't they listed?

For me, the most difficult part of packing for a trip is trying pare down to a small set of clothing pieces to maximize the number of outfits that I can create. The easier part of the packing process is adding the necessary undergarments, tech accessories and toiletries once I've decided on clothing. So for me the focus of the one suitcase posts have been around harder concept of the clothes.
But, don't worry - the amount of clothes I'm listing in these posts leaves enough room for that stuff! All I would do to complete this suitcase is to top it off with a small packing cube with undergarments and my small makeup bag by placing them both on top of the clothes. And then my liquids & tech items go in my purse for easy access in airport security. Here's an overview of traveling post I did that has a bit of that info. But the internet is full of much more comprehensive packing lists then I'm posting.

How come the individual item pictures don't match your actual clothes?

I just try to find as close as possible images from googling to use for the example graphics. Many times I can't find the original items. So I just do my best.

How can you re-wear clothing pieces so many times without getting smelly?

Re-wearing clothing works better when the weather isn't too hot. So it's less effective in high temperatures or with any athletic activity. Luckily my job typically has offices with freezing A/Cs so it helps lessen the sweating likelihood.
I also usually pack a travel sized fabric refresher - like Downey Wrinkle Releaser - for light refreshes.
But, most often, for a really long trip, I just resign myself to the cost of sending out my laundry (or finding a laundry mat) for the benefit of having a light suitcase for the duration of the trip. I think it's totally worth that extra cost to not die every time you have to carry your bag...

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You can check out my other One Suitcase features: