This 25-Item Postpartum Capsule Wardrobe Accidentally Made Me Stop Shopping

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When you’re packing for a two-month trip with a newborn, something has to give. For me, it was my wardrobe. When our baby arrived, my husband and I were incredibly fortunate to be able to take six months off to bond with him. We live in Colorado, but most of our families are back in California, so it was important to us to bring our son out there to meet everyone. We decided to spend two months at our “home away from home”—a tiny cabin in the woods in the Lake Tahoe area.

Pre-motherhood, I was a frequent traveler for both personal and business reasons, and I have always enjoyed packing light. But as I piled everything on the bed that we needed to bring, it became clear that packing light would be a huge challenge with a newborn baby. To make space for everything the baby would truly need on the trip, I was willing to significantly reduce how much clothing I was bringing for myself.

I’ve always been fascinated by the capsule wardrobe concept, and decided this was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot. What started as a fun little challenge (and a logistical necessity) turned into a revelation: I felt more content with this capsule wardrobe than I ever had with access to my whole closet. I was no longer craving the next purchase or seeking out the next item that I had convinced myself would really tie it all together.

Why I Built a Postpartum Travel Capsule Wardrobe

Besides limited suitcase space, I had various other goals in mind as I built my postpartum travel capsule wardrobe. I was still recovering from birth, and only wanted to bring clothes that felt comfortable and flattering on my postpartum body. I had also recently gotten back into fitness and didn’t want what I was wearing that day to be an obstacle to getting in a quick weights workout. I knew we were going to be spending a lot of time outdoors, so I needed all of my clothes to accommodate our active family lifestyle. Ultimately, I wanted to reduce decision fatigue to maximize my time spent with family, and fewer clothes meant fewer decisions.

I stopped shopping because I finally knew what I actually liked.

I wouldn’t necessarily say I’ve ever had a spending problem, but I have definitely struggled with contentment with my wardrobe. I’ve always enjoyed clothes, and I probably spent more money than I needed to feel like my wardrobe was complete with what everyone else deemed as “essentials”. When packing my travel capsule wardrobe, I challenged myself to reflect on what were really my essentials, and only brought my absolute favorite items.

Before this trip, it was pretty typical for me to place an online shopping order for clothes a couple of times per month. But a month into the trip, after only wearing the same 25 items on repeat, I realized I hadn’t even thought about shopping. It wasn’t that I all of a sudden had better spending discipline overnight—I simply stopped wanting more, because I really liked everything I already had. For the first time, I wasn’t looking for the missing piece, because I realized there wasn’t one. Instead, I quietly enjoyed getting dressed every morning, because every piece in my suitcase had already earned its place.

What My 25-Item Travel Capsule Wardrobe Actually Looked Like

Our two-month trip to California was over the summer, and we would be doing a lot of outdoor activities, so my travel capsule wardrobe needed to reflect those climate and lifestyle considerations. We wouldn’t be attending any events where we needed to dress up; therefore, I was able to leave special-occasion items behind.

Here’s the exact 25-piece wardrobe that carried me through a summer of postpartum life, family visits, road trips, hikes, and everyday adventures in Lake Tahoe:

Layers

Versatile pieces that worked for chilly Tahoe morning walks and relaxing days at the cabin:

Light blue hooded rain jacket
Black hooded down jacket
Camel brown zip hoodie
Navy blue zip hoodie
Light gray crewneck sweatshirt

Tops

Neutral, nursing-friendly basics that mixed and matched with everything else I packed:

Bottoms

Comfortable options for postpartum workouts, travel, and outdoor adventures:

Navy blue wide-leg pants
Dark brown wide-leg pants
Maroon joggers
Light wash denim shorts
Camel brown shorts
Navy blue shorts

Shoes

Three casual pairs that covered every activity without taking over my suitcase:

Accessories

Practical extras that looked cute while making everyday motherhood a little easier:

Dark gray diaper backpack
Black belt bag
Dark gray baseball hat
Light pink baseball hat

My New Rules for Buying (and Keeping) Clothes

When we finally got back to our home in Colorado, I realized my “travel wardrobe” slowly became my everyday wardrobe. That surprised me, because I’d always assumed my “real” wardrobe was waiting for me back home in our spacious walk-in closet.

After regaining access to my “full” closet, the list above did expand a bit, but I found myself willing to part with a lot of items to maintain the simplicity I had enjoyed while traveling. I missed a few out-of-season items like my collection of Levi’s 501s, boots, and cardigans. I was also excited to wear my leggings, active dresses, and skirts again now that I was feeling more comfortable and confident in my postpartum body.

As I was decluttering my full wardrobe to re-create the closet contentment I’d experienced during our two months away, I developed a set of “rules” as I evaluated each item. Rather than just asking, “Do I like this?” I started also asking questions that reflected how I actually wanted to live:

Did I miss it when we were gone?
Can I enjoy my daily activities while wearing it?
Does it make me feel good about my postpartum body?
Does the style align with my wardrobe as a whole, or does it feel out of place?
Do I actually enjoy wearing it, or do I just like the idea of it?
Would I ever include it in a future travel capsule wardrobe?

I also found it helpful to think of a brand I admire, and ask myself if the item would fit in a “lookbook” for that brand. (Back to my San Diego roots, this brand for me is Vuori. In a perfect world, I would dress like a Vuori model every day!)

In terms of buying clothes in the future, I’m sure I will feel the urge to shop again one of these days, and that is totally okay. But my goal is to be far more intentional with my purchases than ever before, and use the questions above to guide my decisions.

Shop my mom life capsule wardrobe workbook on Etsy!

Mom life capsule wardrobe workbook printable for pregnancy postpartum travel

Why You Should Try Your Own Postpartum Capsule Wardrobe

I originally built a travel capsule wardrobe to save space in my suitcase for important baby items. What I didn’t expect was that it would also create more space in my mind.

On this really special two-month parental leave trip, packing fewer (but better) clothes eliminated decision fatigue and made me realize I already had enough. Experimenting with a capsule wardrobe also allowed me to enjoy getting dressed more, and made it way easier—which is key as a new mom trying to build consistent routines and habits. I don’t want to own less just for the sake of owning less, but I do want to reduce friction wherever possible.

As a first-time mom, I don’t need more decisions waiting for me in my closet. I’d rather save that energy for my baby and the experiences with him that matter most. Travel encouraged me to simplify, and motherhood made me appreciate it.