Winter Travel Capsule: Minimalist Packing for Trip To New York

Hello YouTube family and welcome back to my channel. My name is Lauren McKinney and if this is your first time here, I love making videos about personal style, capsule wardrobing, and sustainable fashion. And this is perfect because I'm actually leaving this weekend for a quick holiday trip to New York. This video was really great motivation for me to really think through this travel capsule and I'll tell you what, that doing this has really made me realize how important it is to actually put together a short travel capsule for whatever trip you're going on. And I'll explain why in a little bit. But before we get into my travel capsule and some of the outfits that I put together from it, I want to ask you to please subscribe to my channel if you haven't already. That would be super sweet. Please give this video a thumbs up if you enjoyed it and don't forget to comment down below if you are taking any great trips this holiday season and whether you're going to a cold area or a warm area. I just want to know where you all are headed. Let's go ahead and get into the details. So first things first, let's talk about a bit of the logic why I put together a travel capsule. So I think it's really easy to feel overwhelmed when we start packing for a trip. At least that is definitely the case for me. Some people can open up a suitcase and just throw a bunch of things in and like feel totally okay with it, but I cannot. I'm very methodical about my packing and it often takes me a really long time to actually pack my suitcase and feel like I have everything that I need. A travel capsule is a really great way for me to kind of work with how long it takes me to pack because it helps me feel really clear about what works together, what does it, and what I actually need versus what I don't need. I also think that the confusion especially when we're coming up on trips that are unlike the climate that we're from is the confusion to where we need to feel like we have to buy a lot of stuff for the trip and then we end up purchasing things that we only use once or that we don't use at all. And I had a very very similar experience as I was getting ready and kind of brainstorming my travel capsule for this trip. And it's especially to get it's especially easy to get caught up in things when you're searching for inspiration on Pinterest and all you see are a bunch of New York influencers or a bunch of street style and it can make you just want to go out and buy pieces that are just not practical for your lifestyle. So for a little bit of background those of you follow my channel will know that I live in Southern California and so while I do have several winter accessories from years of skiing I also don't have like a wool coat and I don't have a huge parka and I don't have snow boots. So I felt a little bit unprepared when I first started thinking about what I was going to wear for this trip and I started thinking about okay how can I find a wool coat second hand or even starting to feel desperate and look at some fast fashion brands and be like oh well maybe I should buy a wool coat and of course from there you go into wanting to buy things that are maybe a bit more statement pieces like oh should I find like a faux fur coat really stand out or do I need to buy a new dress to go to a Broadway show or do I need to get this hat and these shoes etc etc etc and I found myself wasting a lot of time online being like oh I'm shopping for boots a coat another coat some hats a dress jewelry blah blah blah and I was just getting caught up in the excitement as well as the confusion of just not knowing what to pack and so wanting to pack everything and buy like a whole new wardrobe for just one trip but then I actually started putting my capsule together for this trip and I realized that everything I need I already have and while I might not have a super elegant wool coat I have different coats that I can layer and make work I have base layers that are going to keep me warm and I have shoes that are perfectly going to suit my situation and so it just proved to me again how useful it is to capsule things to put them together and find the way things work and it really keeps us from wasting a lot of money and consuming unnecessarily so now that I've rambled enough about the logic behind putting together a travel capsule let's actually get into what I am bringing on this trip so the first thing I like to do when I'm going to put together a capsule for a trip is to check the weather of the location that I am visiting according to this preview of the weather for the upcoming week that I'm going to be in New York it looks like it's going to be pretty chilly with a slight chance of rain on a couple of the days so I should be prepared to bring appropriately warm clothing as well as warm winter accessories plus shoes that I won't mind getting dirty while walking around the city but that also can kind of withstand rain just in case that happens while I'm there so I'm going to be spending five days in New York and that's really what is inspiring the most of my packing I will not be including some loungewear as well as underwear socks etc etc pajamas in this travel capsule because that I'll just you know stuff in at the end or put in my personal item but I'm packing in this carry-on suitcase this is an away suitcase that I got for graduation when I graduated from my master's in May and I love this suitcase I find that it's really really easy to use and I just really enjoy it it's beautiful this beautiful green color and I'm actually going from New York I'm actually flying to Florida and then from Florida to Tennessee to both my in-laws and my parents so I'm kind of going to multiple places with multiple different climates but New York has really been like the inspiration for this travel capsule so that's what I'll be focusing on okay so what I've done is I've actually laid out all my clothes on the floor I like to do this before I pack because I'm a very visual person and it just helps me get everything kind of organized in my mind but I'm gonna walk you through each of the items that are here while providing a little bit of a rationale but I'm gonna go through it relatively quick so we can spend the most of our time on the lookbook