A sewn travel capsule for a carry-on is seven pieces that all go together and all survive being rolled: a tank and a T-shirt, a woven top, tapered pull-on trousers, pull-on shorts or an A-line skirt, a slip dress, and a kimono jacket. Choose fabrics that shake out of a suitcase and dry overnight, Tencel twill, ponte, viscose crepe, merino or cotton-modal jersey, in two neutrals and one accent, and the whole set weighs under 2 kg (4 1/2 lb), takes about 10 m (11 yd) of 140 cm (55 in) fabric and makes more than twenty outfits.
What makes a garment good for travel?
Four things. It does not crease, or its creases fall out on a hanger in the bathroom. It is light and packs small, which rules out heavy denim and stiff cotton. It washes in a sink and dries by morning, which favors thin knits and Tencel over thick cotton. And it has nothing to break: no metal zips to jam, no buttons to lose, which is why pull-on patterns suit travel so well. Everything also has to go with everything else, so the capsule needs a tight color palette. The capsule wardrobe plan explains the color rule; this post applies it to a suitcase.
Which seven pieces?
| Piece | Pattern | Fabric | Fabric on 140 cm (55 in) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tank | T-shirt, sleeveless | Merino or cotton-modal jersey | 0.8 m (7/8 yd) |
| T-shirt | T-shirt | Same jersey | 1.2 m (1 3/8 yd) |
| Woven top | Woven top, boxy | Viscose crepe or Tencel | 1.3 m (1 1/2 yd) |
| Trousers | Pull-on trousers, tapered | Tencel twill or ponte | 2.1 m (2 3/8 yd) |
| Shorts or skirt | Pull-on shorts or A-line skirt | Tencel twill, ponte | 1 m (1 1/8 yd) or 1.4 m (1 5/8 yd) |
| Dress | Slip dress | Viscose crepe | 2.7 m (3 yd) |
| Jacket | Kimono jacket | Ponte or a light wool knit | 2 m (2 1/4 yd) |
Pick the shorts for a beach trip and the skirt for a city. A packable rain shell or a trench coat is the piece a sewn capsule cannot supply from a simple library, since it needs a collar, a closure and a waterproof fabric; buy that one, or wear it on the plane. The kimono jacket is the layer for air conditioning, evenings and the flight, and in a ponte it doubles as a blanket.
Which fabrics pack well, and which do not?
| Fabric | Creases | Weight | Dries overnight | Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merino jersey | Hardly | Light | Yes | Tank, tee, dress |
| Cotton-modal jersey | Hardly | Light | Mostly | Tank, tee |
| Viscose or polyester crepe | Little | Light | Yes | Top, dress |
| Tencel twill | Little, and falls out | Medium | Yes | Trousers, shorts, skirt |
| Ponte | Hardly | Medium-heavy | Slowly | Trousers, jacket, skirt |
| Linen | Badly | Medium | Yes | Only if you accept it |
| Cotton poplin, denim | Yes | Medium to heavy | No | Avoid |
Merino is the travel fabric: it does not smell after a day, dries fast and keeps you warm or cool, and a merino jersey tee weighs about 120 g (4 oz). It is expensive per meter, so buy it for the two tees and use cheaper fabrics elsewhere. Tencel twill is the trouser fabric: it has the drape of viscose with the strength of a twill, and its creases drop out on a hanger, as sewing with Tencel explains. Ponte is heavier, which matters in a carry-on, so use it for one piece only, the jacket or the trousers. Sewing with ponte and sewing with viscose cover the handling.
How do you sew the tops for travel?
Cut the tank and the tee from the same jersey in two colors. A neckband rather than a facing, a twin-needle hem, and the knit fabrics guide for the neckband ratio. Keep the tee slightly fitted so it layers under the woven top and the jacket. The boxy woven top in viscose crepe is the dressier top for dinners; French seams make the inside look good when it hangs to dry in a hotel bathroom.
Which bottoms travel best?
Tapered pull-on trousers in Tencel twill, with in-seam pockets and a zip or a hidden pocket inside the waistband for a card. An elastic waist is a gift on a long flight and after a long dinner. Cut them to ankle length, which looks right with both sandals and trainers, and finish the hem with a 2.5 cm (1 in) double fold. The shorts are the same pattern cut short, in the same fabric or a contrasting one. The A-line skirt in Tencel or ponte is the city alternative, with the elastic waist version rather than a zip for the same reason as the trousers.
Why a slip dress rather than a shift?
A slip dress in viscose crepe rolls to the size of a pair of socks, has no closures, and is three outfits: alone, over the tee, under the jacket. Cut on the bias it needs no zip and it falls out of its creases within an hour of unpacking. A midi length covers every dress code from a temple to a restaurant. If straps are not your thing, the shift dress in crepe or ponte is the alternative, at the same fabric amount.
How many outfits does the capsule make?
Three tops with two bottoms make six outfits. The dress makes three more: alone, with the tee under it, with the jacket. With and without the jacket, the six top-and-bottom outfits become twelve. That is fifteen outfits before accessories, from seven pieces, with the trousers worn three or four times between washes and the tees washed in the sink every other night.
What else fits in the corners of the suitcase?
The scraps of the capsule become the accessories. A bucket hat from the Tencel twill, which is the reversible bucket hat if you line it with the crepe; a zip pouch or two for cables and toiletries, in the ponte; a scrunchie from the crepe. A folded tote bag from 0.5 m of the twill weighs nothing and carries the beach or the market.
How much fabric does the capsule take?
For an average size on 140 cm (55 in) wide fabric: 2 m of merino jersey for the tank and the tee, 4 m of viscose crepe for the top and the dress, 3.1 m of Tencel twill for the trousers and the shorts, and 2 m of ponte for the jacket. That is 11.1 m (12 1/8 yd) with the shorts, or 11.5 m (12 1/2 yd) with the skirt; around 10 m if you are a smaller size. Notions are limited to 3 m (3 1/4 yd) of 3 cm (1 1/4 in) elastic and a spool of thread per color. The fabric yardage calculator adjusts the figures for narrower fabrics, and each pattern's sewing guide gives the exact amount for your size. When you weigh the finished pieces, a merino tee is about 120 g, Tencel trousers about 350 g (12 oz), the ponte jacket about 450 g (1 lb), and the whole capsule comes in under 2 kg.
In what order should you sew before the trip?
- Tank and tee: two evenings, one pattern.
- Shorts or skirt: the elastic waist and the pockets.
- Trousers: the same waist, longer legs.
- Woven top: French seams and a bound neckline.
- Kimono jacket: long seams, no fitting.
- Slip dress: last, because the bias needs a day to hang before hemming.
Sew the pieces you will wear most first, so that if the trip arrives before the dress is hemmed, you still have a wardrobe that works.