March 16, 2026
Cross your fingers that I’m in London while you’re reading this! We’re flying into London, hanging around for a couple of days, then driving around Suffolk for a few days, then returning to London for a last night, and coming home. It’s going to be pretty whirlwind – four hotels in 8 days. So I’m not going to be seeing people over and over again, not that this really matters!
One of the towns we’re visiting:
photo from the Guardian
Changing subjects: what was your closest friend wearing the last time you saw them? Do you remember? What will you think if they’re wearing the same thing the next time you see them?
See? Repeating outfits isn’t going to make you a pariah. If you know people for whom this is a “thing,” don’t cater to their weird obsessions. Wear your clothes until they need to be laundered!
I’m flying in jeans, a chambray shirt, and arguably the best sweater I’ve ever owned:
Hoop earrings – Ana Luisa; ball earrings – Gwen Beloti; sweater – Oliver Charles, shirt – 4 Objects; jeans – Levi; crossbody bag – Donna Karan New York; sneakers – Ara
I can wear any shirt, tee shirt, or turtleneck under this sweater, with any pair of pants I’m packing…
Black down jacket – Lands’ End; print shirt – 4 Objects; white oxford – Lands’ End; scarf – Elizabetta
Wearing ponte knit pants in wet weather is sensible – they dry quickly. If we encounter tons of rain, I will break down and buy rain boots. I don’t think that will happen, but it’s always good to have a plan for these things. I don’t own a really good pair of boots for weather that’s just rainy; I’m more equipped for a couple of feet of snow!
“even” striped tee – Lands’ End; narrow striped tee – Madewell; earrings – Nadri; scarf – Echo; black cashmere cardigan – Lands’ End; black lantern pants – Eileen Fisher; flats – Vionic
Yes, more black. And another pair of ponte knit pants. These are “jeans-styled” and they couldn’t really look more different than the above lantern pants! If anybody (1) notices that I’m wearing black ponte pants two days in a row and (2) has the bad taste and sheer gall to say something, I shall thank them for their attentiveness to my wardrobe, and ask if they wish to buy me a pair of pants…
Earrings – Nadri; necklace – URBANE Jewelry Studio; cardigan – Alex Mill; black tee – Lands’ End; ivory tee – Lands’ End; black ponte knit jeans – Eileen Fisher; black sneakerinas – Vivaia
Please note that these “sneakerinas” are wildly comfortable, but NOT built for long walks. I envision changing into them most late afternoons before we go out to eat. It’s always good to switch up shoes when you can, so your shoes can dry out inside and rest a bit.
Assuming that I’m wearing a jacket most of the time, this is what most people will see of me for the 8 days I’m away:
Jacket – Lands’ End; earmuffs – ZeroXposure; leather gloves – Nordstrom; umbrella – no clue where it’s from!
This is everything that I will have with me. I will be wearing my heaviest sweater, my thickest pants, and my bulkiest shoes. I’m hopeful of having a bit of space in my bag for purchases. I’m thinking fondly of books…
I’ve got a “three-word” theme here, as I’ve sort of decided to do from now on. If I always pack three capsules for a week-long trip (or longer!), then having capsules with three distinct but compatible themes is practical AND easy:
Now, let us pause for a moment to think about practical things related to travel. As we well know, you can’t count on your schedule being observed by the weather, the airlines, the train systems, or the governments of the world! So what should we bear in mind?
- Pack more prescription medications than you think you will need; you don’t want to be stuck in an airport for 48 hours without something essential! Having your favorite OTC medications isn’t crazy either.
- Don’t get to the point that every last stitch of clothing in your bag is unwearably soiled! A clean tee shirt and some clean underwear might feel like heaven if you’re stuck in a motel waiting for roads to be plowed…
- Seriously consider bringing a few snacks with you for your return trip. Yes, you can buy something to eat in most places, but those things might not be your favorites, nor might they be healthy, and you can count on them being eye-wateringly expensive.
- Speaking of expensive – never go ANYWHERE without enough cash to feed yourself, fuel your vehicle, or do whatever else you can foresee. Once you’re through security in an airport, you can find yourself in a ATM dead-zone. Yes, you can charge things, probably…
What have I missed here? We’re not going to stop traveling, but we do need to be thoughtful (in the literal sense) and plan for things to NOT go our way.
love,
Janice
p.s. Ten years ago, we had “new” Pantone colors. They look very familiar, as all colors should look, to the observant!