so let's just start up with the tops so here I have a white long sleeve tee a black turtleneck and then a white ribbed turtleneck and these are going to be acting a lot like base layers they'll be the foundation items for my outfits unless it is really really cold when I get there in which case I am taking a pair of long johns or long underwear which I can layer even under these pieces here the next two pieces are layering shirts that can also be worn on their own so I love having a little bit of a collar peek out from my sweaters and so I'm bringing this it's also a really great travel shirt because it is like non-wrinkle so it's really handy and then this is my like more formal piece in this lookbook for if we're going to a nice dinner or we're going to go to a Broadway show or something like that so this is a great piece to layer but also to dress up next I have three sweaters that I'm taking two thicker ones so this oversized alpaca one from Everlane and this buffalo check one from Cezanne these are both really heavy and these are all in really warm materials this middle one is just a thinner one it's a cashmere a black cashmere one from Everlane that I found on Poshmark and these are really great because I think they will keep me really warm I put the focus on like cashmere or wool sweaters instead of cotton sweaters because I know that those finer knits would just keep me warmer than cottonwood next I'm taking three pairs of bottoms I'm taking a pair of straight leg jeans these are a darker wash jean which I just feel like are more versatile then I'm taking this pair of corduroys which can be both dressed up and dressed down and then to add some color variety instead of blue I'm bringing a pair of black skinny jeans I wish these were straight leg but I wanted to bring a pair of stretch jeans since these are um non-stretch and I wanted to bring a pair of stretch jeans just in case I needed to and my other pair of kind of black wash jeans are non-stretch so this is a very practical decision then for my top top layers my jackets I'm bringing this patagonia puffy which I think is going to be a real workhorse for this trip it's the warmest jacket that I have I'm excited to put together some fun like puffer inspired looks with this jacket which lucky for me puffer jackets are kind of a trend right now so I've been finding a lot of inspiration with that next I have this kind of parka or utility style jacket this is really warm it's warmer than it looks it's like this trench coat material so definitely water resistant if not completely waterproof and it is flannel lined so it does stay pretty warm and this is a good just a good kind of larger coat to wear over top everything because I don't have a wool coat so this will keep it will just like give my outfits some interest but will also give me that very practical water resistant factor if I need it and then the last kind of jacket that I have is just this denim chore jacket which I understand it's probably not a super practical piece to bring but it is great for layering and it will also work when I'm in the warmer climate areas like Florida and then I also don't expect it to be as cold in Tennessee so this will just be a good addition to take and it's easy to pack up because it's quite it folds up quite small so I'm just taking this for the sake of versatility I really think accessories are the name of the game for this travel capsule so I've packed quite a few I have four different hats so I have this little pom-pom hat that is just your classic knit hat I got this probably like six years ago and have just been wearing it in the winter season and it is so just you know nice and warm and I haven't gotten to wear it since I moved to California so I'm pretty excited to wear it for this trip my classic baker boy cap which I think is perfect for just city walking the beret which brings a little bit of flair and some femininity and also some a romantic flair to my outfits which I really like and then the newest addition to my hat collection is this baseball cap from four days um it's this great it's like a I feel like it's like the first closed loop clothing brand where you buy their clothes and then when you're finished wearing them you send them back and they recycle them or use them to make more and so it's really cool like a closed loop system really circular so I think that's really cool so I got this from their um from their brand and I'm really excited to style it up my gray merino wool scarf will be really handy just to keep my neck warm and then I'm also taking a pair of gloves which are not pictured here because they are with my mother in Tennessee also not pictured in my accessories is just my daily jewelry capsule which I will be taking to dress up some of my outfits and then the last two items in my travel capsule are these two pairs of shoes I'm taking this great pair of lace-up boots which I think a leather pair of lace-up boots is just super practical and versatile no matter the occasion they can be both dressed up and dressed down which is really nice I really wanted to take like a pair of like stilettos to wear to broadway or to the theater or whatever but it just wasn't going to be practical because we're going to be walking around so much so yeah I said no to that and then I'm bringing this pair of waterproof chelsea boots which they actually look quite nice for a pair of like rubber boots I mean there are a couple scuffs here but in general they've held up quite well I've had them for several years I actually got them from target like a long long time ago before I started capsuling and I think they're really nice and until I get a pair of leather chelsea boots these will be my go-to black boot okay so now that we've gone through all of the individual pieces I'm going to put together a lookbook now I make no guarantees that this lookbook is comprehensive I'm just going to be putting things together as I find them and discovering all the possibilities that I have within this travel capsule it also will give me some ideas before I go on the trip to the kinds of outfits that I can put together and help me confirm if there are any pieces I need still or anything that I can get rid of if you've made it to this point in the video and are excited to see the lookbook let me know down below