Who’s That (Always) in the Red Sweater? Travel Wardrobe, 2023

Among our set, we are known as expert packers. In fact, we’ve managed to fit all the clothes we anticipate needing for three years or more, plus everything else, into two large suitcases and two backpacks. How do we do it? Read more for our minimalist travel wardrobe! 2023 update: after our first year on the road, we’ve replaced the larger of the suitcases with a smaller one, and gotten rid of the large, purse-like thing Laurel used to shove everything that didn’t fit elsewhere into. We’ve also slimmed down the clothing, if not the bodies that wear it.

We have three general tips to begin with. First, know what you like. We prefer natural fabrics and dark neutrals. We also like travel clothes, because they dry quickly, wear well, and some have magical properties (wicking, sunblock, etc.). Now that we are not moving around much, though, we have some indulgences, like jeans (which take forever to dry).

Second, try it all out before you commit. Take your potential wardrobe on shorter trips to see what you actually wear, and/or limit yourself to it for a week or two while you’re still at home, or on weekends. The stuff you want is the stuff that’s always dirty, because you reach for it over and over again..

Last, we are not overly concerned with how we look. Yes, it’s important to be presentable in public, and usually this simply means not wearing ripped jeans or sweats; even in Europe, sneakers are everywhere now. We are never the best-dressed couple in any room. But we have travelled internationally to professional conferences for years, and we are also never the worst-dressed couple in any room. Indeed, North Americans are often surprised to discover that Europeans dress less formally: with a few notable exceptions, a dress for women and a jacket and tie for men is about as fancy as it gets. 

Let’s Get Specific

Our best trick is to make sure that everything goes with everything else. This means a small number of colours: for us, that’s black and gray, plus two or three bright ones. In unwitting preparation for our new life, we have only bought black shoes for the last decade. We also aim for a variety of weights; gone are the days of buying a favourite top in many colors! Because we are avoiding cold places, we don’t have winter coats. Sometimes it is unseasonably cold, though, so we have bought coats second-hand and then donated them back. This works for other clothes you need for a short while, such as a hat Laurel once bought for a British wedding. Layers can get you through fairly cold weather, so make sure any outerwear you take is a size or two bigger than you’d normally wear.

At the same time, meandering minimally requires discipline but never deprivation: be honest with yourself about how you like to look and what you like to wear. For instance, if you love your bedroom slippers, take them or buy a travel pair (we each have them). If you always wear chunky jewelry, bring some. The point is to feel very comfortable with what you are wearing, because you will be wearing it a lot. So too, be honest about how want to spend your time: art museums and fancy restaurants are different from hikes and pubs. Our current lifestyle does not include many black-tie events, but yours might. (That said, scroll down for a shameful confession!).

Finally, wardrobe abundance is relative: for about twenty years we did not check luggage at all, so what may look to you like a fraction of a proper wardrobe seems to us positively luxuriant! We tend to wear the same things every day anyway (even before COVID-19). So when we travel, we resemble cartoon characters, recognizable at ten paces by the outfit we are wearing. Again, Europeans often have a small number of beautifully-made outfits worn over and over. Here, without further ado:

Our Minimalist Travel Wardrobe, His-‘n’-Hers – Updated for 2023!

So, How Well Did We Plan?

So far, so good. Laurel got rid of hiking boots and leggings and a dress in the first year, and replaced her supposed-to-be-comfy low heels with a pair of genuinely comfy flats from Marta Ray; John got rid of his suit and blazer. We might replace the dress clothes, and we might not.

Also, in the interest of full disclosure, we must confess that we have asked friends in Oxford to store for us a small suitcase with formal wear: three gowns plus shoes and jewelry, a faux-fur wrap, and a tux with all of its appurtenances, plus shoes. Hey: things get mad fancy there sometimes, and these clothes are hard to find off the rack. If and when we are invited to balls etc. around the world, we will simply have to pop by to pick up our glad rags! This might ruin our street cred as minimalists, but we feel better getting it off our chest(s).

So far – although we do tend to look the same, day after day, the above list has provided all the clothes we need, for nearly every foreseeable circumstance.