Like these ideas? Save it to Pinterest.
Welcome to the UK where the weather is doing it’s usual thing, wet for a while, sunny for a bit, cold overnight…you know…just March, in like a lion…out like a lamb.
I would add a power packer and charger to essential hand luggage. If you get stuck somewhere for 48 hrs, electric sockets are going to be in short supply!
Janice, I could not love this travel capsule any more than I already do. This is exactly my personal style too. While I’d throw in some accents of red or pink, I feel as if this is my style of dressing. I appreciate that you have created a sensible, practical, but stylish vibe with each cluster. My only other addition would be a black skirt or dress, that could be worn with all of the tops.
I am so excited for you for this trip. I’ve only been to London twice….once when I was 7 and once when I was 13. We never got out of the city. I am an unrepentant Anglophile, so it’s ridiculous that I haven’t been back–especially considering that I lived on the continent for four years. That being said, I watch BBC America daily. All of my favorite shows are on there. One I particularly love is “Escape to the Country”. It’s sort of House Hunters, but civilized and with less obnoxious hunters. Bury St. Edmunds comes up as an ‘escapee’ town fairly often and I’m dying to go.
Additionally, I’d love to visit any of the Yorkshires (where my late husband’s family was from, and where there is a ruin of a manor belonging to his family), the Cotswolds (thanks to Father Brown) and the Welsh borders.
Have a superb time, Janice!
I was in Suffolk in February. Bury St Edmunds is a very interesting place. I hope that Lavenham is on your route. It is a lovely town with an amazing church and lots of old buildings. You’ll notice that many old buildings in Suffolk are half-timbered with the spaces filled with patterned plaster called Pargeting.
I usually take 2/3 pairs of blue trousers in different materials and 1/2 pairs of grey trousers. Plus an assortment of floral blouses/tops and coordinating knitwear in my accent colours of lilac, pink and pale blue.
I have recently bought two pairs of stretch jeans (not stiff and heavy). One pair is straight leg and the other wide leg. After a long search. I have also finally found a pair of wide leg chambray trousers in mid blue for summer. They are 25″ inside leg but measure 26″. Ideal for me at 5ft.
Enjoy the rest of your trip. Look out for lambs in the fields in Suffolk.
Beth t,
What does your 1/2 pair of grey pants look like. Are they missing one leg and that’s why there 1/2 pair.
Just joking with you. 🙂🙂🙂 Have a beautiful day. 😁
🤣🤣🤣 aka 1 or 2
I’m intrigued by the wide-leg chambray trousers you found. Would you mind sharing where you got them?
I bought them from a British company called Bonmarche
https://www.bonmarche.co.uk/
They do trousers in different leg lengths.
Other companies that I buy trousers from are:
Cotton Traders
Damart
I hope you have a wonderful time in England and that you have great weather for your visit! We have been enjoying quite a few sunny days recently and the Spring flowers are looking lovely.
You cracked me up this morning with “I shall thank them for their attentiveness to my wardrobe, and ask if they wish to buy me a pair of pants…” I think this is a perfect capsule for your trip. Enjoy!
Janice, I hope you’re both having a wonderful time:
I know this not the norm, but would you consider writing us a post on your more dear sustainable pieces such as your Oliver Charles sweater and 4 Objects shirts? I think a lot of us are looking to move in this direction and would appreciate your insights.
I am so grateful that you taught me that wearing my wardrobe on repeat is ok. Previously, I had been brainwashed into believing I must *never* be seen in the same outfit twice. I still have friends that subscribe to that ridiculous idea. Having friends that still adhere to that idea in 2026 is every eye opening.
What might have helped me evolve, besides the fact that you post about it, might have been the fact that I became home-based in 2020. The rules and restrictions that dictated my wardrobe eased a bit that first year, and continued to do so with each subsequent year. It is such a relief to be freed from that ridiculous notion.
Re-evaluating the idea that I could not be seen in the same outfit more than once has enabled me to critically assess some of the other ideas around fashion/dressing that I once thought were irrefutable. I can only say thank you.
