I am terrible at packing, despite my lifestyle of traveling. If you love clothes and have an outstanding want to bring everything with you, I understand. In an effort to minimize my wants and to maximize my needs, I have decided to dive head first into the process of building an autumn capsule wardrobe.
I will be spending October and November at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida and have put together a Disney autumn capsule wardrobe of 40 items and Disney outfit ideas including shoes. These will be the only items I wear until the end of the season.
The weather in Orlando at this time of year can be mischievous. It can be 30 degrees, sunny, humid and hot one day, and 15 degrees windy and cold the next. *ps. this is Celsius…I am Canadian*
Traveling with limited space, but with the need as a blogger to always look presentable for photographs, I find myself paying more and more attention to what I am packing, how I am packing, and if I can pack it all into a carry on sized bag. Travel and lifestyle blogging means that I am constantly looking to create interesting content everyday and in every location. I have found that a little extra care can go a long way to be successful in this endeavour. I love the idea of a fall capsule wardrobe, especially when served with a side of Disney magic and Disney World fashion. So let’s take a look at what a capsule collection is and how I created mine.
What is a Capsule Wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a carefully selected group of 40 clothing items, including shoes and jackets, with a similar colour palette, that can be worn for an entire season. These items should be able to mix and match together flawlessly. They should layer and be able to cover a variety of temperatures and weather dependent variables.
Building a Wardrobe
Capsule wardrobes are all about finding the perfect mix of complimentary pieces that can contribute to an entire season of looking stylistically fresh. Capsules can include wardrobes of 30,40 and even 50 pieces including shoes and jackets. My wardrobe will be in the 40 piece range…the perfect packing size for long term travel.
The wardrobe must have colours that compliment each other. These should include 3-6 neutral colours and 2-4 accent colours.
For a fall wardrobe there should be a decent mix of shorts, crops and long pants. There should also be layering shirts, sweaters and jackets included as the weather can of course vary…especially in Florida.
Why Use a Capsule Wardrobe?
Capsule wardrobes make life easier. First, you end up packing significantly less items than normal, simply because you are limiting your choices. Second, all of the pieces will work well together because they are of a similar colour palette as the wardrobe is designed to be complimentary. You will always be photo ready and getting dressed and prepared for the day becomes a lot less stressful, especially when living on the move. You will get the most out of the precious clothing items you buy and have a less cluttered closet/suitcase. Lets put it this way, capsules are a positive lifestyle change that is easy to make.
So lets talk about my Disney Capsule Wardrobe
What to wear to Disney World
Spending a month in Disney World is amazing. It is one of the reasons I am so good at maximizing time in places like the Magic Kingdom. There are so many perfectly photogenic areas and famous instagrammable spots in Disney World, that you need to be photo ready all day long. This capsule wardrobe is actually one of the Disney World secret tips to looking great all day for your photopass.
Long days, that’s a thing. Days at Disney can be really long. Just getting through a 9:00am to 9:00pm day at the parks can take a bit of a survival guide. With cool mornings, hot and humid mid days, and cool Orlando nights, Disney World outfit ideas need to be designed to fit all of those weather variables. Deciding what to wear to Disney World in November or October can be complicated. So without being overwhelmingly Disney, let me share with you my Disney World fall capsule wardrobe.
A Look at my Colour Palette
My autumn Disney collection includes 4 neutral colours and three accent colours. I have chosen my neutrals to include black, white, denim, and khaki green colours to meld perfectly with pinks, purples, and navy blues…the accent colours for my autumn capsule wardrobe.
A Look at the Size
OK, here comes the list of all 40 items. My capsule wardrobe list includes:
12 Shirts (5 tanks, 3 crop tops, 4 t-shirts)
6 sweaters
8 bottoms (1 skirt, 3 shorts, 1 crop, 2 jeans, 1 legging)
3 jackets (2 puffy, 1 denim)
4 dresses (2 dresses, 2 rompers)
7 pairs of footwear (2 sandals, 3 sneakers, 1 moccasin,1 boot)
12 x Shirts
I brought with me five tank tops suitable for the hot weather and the Orlando days. They also work as great layering pieces and thus are quintessential shirts to wear to Disney World. I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t love the crop look, plus I also run a lot of marathons like this one and so I feel like I deserve a little belly love for all the training I do. As a result I’ve brought three crops with me. Thirdly, I love to be comfortable and so of course a basic T is a great casual item for working and walking around the parks on long days. Here they are.
6 x Sweaters
Did you know I have Raynaud’s disease? So of course moderating my body temperature is important in my daily life and for my comfort. When I get cold…I get cold, and my body lets me know. I find it imperative to bring a selection of cozy sweaters to keep me warm on and off all day. Raynaud’s Disease means that I really need to focus carefully on what items I pack for a day out.
The great thing about a capsule wardrobe is that it is created by you and with your needs in mind. Not everyone has the same needs. So for me, having sweaters to go over shirts, and some to wear as tops are crucial to my personal wardrobe.
8 x Bottoms
It’s nice to be able to mix up your wardrobe so I brought bottoms of every length, plus you never know if you will be in a place like Animal Kingdom all day using my fastpass strategy, you might need to switch it up morning to night. Three pairs of shorts, two denim and one high wasted classic tencel pair made the cut. For the days that I am feeling fun my wardrobe also includes one denim skirt that pairs with everything. Lastly I brought two pairs of jeans for regular living, a pair of Minnie Mouse tights, (because I love tights and they are great for Disney World outfit ideas), and one super comfy pair of tencel crops.
