Ten Days in Italy: The Five Pieces I'd Pack
A holiday capsule for women who've stopped overpacking
I used to take a suitcase the size of a small fridge to Italy and wear about a third of it. Somewhere around forty I gave up and started packing five pieces I knew worked. Now I bring hand luggage, wear everything twice, and stop wasting an hour every evening deciding what to put on. Here's the capsule.
1. The day-to-night maxi dress
The single most useful thing in your suitcase. A maxi in a soft, drapey fabric that survives being packed, looks intentional in the morning over coffee, and reads as elegant in the evening with a sandal and an earring. Cream, soft white, terracotta, or a small print all work — bright colours date a holiday photo more than you'd think. The trick is one dress that doesn't try too hard.
2. The shirt-dress or button-front cover-up
Doubles as a beach cover-up over swimwear, a shirt thrown over linen trousers in the evening, and a sun-shield on a long lunch. Mine is white linen, slightly oversized, and has been to five countries. If you only have room for one "second piece", this is it.
3. The walking sandal
The mistake everyone makes is packing one pair of sandals that are pretty and one pair that are comfortable. You wear the comfortable ones every day and the pretty ones for one dinner. Skip the trick — find one tan or natural leather sandal, slightly worn-in, with a strap across the foot and a back strap, that you can walk eight miles in. They go with everything in this capsule.
4. The dressier sandal, but only just
For the one or two evenings you want to feel a bit more put-together. A simple metallic or black strappy sandal with a low heel — nothing higher than 5cm. Anything taller and you'll leave them in the wardrobe the moment you realise the restaurant is up a hill.
5. The straw bag
Big enough for a book, sunglasses, sun cream, your phone, and a bottle of water. Structured enough that it doesn't look limp at dinner. The same bag works on the beach, at lunch, and walking back from the market. Don't bring a second one.
What I don't pack any more
The "just in case" jeans I never wear. The going-out top from 2019. The third pair of sandals. The dress I "might fancy" — if I'm not sure about it at home, I won't be sure about it abroad. Anything synthetic that doesn't breathe in 35-degree heat. The hat I always forget about until I find it crushed at the bottom of the case.
A quiet rule
Pack one outfit fewer than the days you're away. You'll re-wear pieces, you'll do laundry once mid-trip, and you'll come home with a suitcase that didn't need to be that heavy in the first place.
If you want help putting a capsule together for a specific trip — let me know where you're going and I'll point you toward what I'd take.
— Glenson Hudson