My beloved father served at the US Army Air Force airfield nearby to Bury St. Edmunds during WWII. Although I’ve been to England a few times, I’ve never visited there, but remember him speaking so fondly of the area and the locals. Thank you for bringing to mind a bit of my dad this morning.
My uncle whom we are visiting served there too!!!
I also cracked up at your perfect reply: “I shall thank them for their attentiveness to my wardrobe, and ask if they wish to buy me a pair of pants…” I hate packing more than I need, especially just to please other people. Actually, I hate doing anything for that reason–I’m no fan of heavy luggage.
I love your new idea of NAMING the clusters. Someone how that pleases me. It seems that that might be a big help in organizing an entire wardrobe–which is my goal for March, but feels hard to achieve. Maybe I haven’t done it over the past eight years because it seems like so much work.
If you want to write about that, I’d devour your thoughts! I don’t need to build from nothing, as you’ve written about. But maybe the key is using your start-from-zero plan to shop in my closet instead of a store. I wonder if I could rent a rolling rack for a few days….hm.
Janice,
I hope you and yours are having a wonderful time !
And speaking of wonderful — this easy and practical travel format ! I have been paring down to something very similar in my planning. For a longer trip, I might add a fourth color quad module that is interchangeable with most of the other pieces. I did this on a very recent trip with multiple changing overnight stays . One travel trick that I do is to only take into the one night stay location, using a small bag , just enough for that given night plus clothes for the next day, so that I’m not dragging in a whole big suitcase at every stop. This is for car travel, obviously .
Your list of essentials reminds me of a conversation i had with a lovely retired teacher i met during a trip to Paris a few years ago. We discussed the difference, if there is one, between a tourist and a traveler. She said she did not mind being considered a tourist as long as she was a kind tourist. So, I decided that patience and kindness are some important essentials to bring along, especially when things go a bit wrong.
I second the recommendation to go to Lavenham. It’s charming. There’s also a village right outside Bury called Risby. Its church has been in use for over 1,000 years. Amazing to think about.
Thank for for naming the clusters. It inspires me. I’m traveling to London in late April to see my daughter, who just moved there permanently. Where the heart led, she followed. It will be the first time in – gulp – 40 years and I have been anxious over what to pack. Giving myself three words helps this nervous Nelly to focus.
This was immensely helpful. And no, no one cares about repeats. No one pays attention anyway.
*Thank YOU*, next time I shall proofread.
Someone I worked with once commented that no one remembers what you wore after three days. People simply are not paying that much attention. The exception would be statement pieces such as a jacket or dress in a bold print.
There are some travel influencers who say two pairs of shoes are sufficient for any trip but I disagree as it’s healthier for your feet and shoes to not wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row. The exception in this case would be sandals and other “vented” shoes. But a pair of sneakers? Give them a break and let them breathe. I also try not to wear pants or tops two days in a row, that way everything stays fresher.
I do like the idea of having a palette in mind, then putting together three outfits, and finally checking for mix-and-match options. Travel influencers Kettlewell and Tripped have suggested those three outfit categories could be for the travel days; specific activity day, such as hiking or attending a wedding; and “regular” day as in sightseeing, visiting friends.
Another approach I’ve used is to pack equal numbers of tops, layers and bottoms. Layering items can include “pivot” pieces that can be worn as either first or second layers. This works well with Janice’s Six-Pack approach – wear 3, pack 6. Or you can wear 3, pack 9, add a dress, and you have the Perfect 13. With those pivot pieces, you can first wear them a couple of times as a second layer, then wear them a couple of more times as a first layer.
An OCD thing I do when traveling is to note what I wore at the end of the day. That not only helps with rotating pieces but also for a post-trip assessment as to what worked, what didn’t. It’s easy to add just-in-case pieces or ones that represent unrealistic ideas of what you’ll be doing on your trip. Then you get home and realize those choices won’t worth the space in your suitcase.
As much as I plan, sometimes months ahead, I always make last-minute changes depending on the weather and substitutions. At least with a working plan, I’m not throwing things together willy-nilly when it’s crunch time.
Have a wonderful time across the pond!
I’ve just annotated my master packing list with your thoughts, Debra.
I am constantly learning from Janice’s wisdom and appreciating how everyone expands it as they comment on their insights and applications.