3 x Jackets
Jackets take room when packing for Disney World so I chose just three which can accommodate a few weather patterns. I brought one denim jacket, partially because I am Canadian, and partially because its durable. I also brought two puffy jackets with me, one that’s a wind breaker and waterproof, and one the straddles the line of a hoodie.
4 x Dresses 
Of course I bought dresses and rompers. These little wardrobe pieces dress up any photo, are super comfy and cool. Throw on a dress or romper and don’t even worry about paring them with anything, the ultimate dressed up/dressed down two-in-one pieces! Perfectly convenient with a touch of style, this is one of the capsule wardrobe essentials.
7 x Shoes
Shoes, I love them! Who doesn’t? I am not a high-heels kinda girl. I am a girl who chooses comfort, especially when traveling. I brought two pairs of sandals with me to accommodate for the hot Orlando days. For the parks, I brought three pairs of sneakers, especially needed with the Epcot Food and Wine Festival happening right now. There is just a lot of moving around and so comfort in Disney walking shoes is key. I also brought a super comfy pair of moccasins for days I am just hanging out, and of course a pair of short boots for the windy, cooler nights.
So there you have it…
These are all of the items that I packed to spend the rest of the autumn season at Disney parks in Orlando. This is an example of how to create awesome Disney World outfit ideas. Just to mention, I do wear underwear. I just chose not to include underwear, socks, lounge wear or athletic wear in this capsule collection. As fitness is a part of my life, I will be running a few road races while in the Orlando area so if you would like to know what I packed for training and racing, let me know, and I will dedicate a post or IGTV to the cause.
If you are interested in following the Disney Autumn Capsule Wardrobe, hop on over to my Instagram @WalkabootTravel where I will post the Capsule outfit I am wearing everyday as well as why I chose to wear it. I will also leave these images in my highlights so that you can reference them when you create your capsule wardrobe.
If you’d like to learn how to create Capsule Wardrobes, let me know and we all do it together!
Want to see how I paired the pieces, or what they look like…tune into my IGTV try on! Click the pic or here.
Don’t forget to save this post to your pinterest so you can find it later and make the perfect Autumn Capsule Wardrobe!
Heather says
Even though I basically have it down to a science because I do it so much, I still feel like I will never be the best packer. Despite my feat of packing in a carry-on size suitcase for nearly a month in Morocco and France this summer. There’s always that special trip or that tricky season that gets me. I actually never knew what a capsule wardrobe was even though I’ve heard the term. One of my tips in my packing posts is to choose a color scheme and pack to that color so everything (including shoes) match it. I might have been dabbing in capsule wardrobes and didn’t realize it! I’m jealous of a month in Disney World, I think I would like that much time there. I also like how you showed your entire wardrobe and broke it down by piece and color scheme. Quite helpful! I didn’t know you had Reynaud’s so it makes the capsule wardrobe even that more impressive. I’ve had patients with Reynaud’s and I know how difficult it can be for them.
Jenn and Ed Coleman says
The planning you put into all of your work is amazing. We are going to Disney (Actually just Jenn and Ashley) next week. We used your Disney planning guide and it was amazing!!! There will be a time when we are planning month long trips and this capsule idea will be key. You should say hi next time your in Orlando.
Janiel says
wow! Didn’t know you had Reynaud’s, that can be pretty painful when temps get even slightly cool. Glad you have this capsule thing down to a science. The problem I have is that I pick outfits I like to wear, look fairly decent in them, and then it is hard for me not to take them on every stinking trip. I really like what you put together here though, its concise, easy to mix and match and efficient no matter the temp requirements.
Ashley Hubbard says
I’m going to Disney World…tomorrow! I’m no newbie though – been going all my life but this will be my shortest trip yet – only 2 days and I’m traveling with a carry on only so it’s going to be a mini-capsule wardrobe for me haha, I want to spend a month in Disney though – sounds amazing!
Juliann says
This is such a great concept! Capsule packing is something I should try. Luckily, you’ve given us an easy guide to follow. I need that!
Sarah says
Love that you included so many Disney-specific clothes in this wardrobe! And they ended up helping with some super cute photos too :) I have to say I’m more of a stuff-everything-in-the-suitcase-an-hour-before-leaving type of traveler, and I always end up with both MORE clothes than I need, and somehow still missing the clothes I want to wear! But I’ve just come to accept that about myself, lol.
Cat Lin says
I am the worst when it comes to packing light (and smart!). I have heard of capsule wardrobe but didn’t know how to implement it. It is such a good idea to have bottoms of different lengths. It gives you that possibility to adjust based on the weather!
Ann says
I LOVE capsule wardrobing! It doesn’t make any difference where you are going (even nowhere at all, and it’s your closet), being super-intentional when buying and selecting clothes just gives you so many more outfit options. I love that this was a long stay wardrobe — for Disney :-) .
Elaine Masters says
Perhaps you are staying in one hotel for most of the time you’re at Disney World? That’s the only way carrying this much would work for me. I’m also a big fan of layering and washing things out to dry during the day. It makes packing light easier. At any rate, sounds like a great gig and I love your color palette.
andi says
I am definitely a wardrobe capsule kind of girl. I select one or 2 colors and mix and match. I don’t like to think about clothes too much, so I have been doing this for many years out of laziness, not because of having any packing smarts – that is kind of a bonus! I also think it is more economical!