in the comments if you would like to see a vlog of my trip I don't really vlog at all like I don't have a vlog on this channel but I feel like it's something I might like to get into at some point and this might be the perfect opportunity to do it because I can show my outfits of the day whatever whatever and just bring you all along with me on the trip so definitely let me know if that's something that you would enjoy all right so here are the looks from my New York travel capsule so I put a few outfits together and given the big focus on really neutral and basic colors there are so so many more outfit combinations that I could put together in fact I haven't even exhausted all these pieces at all like there are again so many more combinations and there are even pieces here that I only styled once or twice and so definitely there are just endless possibilities when you put together a capsule but I'm gonna walk through some of the outfits that I did make for this specific video and then in the vlog which hopefully will happen I will kind of say oh I'll kind of show you like what outfits I did end up wearing also I'm sorry if the lighting changes it is a little bit later in the evening and so I'm trying to like film this as the sun is going down anyways so let's start off with the most formal outfit um in kind of it for my trip this is like the most formal outfit that I'm going to be wearing so if we go to a nice dinner or when we go to a Broadway show like this is the outfit now keep in mind that with all of these outfits like even if I do not show it I always have the option to layer on a base layer so I do have a pair of long underwear or long johns whatever you want to call them like a ski base layer that I'm going to take because I just don't know how I'm going to react to the cold um I haven't been in a really cold climate in a while so we'll see I'm taking these just in case so I've styled all these outfits with in mind putting a base layer on underneath everything so I'm going to be starting with my navy corduroys from Everlane and I'm going to pair it with my beautiful silk saison blouse now this boss is really great for dressing anything up even just a pair of jeans so it's a really beautiful and versatile shirt that I can use both for layering but also for dressing up now I'm not bringing a pair of heels or fancy shoes because it's just not practical for this trip or for the rest of my trip so I'm going to be styling this nice outfit actually with my lace-up boots and at first like I got hung up on the fact that I was trying to style a more formal outfit with lace-up boots and then I thought to myself like if I were a man I could totally get away with this so I'm just gonna go for it and I'm gonna style it with the lace-up boots and I think it looks really nice another thing that brings this outfit into a more dressed up level is the lots of jewelry that I'm wearing so I've layered all three of the necklaces that I'm bringing on at once and I think that makes it a little bit modern but also a little bit chic I know it's really really busy around the neck area but I like that and I want to keep the attention drawn up top since my shoes aren't that formal I'm also wearing some pearl earrings and of course as much as I like this outfit as is it's just not practical to leave the hotel without wearing a jacket so I'm going to be pairing my puffy jacket and a scarf just for the sake of practicality and I'll just you know take it off as soon as I get inside so that everybody can see my killer outfit the next outfit is actually just like a spin-off of that last one and that's what I love about travel capsules is that you can often just like keep the same foundation but layer something else on top so I've added a blue my blue sweater on top of the silk shirt and again I have that base layer on so it's actually quite warm which is really really nice so I think this is a really beautiful look a little bit dressed up because of that beautiful ruffle collar peeking out but also a little bit casual because of the sweater I've added on that parka style jacket and a beret because I think it just adds so much character to this look it is a little bit on the nose but I don't mind I like it and nobody is going to even know who I am so I might as well dress up the next look is also a practice in layering in fact all of these looks are so I'm not even going to say it again like layering is the absolute key to all these looks so I have my black skinny jeans and my black chelsea boots on so we're creating a really nice elongated line in the lower body and I'm going to extend that by wearing black on top as well so I'm wearing my black cashmere sweater and I'm layering it with my white turtleneck or my ivory ribbed turtleneck underneath and I absolutely love the look of a turtleneck underneath a sweater it's really kind of in the mainstream right now but people have been doing this for a really long time and it feels both really 90s but also like really kind of vintage almost and I really like the look of that so this look I can because I have so many layers including a base layer I feel comfortable just putting on my chore jacket and calling it a day but I could also layer my parka either on top of the chore jacket or just on its own and it would still look like a really nice outfit super comfortable and practical for whatever activity really I think the baseball cap here adds a really nice touch it adds a little bit more of a casual air so this would be a good daytime look this next look is one of my favorites and it's because I think the color repetition is done really really well so I'm going to start with my straight leg jeans and a base layer and I'm actually going to layer my turtleneck on top of the base layer so I have this like really close to the body kind of a foundation for this outfit that's going to keep me nice and warm I have not been really meticulous in putting my jeans over my boots as a matter of fact I've allowed them to be scrunched up a little bit and I really like the casual look of that and I think that it's totally possible to do as long as I'm wearing long really warm socks underneath so that there aren't any drafts that suddenly bring a chill to my ankle or anything like that I'm going to add my puffer jacket which is going to be