Spring travel capsule for 10 days on the Adriatic riviera

I spent 10 days travelling in Croatia, Italy and Slovenia with 16 items of clothing and accessories in my spring travel capsule. This is what I packed:

Spring travel capsule

H&M white long-sleeved t-shirt

Marks & Spencer black long-sleeved t-shirt

Terranova burgundy long-sleeved t-shirt

H&M William Morris patterned top

Camargue midnight blue silk-cashmere blend oversize poloneck

Pure berry cardigan

Marks & Spencer taupe silk shirt

Paige dark blue denim jeans

Mango black skinny trousers

Blue Mark Jacobs tote

Red leather cross-body bag

Vintage navy wool coat

Bata black brogues

Mulberry blue silk scarf

Patterned silk scarf

Sunglasses

What I did right

I was much more satisfied with this capsule than the one I packed for Tirana three months ago, so I decided to analyse why

Pattern — I found myself reaching for my H&M Morris collection top several times during the holiday. It was one of my very few fast fashion purchases last year
Fabric — I incorporated luxurious fabrics, silk and cashmere, into the capsule which made it feel less basic, unlike in Tirana where I wore simple jersey t-shirts most days
Variety — instead of loose trousers + t-shirt + scarf worn in Tirana, I could create several different silhouettes with the clothes I took this time: I wore the cardigan either open for a neater silhouette with a scarf at the neck, or open. The silk shirt could be worn loose, tucked in or even open over a t-shirt, then I had a different silhouette again with the oversize sweater and trousers
Fit — while I had several different silhouettes, they all involved a skinny or straight trouser with more volume on the top half, which is much more flattering to my shape than the looser silhouette (even if that’s on trend at the moment)
A really great quality coat to pull it all together
Amount — there was no washing machine in the apartment so we only did laundry once, at a launderette in Rijeka. I found we both had enough clothes to last 5 days, wearing the patterned t-shirt twice (it doesn’t lose shape or show minor dirt) and washing underwear by hand

I’m also pleased that seven of my 16 items were thrifted.

Room for improvement

But I still have some room for improvement:

Quality — I made the mistake of packing a shabby old t-shirt with unraveling cuffs and twisted seams. This became a problem when I had only a few tops and limited opportunities for laundry
Temperature — my thrifted wool/cashmere coat was perfect for the cold days in Trieste and the start of our stay in Rijeka but too hot for the rest of the holiday. I could have taken a lighter coat or jacket to visit the beaches in Rijeka or go for our evening stroll in Venice

All in all I was really pleased with how my spring travel capsule went. I think I learned both from the Tirana trip — where I was desperate to wear something different by the end — and from my efforts to track what I’m warning and whittle down my wardrobe after our international move last autumn.

Spring travel capsule for 10 days on the Adriatic riviera