I am getting ready to pack for a ten day trip and I thought I’d try out the 5-4-3-2-1 packing method. This method is supposed to give at least 5 good outfits using 4 tops, 3 bottoms, 2 pairs of shoes, and 1 dress (or swim suit or other item depending on you and your trip). I’m customizing this method to fit my trip since I need a few more outfits (but I will have access to laundry so mostly I just want to plan a versatile capsule). I believe in taking frameworks for simplifying (whether it’s Project333, 10×10, whatever) and customize it for my situation! So, here’s my 5-4-3-2-1.
- 5 tops (gray tee, striped tank, floral blouse, olive green tunic, chambray ruffle sleeve tank)
- 4 bottoms (white denim skirt, cutoff denim shorts, floral dress worn as skirt, olive knit dress worn as skirt)
- 3 dresses (floral smocked bodice dress, olive green midi dress, black tee shirt dress)
- 2 pairs of shoes (rose gold Birkenstocks, white sneakers)
- 1 bathing suit/ 1 jacket (jean jacket)
With this combination, I counted over 20 outfit combinations (which means I probably could leave a few things home, but I’m not quite that minimalist!). The biggest tip I learned while packing with this method was the importance of packing within a cohesive color palette to maximize outfit options.
I hope this inspires you to simplify packing for your next trip or even create a mini capsule in your wardrobe to try out for a few weeks! It’s invigorating to work with less items and see all the options that come from it.