How to be Savvy & Pack Lightly for Your Weekend Break

As an intrepid traveller, I love taking long weekend breaks abroad to explore new cities. To avoid baggage charges, it’s important to be savvy and know how to pack the essentials in your cabin baggage. Here’s how I created a mini capsule wardrobe:

For my recent four day trip during Easter weekend to Seville, and bearing in mind that I’d be basking in glorious sunshine of 28C, I needed to pack lightly. Not including what I wore to the airport, I managed to pack twelve items in my cabin baggage. This included one pair of sandals, one dress, one pair of shorts, one pair of light jeans, five tops, one pair of flip flops and of course underwear & small toiletries.

Choosing a monochrome colour palette, it was easy to mix and match and create multiple different outfits. I paired my white jeans with all the tops I brought and the sage green shorts could be worn with either a black, white or dark brown top.

Read on for city break inspiration and how to create a mini capsule wardrobe to pack in your cabin baggage.

1. Midi Dress

The dress I packed from M&S was midi length with puff sleeves and nipped in at the waist. It’s no longer available on their website so an alternative is this short sleeve midi wrap dress by Oasis (€59.20). Light, airy & versatile, it’s the perfect outfit to wear with chunky sandals for strolling through the pretty Sevillian streets in search of tapas bars!

2. Bermuda shorts

A comfy pair of shorts is an essential item in your capsule wardrobe that you can mix and match with different tops. The shorts I brought were belted & high waisted in sage green by asos. I wore them with a Hard Rock Café tee or a black tank top for sunbathing. A similar style is available by Whistles (€25.19).

3. Light jeans

Packing a pair of jeans is an essential wardrobe staple for those cooler mornings or evenings. I wore my white, high waisted skinny jeans from M&S (€65) with a red and white stripe top tied at the waist for my walking tour to Seville Cathedral & the Alcazar.

4. Trainers

We all know that no one can do without a comfy pair of trainers to wear while doing all those walking tours in a new city! I didn’t pack these Genesis Vintage runners in beige by Axel Arigato (€220) as I wore them to and from the airport. They’re made from recycled ocean plastic and are certainly the best choice for your feet when it comes to comfort & style. I walked over 26km in 3 days in Seville & my feet still felt refreshed when I took them off!

For your next break abroad, pack lightly by creating a mini capsule wardrobe containing only your travel essentials. Being savvy & planning ahead will save you time, money and space.

Happy travelling!

All photos copyright of the author