such a workhorse for this trip and my beanie which I think adds a level of coziness and also cuteness now I've tried something a little bit new with this look I could totally just wear the puffy jacket as is or I could zip up the bottom a little bit flip it under and then zip it up a little bit more so that you don't see like the underside of it and it becomes this kind of like really trendy cropped puffer jacket which I actually really like the look of this I know it adds a lot of bulk to my upper body but I don't really mind I feel like it balances itself out well and these jeans make my legs look so long that I don't mind a little bit more bulk up top so this is actually so so fun and I think I'm going to give this strategy for cropping your puffer jacket a try who knows next is another super cozy outfit again with the straight leg jeans but this time I'm wearing my lace-up boots and my everlane alpaca sweater so I have that sweater and then I'm going to put on my puffy jacket and I'm going to wrap my gray scarf around several times around my neck I want a lot of bulk around my neck for this look I think it's just going to add some interest but it's also going to keep me warm I'm going to finish it off with a hat and there you have it a simple but complete outfit that looks like it was intentionally put together but also is super effortless next I'm going to go back to the layering turtleneck and I'm going to layer my cream turtleneck with my blue sweater now I really love the way this looks with this sweater because it feels very princess Diana to me there are some specific photos with her wearing these patterned sweaters and I know that this one doesn't have an animal motif like that sheep sweater that she's super popular for but this layering with the turtleneck and the very thick almost vintage style sweater feels very that era and it's very reminiscent of princess Diana and I love that look so so much especially with the straight leg jeans and the lace up boots which inevitably feel really English countryside to me then I'm going to add my parka style jacket and my baker boy cap on top and I think this is a really fun and a slightly more colorful look than the others next we'll go for a look that is a little bit more academic because I'm going to layer it with the button-down shirt so I have my base layer on my blue jeans on and then I'm going to layer the white button-down on top and this is a great way to hide all of those bottom layers and still feel warm but also look put together and then I love the way that the collar peeks out of my black cashmere sweater so I'm going to be pairing that with this and then tucking in the front with a black and gold belt which brings the attention back to my waist and balances out my proportions a little bit for warmth and practicality I'm going to layer my scarf I'm not going to wrap it around for this video specifically because I want to show off the collar but I have no doubt that when I'm in New York and the wind is blowing that I'm probably going to wrap it around and of course the puffer jacket to just finish things off and keep it nice and cozy for the next outfit I'm keeping the same base of the black skinny jeans and the black turtleneck with the black boots but I'm going to layer my neutral colored alpaca sweater on top so it makes the contrast a little bit less stark and brings just a slight bit of color into the outfit and I'm actually going to put the parka style jacket on top of that and even though I know it's really close in color to the sweater I like the almost monochrome monochromatic look that we get on the top with the difference in the textures between the jacket and the sweater again I'm going to add my baseball cap because I've just been loving styling this lately I think it's a really great way to kind of dress down a look and make it practical by keeping your head warm and keeping the sun out of your face then for the last look of this lookbook I'm going to put together another corduroy outfit so I have my corduroys on my lace-up boots and then my ivory turtleneck as a foundation on top I've layered that alpaca sweater and then again that parka style jacket so we have on top all very similar colors but again the difference in textures creates a lot of interest and we're even carrying that color up to my head because we have this light ivory really cozy hat so I think the even though there are many many pieces represented here the colors are so similar and so cohesive that it doesn't look busy which I think is so important when we're layering we don't want to look busy we still want it to look sleek even though we're wearing like four or five layers of clothes all right everyone that is that for today's video I want to thank you so much for watching it was a lot of fun putting these outfits together even though I did work up a little bit of a sweat because even though it's tiny bit chilly in southern california it's not that chilly so I was like warm in my house while wearing like thermals from head to toe but it was definitely worth it and now that I put this video together I'm gonna go pack my bag and I'm not gonna have to worry about being stressed or not having enough it's going to be absolutely perfect and I'm so excited to share it with you hopefully in an upcoming vlog so definitely keep an eye out for that it'll probably be my last video of the year I am going to take a bit of a break from youtube as I spend the holidays with my family in previous last year I did try to film a couple of videos in advance but now that I am out of school and working full time it's just been a little bit tough to like batch film a ton of videos so I hope that you all are gracious with me and definitely spend that time on your with your families that you would spend on youtube again I want to thank you so so much for watching please subscribe to my channel if you haven't already and give this video a big thumbs up if you found it helpful and you would like to see more videos like this I want to wish you all a very happy holidays and specifically a merry christmas if you do celebrate christmas thanks again for watching it's always such an honor to spend this time with you and I hope that you all have a great week I'll see you in the next video and after that I'll see you in the new year bye