Summer Vacation Capsule Wardrobe. Part 1: Casual

It's been a while since we took a long vacation. By "long" I mean anything more than 3 days, really. We often take day trips, and a few times a year, 2-day or 3-day trips, but staying in a hotel more than that feels quite generous and even extravagant. We felt like we all needed a nice long break and a change of scenery, so one day, practically on a whim, we found ourselves booking a suite in one of our favorite destinations - Seaside, Oregon. We got lucky because in the middle of the peak season, less than 2 weeks ahead, we got the loveliest 1-bedroom suite on the 4th floor, overlooking river and ocean.  It had a full size kitchen, so a couple of times I prepared home meals, which saved us some money. We also had a washer and dryer in the room, which we used only once, but theoretically, we did not need to bring much clothes with us at all. We opted out of the daily cleaning service which also saved us some bucks. All in all, it's a wonderful option for a family. The hotel has a swimming pool and hot tub, offers free breakfast every morning and free happy hour every evening (wine and beer for adults, snack and drinks for kids). If you're looking for a place to stay in Seaside, OR, I can heartily recommend Rivertide Suites - check them out. And no, it isn't a sponsored post.

Denim shirt - thrifted, Pants and hat - Lane Bryant, Sandals - Merrell

Heron at the river as seen from our room window

My collection of Summer jewelry: gifts, boutique and thrift finds, Chico's, Lane Bryant

I wrote about the Oregon Coast before (posts Oregon Coast: Eat, Play, Hug, Bunny from our trip early Spring 2015 with my parents; and Colorful Coastal Christmas from December 2015). This time, I would like to focus on creating a vacation capsule wardrobe rather than on picturesque photos, though there will be some of those too, of course. 

I believe that any creative process, generally speaking, includes two parts. First part is all about inspiration and creation. Second part is about analyzing and editing. Two different parts of our brain supposedly are responsible for these two parts of the process. To create freely, it is always better to turn off our inner critic or editor. But once we are done creating, it is a good advice to sort of separate from our creation and look at it with the eyes of a good editor who knows what parts are not adding anything to our creation and maybe even distract from its beauty. When I first read it about writing, I suddenly understood what Auguste Rodin, famous French artist, meant when he said that the work of a sculptor is taking a lump and cutting off all the unnecessary from it (my translation). It can be a tough job - so for succeeding, we need to turn off the side of ourselves that is the artist, or creator in us, and let our other side (the editor) shine. I think it can be applied to any creative process, and dressing is no exception. 

Pants - Old Navy, sandals - Robert Zur, sunnies - Lane Bryant

It seems this time, I really was in tune with my inner editor, which helped me to create a successful summer vacation wardrobe - limited by definition, so editing skills are a must here. Let me share it with you.

First, I settled on the idea of linen - because really when else in our climate to wear linen if not during Summer? The weather was promised to be sunny, but not especially hot (mid 60s F), which made me question my choice at first. I think I told you that I like wearing polyester pieces when the weather is in the 60s, and I have quite a few beautiful maxi dresses and jumpsuits made in polyester. But I really wanted to wear linen, and in reality, when the sun is out, 65 F (18 C) actually feels much warmer than I expected, so linen was a good choice. 

Denim top - Eloquii

Ocean view from the lovely historical Promenade - Seaside, OR

Once I decided on linen, I took out all the linen and cotton items I had. Some of them I knew right away I wouldn't be taking with me, and of those I liked, I chose:

- 2 pairs of long pants 

(orange joggers and white wide pants);

- shorts;

- 4 or 5 light summer tops;

- maxi dress;

- long crochet cardigan 

(for cooler weather).

I also took with me a really thick wool cardigan, but fortunately did not have to wear it at all.

Since it was a seaside vacation, I brought my new swimsuit and cover-up (I ended up wearing it to the pool as the ocean is icy cold). 

Then I added shoes and accessories:

- 3 pairs of shoes 

(you can see all of them in this post);

- 2 hats 

(panama and floppy hat, the last one is not such a good idea on a windy beach);

- 2 bags 

(small cross-body, comfortable for shopping and exploring, 

and a basket for beach outings, picnics etc);

- variety of summer jewelry 

(collected over the years, many are made from natural materials like wood, shells, fruit seeds).

Shorts - Lane Bryant, canvas oxfords - Toms

Ocean View along the Highway 101

Then I thought that it would be wise to bring long sleeve tops in case it gets colder. I looked at my tops and blouses stash, and grabbed

- 2 denim tops;

- 2 fun vintage blouses.

I replaced some of the summer tops I chose before with those, which proved to be a great idea - both denim and vintage tops really picked up my style during this vacation. 

At the end, I used everything I brought except for 2 summer tops and the wool cardigan, as I mentioned before. Since all of my chosen items are made of light fabrics, they fit in one large shopping bag. I wore most of them more than once, enjoying different combinations. The accessories made it fun to mix and match. 

In this post, I wanted to show you the real working horse of my capsule wardrobe - my chambray shirt which I found brand new (with tags still attached) at my local Goodwill for only $3. I am usually not a big fan of denim shirts, but I happen to love this one - polka dots always make me happy. 

Hug Point near Cannon Beach, OR

To sum up my experience, I'd like to say that I felt most confident with the capsule wardrobe I created. You know me - I am not a fan of limitations in any way or form. When I traveled before, the idea of downsizing (significantly!) my options would be so appalling to me that I would almost not give any attention to my travel wardrobe, it was almost an afterthought. This time, I actually spent some time thinking about it and feeling excited by the fun options I gave myself. There is definitely no need to bring as many items with you on a 5 day trip, that's not my point. Obviously, I could get away with one or two pairs of pants and 2 or 3 tops and call it quits, especially given that I had a washer and dryer in my room. But I wanted to have fun with my style! I wanted to look forward to dressing up every day, and for that, I needed to have a few options to choose from. 

I will show you the rest of my outfits in the next post (Part 2). These outfits are all casual and relaxed, and some of the others will be for a dressier vacation situation. :)

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