Does anyone else have a holiday birthday? Me-Me-Me. Here’s an easy holiday travel capsule that is a perfect fit for casual adventures and a few dressy (but not fancy) dinners or parties. Some dark red and winter white, toned down with black.
Especially if you’re like us and enjoy visiting the holiday markets and light displays! You need something warm, but cute and comfortable for walking around inside and out. Holiday travel usually involves a wide range of activities.
Slim Leg Jeans. I love these dark ones from Lee with the wide and stretchy waistband. They come in a bunch of colors and offer a great range of sizes, including Plus Tall–Yea!
Waterproof boots. These dark brown Sorels have a good, chunky sole for any winter weather. They’re also waterproof and come in a bunch of colors. (I have two colors, and could find a reason to wear them ALL.) However, the Ladybug is winning me over toward Ariat boots as well. I’ve always worn their tall western boots, but I’ve heard good things about their short Chelsea boots as well.
Sweater. A cowl neck adds a simple update to a plain sweater. This one comes in many colors. However, any version of my travel-favorite cotton sweater that comes in a bazillion different colors would be great too!
Warm Coat. This LL Bean Field Coat is lined and wax-coated for weather-proofing. And it has a more polished look than my daily Carhartt coat.
Backpack purse. I tend to carry some version of a water-resistant backpack when traveling or away from home for a full day or more. I just have a lot of junk to take for the whole family and I’ve gotten comfortable with it. I also still carry my Nikon camera a lot, and it needs more room. So I have one with nice leather finish for a “going out” look, and a sturdy Osprey Daylite for everyday adventures.
For holiday travel to markets and festivals, you never know when you might need to stash a last-minute gift or souvenir somewhere as well!
And if your holiday travel includes being out of town for the weekend (or longer!) It’s easy to throw just a few more pieces in a bag and you’re ready for anything else that comes along!
Long Sleeve Shirts. I’m all about the waffle and the Henley style lately. They’re versatile, comfortable, and warm without being bulky. And they come in every color and pattern imaginable! My favorites come from LL Bean (Birchwood Brushed Waffle Knit), Lands End (Micro-ribbed long sleeve) and Eddie Bauer (Everyday Thermal Henley).
Just for the record–Grandma loves the Lands End thermals as well. They are her favorite long-sleeve shirts almost year-round since she’s always cold.
Short Sleeve Shirts. Any time I’m not in Under Armor tees for outdoorsy adventures, I’m wearing some version of the LL Bean tees. They come in every color of the rainbow (and I have most of them), and the necklines are slightly up-scale from a plain crewneck.
Extra Sweater. This exact black-and-white striped sweater goes great with this capsule and is a blend of wool and cashmere that I love. It helps avoid some of the scratchiness and bulkiness you sometimes get with a wool sweater. The stripe also adds some variation to the packing list, when you start to use too many solids to make it easy to mix and match.
2 Pairs of Pants. Wide-leg and trouser-cut are my favorite ways of taking pants up a notch, while also only looking formal if you want to. You have to watch because so many pairs this season are also “cropped”-which in my old-fashioned lingo makes them high-waters, and not what I’m going for. But these wide-legged chinos and wide-legged cords are full-length and even come in Tall. I have the ivory latte pants as a “winter white” color.
2 Pairs of Shoes. Black Sperrys, which are my go-to travel sneakers because they come in a ton of colors and are all-day comfortable if you add a walking insert. And then these super-comfy (and fun!) cheetah ballet flats-which I can’t recommend enough because they are foldable and very reasonably priced! I don’t even use inserts with them like I did with my previous pairs.
So pack your bag, and grab a beanie (always, always take a beanie!) and hit those holiday markets and light shows.