Inspiration

Fashion Philosophy Special: Nellie Bly

Nellie took the trip alone, and her focus was speed. So, naturally, she didn’t want to be lugging around several bags.

She wore a wool ghille cap, a scotch ulster coat, and a two-piece dress. She carried a 16” by 7” bag with her, filled with two hats, three veils, toiletries, needles, pins and thread, ink, pens, pencils and paper, slippers, a dressing gown, a cup and flask, a tennis blazer, handkerchiefs, a jar of cold cream, and, of course, extra underwear. Needless to say, Nellie packed light.

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Nellie getting ready to go on her around the world trip. [Photo Credits: 1, 2]

Summer is just around the corner, and that means many of us will be going on vacation and struggling to decide what to pack. I say if Nellie managed to travel 72 days with only the above-mentioned items (and such a small bag!), we can manage long trips with capsule wardrobes.

Putting It All Together: A Capsule Travel Wardrobe à la Nellie Bly

Minnie Mouse Shirt, Cat Shirt, Red Tank, Black Blouse, Cardigan, Hat, Scarf, Blazer, Black Jeans, Blue Jeans, Beige Jeans, Dress, Tights, Sandals, Sneakers, Heels, Earrings, Belt

Not including pajamas, swimwear, and underwear, here is a capsule wardrobe appropriate for a long trip – think two weeks and up. (If you’re travelling for a shorter time than that, you don’t even need to pack this much!) Nellie brought 20+ items on her trip, but I included 18 pieces above.

A few things to keep in mind while building your capsule wardrobe are the durability (because you’ll have to wash them) and versatility of each item. For instance, the dress can be worn with the sandals to the beach or with the heels, blazer and earrings for a formal event. Also, to maximize your combination possibilities, pack neutral pieces and choose one or two accent colors. For this set, I chose red and a tiny pop of mustard yellow with the cardigan.

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