Thank you
I so enjoy your colour combo ideas from artwork. I decided to comment for the first time regarding your travel wardrobe. I travel often solo, and am familiar with the UK, so I am a tad envious of your visit to Suffolk. My father was a Scot with the RAF ( gliders) and likely stationed there throughout his war years. I will check in the bio/ photo album that he collaborated with me on. I do know that he and Mum lived in Stowmarket for awhile, where my older sister was born in 1947.
What I see with your clothes is so much black. I do not wear it…even for outerwear. I am a person who gravitates to colour and those that really suit my soft autumn palette. Packing is more coordinated, with scarves …like you… and items that work so well for me at home and are comfortable as well as stylish. Just my observation…we all go with what works. Enjoy your trip!
I look at colors all day when I’m working; I don’t want to see them when I’m dressing myself. And with purple hair, something more tame seems reasonable. FWIW, I look good in black! At least I think I look good in black, and that’s really the same thing, since I have the only opinion that matters… well, if Belovedest HATED something I would think about making a change. Generally speaking, I don’t care about trends, or what influencers tell me, or what anybody else says. I don’t think most people notice…
love,
Janice
Hope you’re having a lovely time. Like the ponte trousers.
I always bring a raincoat with a hood to the U.K. rather than an umbrella, except in the heat of the summer. As my British granddaughter once quipped, “Of course it’s raining; it’s the U.K.”
Wishing you both a wonderful trip. Love your packing tips.
Welcome to the UK. I’m just over the Essex/Suffolk border on the Essex coast. Beautiful spring day here today until middle afternoon when it rained and the temperature dropped.Your packing looks ideal for the spring here so I hope all goes well and you have a lovely time.
I did 2 weeks in Greece using your “whatever is clean 13” template, and my suitcase looked a lot like this. Black Ponte pants from Universal Standard (2 pair, because they have zipper pockets for money, passport, and phone!), a blue Lands End fleece jacket, 3 merino wool t-shirts, and a merino wool Talbots sweater were primary, with 2 blue pattern scarves to dress up the tops. We had temperatures ranging from 25F and snow to 65F and sunny on the Acropolis, so the wool layers paid off. The Ponte pants even survived a tumble on Mt Olympus without damage that cracked my iPhone screen (that’s what you get when you land on it because you are taking pictures). My biggest mistake was taking only one pair of shoes (New Balance 608 sneakers) and only one warm hat. I spent the first three days looking for a brimmed hat for sun! Thanks for making it easy to look good with one bag!
Happy trails; wishing you an enjoyable visit. Good luck book-finding!
I love your umbrella, Janice. I’m still smiling at the thought of everyone else seeing an ubiquitous black umbrella while you are looking up at a blue sky!
I belonged to a service club decades ago. One of our members always looked incredibly elegant. Every autumn, she would fly to Seattle or San Francisco and buy a cluster for fall and winter. She did the same for spring/summer. Always in a similar palette and always from a boutique that carried a style & color consistency. Yes, she often won her outfits on repeat, but she always looked amazing.
I make a note of outfits or items that received compliments, then wear them again. I could pair my wardrobe right down to a “complimentary wardrobe”!
Hope you’ll enjoy the warmer weather this week.
ooh! i love this!
I immediately noticed my friend’s outfit. It looks fantastic on her.
Have a wonderful vacation!
I also just spent three days at a spa and I had two pairs of pants, three tops, and accessories.
There was a fire alarm during the night (thankfully a false alarm). Everything had to be within easy reach.
I’m still taking photos of my outfits every day and have plenty to choose from.
I just got back from London last night! For a week, I packed 2 jeans, 2 button downs, 2 long sleeve T’s, 2 sweaters and a fleece.oh! and 3 shoes – trainers, slip-ons and rain boots/sneakers. (I also took a maxi skirt, but never wore it.) We had an apartment and I did laundry 1/2 way, though I didn’t really need to. Plenty of clothes. My daughter who was with didn’t even notice I wore the same shirt three times – probs cause I wore it with a different sweater/fleece each time! Yes to changing shoes for dinner! My feet were so happy when I did that. Most days we were out from just after breakfast to after dinner though. Wonderful trip! Enjoy yours!
I had a professor from France that would wear the same outfit for a week at a time. This was in Pittsburgh. Being from the south where one tends to sweat in clothes just running from the car to a building, and usually changes outfits after a shower if going anywhere in the evening, I found that quite shocking.