It’s so easy to over pack when you’re going away. In day to day life, most of us wear the same few items over and over- so why once we’re travelling to a new place do we assume that we need a whole rainbow of colours, backups and loads of different pieces?!

Whether you’re going away for a week, a month or are going to live abroad for a while, it’s always worth packing light. It’s less stressful keeping track of all of your items and will almost always work out cheaper too due to heavy bag surcharges. Here are a few ways you can keep your case light while still packing everything you need.

Staple Clothing Items

A few basic items are the best way to start off a staple wardrobe. Your staple items could also be bottoms- a couple of pairs of trousers, jeans or shorts make a good starting point as they can be worn in different ways with different tops. Get this right, and you can essentially create lots of different combinations with just a few items.

Footwear

Your shoes are another way to dress an outfit up or down. One pair of each type of shoes should do just fine if you choose neutral colours and classic styles. No need to pack lots of different varieties, especially when shoes are heavy and take up a lot of space.

Jackets

Cover-ups are always going to be practical, even if you’re travelling to a hot country you still might get a colder day or evening. You probably won’t want to go with anything too heavy if you’re going to a hot climate, but be prepared with some kind of warmer or outdoor wear just in case.

Are you guilty of over packing when you go away? What tips do you have for creating the perfect capsule wardrobe?