Whether you’re traveling, working in Grinnell, or interning in a new city, a capsule wardrobe keeps your packing light and makes certain you look sharp! Offering less decision fatigue (what shall I wear today?), a capsule wardrobe is easy to maintain and can be adjusted for almost every occasion.
Packing up your dorm room is a great time to declutter your current clothing and put together your capsule wardrobe for summer.
- Donate, sell, or recycle any clothes and shoes that
- Don’t fit
- You don’t like/never pick out to wear
- Are stained or damaged beyond repair.
- Store for the summer anything you need for college but won’t be helpful wherever you’re headed.
- Organize what’s left into categories
- Pants/skirts/shorts
- Tees and tanks
- Tops/shirts/blouses
- Sweaters
- Dresses/jumpsuits/formal attire
- Coats/jackets/outerwear
- Undergarments and socks
- Pajamas
- Athletic wear/bathing suit
- Shoes
- Store for the summer anything that you need for college but that won’t be helpful wherever you’re headed.
- Organize what’s left into categories
- Pants/skirts/shorts
- Tees and tanks
- Tops/shirts/blouses
- Sweaters
- Dresses/jumpsuits/formal attire
- Coats/jackets/outerwear
- Undergarments and socks
- Pajamas
- Athletic wear/bathing suit
- Shoes
Your next step is to select from these basics a capsule wardrobe for your summer season. To do so, start with what you’ll wear at work. Interns in a law firm will need a more formal wardrobe than interns at a tech startup. If you can, inquire with your hiring manager or your direct supervisor about the dress code for your job. For some useful advice in what’s formal versus smart casual versus business professional, including gender-neutral dressing, consult PennWest University’s Center for Career and Professional Development blog Guide to Professional Attire (With Examples).
If you’re traveling or interning somewhere away from home, pack only as much as you need to get from one laundry day to the next. Should you find you haven’t brought enough clothing with you, you’ll be able to supplement from local consignment shops. Plus, buying a few things locally will allow you to see what other people at work are wearing at work and build your wardrobe accordingly.
Some great foundational pieces include
- Black seasonal trousers
- Khaki/light-colored seasonal trousers
- Knee-length or longer skirts and/or cotton or linen shorts
- Your best-fitting, favorite pair of jeans
- Select tops/shirts/blouses. Try to pick items that mix and match with the pants/skirts that you’ve chosen.
- A blazer or a cardigan can accessorize simple tops, plus you will want layers since offices are frequently over cooled.
- One suit or dress. If you’re packing a dress, make sure you can dress it up or down. A solid-color knee-length or longer dress in a light fabric is perfect for summer—change it up with your blazer or a scarf for a different look each time you wear it.
- Pack just enough pairs of shoes to cover your needs for commuting (comfortable is key), office time, and dressing up.
Once you’ve identified what you have, see if you can make six to ten outfits suitable for work by mixing and matching. If you can’t, come visit the Career Clothing Closet. We may have something that will help! The Closet is open Mondays from 4–4:45pm and Thursdays from 3–4:45pm through the end of classes. If those times don’t work for you, please email career@grinnell.edu for an appointment.
With your work wardrobe identified, add in just what you need for lounging, sleeping, and summer sporting activities. Adjust with a sun hat if you’re going somewhere bright or a raincoat if you’re headed to a particularly rainy climate and you’re ready! Enjoy your summer!
