My Weekend Capsule Wardrobe Works—See for Yourself

It all started when the rod in my closet snapped. Last year, when I lived in a studio apartment in NYC with one tiny closet, I was low on storage space but determined to find a place for all my coats and pants and dresses. I kept buying hangers and jamming pieces in and was pretty proud every time I would shimmy in a new purchase. But my closet was so overstuffed with clothes that it was only a matter of time before the physics of it all gave way, and, admittedly, it was 100% my fault when it came crashing down. It was at that moment that I finally understood why Carrie Bradshaw stored all her shoes in the kitchen.

At that point, I realized I had to edit things down. So I made resale and giveaway piles to clear out the clutter and zeroed in on the essential pieces to keep in my wardrobe. I’ve got to admit it was refreshing to have fewer pieces to choose from—and ones that I truly loved—which also made it easier to get dressed every day.

Recently, I applied the same editing approach to my weekend outfits. Thanks to my travel schedule lately, I’ve been packing my bags for long weekends more than I used to and have had to whittle my wardrobe down to fit in a carry-on. And through a little trial and error, I’ve come up with a mix of pieces that work together for my own weekend capsule wardrobe. Personally, I’ve found that adopting a capsule wardrobe—like editing down my closet—has made things easier. At first I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough options to wear, but instead I’ve discovered it’s just the right number of items to get me through the weekend. And the biggest perk? Unpacking at the end of the trip is a breeze.

Shop pieces from my weekend capsule wardrobe

The layering piece

If you love something unexpected

The color of the moment

The summer essential

Shoes I didn't expect to love

For that weekend wedding

If you want to pretend you're in Amalfi

Because statement earrings are still a thing

The go-anywhere bag

The versatile one

In case there's a pool

Because you love Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

For something fun

The perfect rigid denim jeans

Shoes you screenshot on Instagram

That day-to-dinner dress

The bag brand everyone's talking about

Since you can never have enough Jacquemus