HOW TO CREATE A HOLIDAY CAPSULE WARDROBE WITH LYST

Beautiful blue skies, sparkling seas and dappled light, toes sinking into white sand, sun kissed skin wrapped in warmth *sigh* Yep I'm definitely itching for an island getaway, something to soothe the soul and enjoy a little R&R. In fact I've been practically stalking my friends IG feeds as they head off to Greece and other Mediterranean getaways, so I thought it would be fun to create a holiday capsule wardrobe wish list using Lyst to appease my wanderlust and give me some style inspiration.

If you're anything like me when it comes to packing, then you'll probably find youself taking five pairs of shoes and a gazillion outfit choices 'just incase' and wondering why your getting extra luggage charge when taking a short haul mini break. As I'm longing for some actual sun *erm hello British summer?!* and keep getting distracted with the likes of pinterest, I've decided to plan a hypothetical four day adventure to a sunny Greek Isle and see whether the holiday gods send me some cosmic love ;)

The concept of a capsule wardrobe is to create a small collection of versatile clothes that you can use like a pic 'n' mix to achieve great style without packing everything-but-the-kitchen-sink, but how on earth do you know what to choose? I mean how many bikini's and shoes could a girl need? * lots apparently* but there is a way around it. I decided to use the Lyst, online shopping site that allows you to follow brands, watch trends and create wish 'lysts' in one place all for free and follow these five simple rules:

Capsule Wardrobe Top Five Tips

1. The first rule of fight club a capsule wardrobe is plan your outfits – yep this fills me with dread – how on earth can I predict what I'm going to feel like wearing?! Apparently the best way to do this is two fold: One, pick a colour palette making it easy to mix and match your outfits and limiting the amount you take, and two, for every one pair of bottoms two/three tops. OK so the last point might need some tweaking to work for me but in theory it sounds like a good idea.

2. Pack light, which means wear your heaviest clothes to travel in. So that bulky jacket and heavy pair of shoes you love so much, they going to be your new best plane buddy! Wear them and store above the locker if you get hot on your flight.

3. Shoes...oh how I love you! Ideally you want one pair of chunky wedge sandals that can dress up or down, one pair of cute pumps for running around in and a pair of flip flops for the pool/beach. Easy! Keeping them neutral maximises how many outfits you can wear them with too.

4. One a day keeps the over packing at bay! Before you reach for your passport and lotion, pull all your holiday clothes onto the bed and start creating a look for each day. By planning your daily go-to style you can save on suitcase space and also precious adventure time by eliminating morning choices.

5. If in doubt leave it out. Does every outfit choice make you feel yay or ney? Try on all your options packing them, if they don't feel great at home or you're not sure how they look then leave them in the no pile. Adding in hot sun and copious amounts of gelato isn't going to make those jeans feel cosier. It's time to say yay to good style days.

As I've been living in one denim skirt and the same three t-shirts I really need to update my summer wardrobe, and what better way to plan my purchases/adventure packed suitcase than a personal shopper in my back pocket. The app is super easy to use and within minutes Lyst allows you create your own collections full of you favourite brands and with alerts to let you know when your faves hit the sales. Better yet it creates suggestions based on your preferred style and previous loves, showcasing new labels and trends that you might miss otherwise. I used it here to pull together this Island capsule style and give me inspiration for my holiday.

I love this holiday capsule wardrobe especially the the oversized floppy straw hat from asos! The pastel colours would be great in the hot sun and by choosing similar tones I can create lots of outfit options from only a few clothes. The heavy coral cord shirt doubles up as a jacket and can be used as a shirt for cooler days, and choosing a metallic swimsuit means you can look stylish by the pool or wear it with jeans to create a fun nigh vibe.

Have you ever created a capsule wardrobe for holidays or even day to day seasonal wear? I'd love to hear what styles work for you when packing.

*In collaboration with Lyst 

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