Creating A Greek Isles Cruise Capsule Wardrobe For Fall

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If you are cruising to the Greek Isles in the fall, a summer wardrobe like the one I posted for the Mediterranean in summer won’t do. Temperatures are much cooler in November, so I took that into account for the actual Greek Isles cruise capsule wardrobe I wore on our recent trip.

Read on to see how I pulled the capsule wardrobe together, and where you can find the items I wore.

What Is A Capsule Wardrobe

Simply put, a capsule wardrobe is a small collection of clothing carefully curated to make the greatest number of combinations possible.

Packing for a cruise is the perfect time to practice creating a capsule wardrobe because you are limited to the capacity of your suitcase. Plus, you want the most outfit combinations possible without having to launder anything while on the cruise ship. For each item I packed, I planned to wear it multiple times during the trip.

Trip Parameters and Itinerary

This trip was thirteen days total in early November, including a ten-day cruise to the Greek Isles and Italy, plus exploration in the home port of Rome. Excursions were in the early morning when temperatures were lower. The forecasts for Rome and our port stops called for temperatures around 70 with a good chance of rain, so I brought along a lightweight packable rain jacket and a travel umbrella.

Always the planner, I packed at least a week before we’re scheduled to leave. The day before we left for the trip, though, I checked the weather again and added a few long-sleeve or short-sleeve tops as needed, based on the updated forecast.

The Color Palette

To start, choose a color palette of a dark neutral, a light neutral or two, plus a limited number of accent colors that will all work together.

Normally, I would stick with a single dark neutral, either black or dark blue, but this time I wanted both. The majority of this capsule wardrobe is neutral, which is what I was going for, and I also decided to go mostly with solid colors rather than patterns.

For this trip, I chose the following color palette:

Where I Shopped

Wanting to do something a little different this time, I chose the clothing for this cruise capsule wardrobe from my own closet. Because of that, not everything I chose is available anymore. In those cases, I made substitutions for items currently available. The stores I shopped included Old Navy, Chico’s, Wool&, Land’s End, Amazon, and Allbirds.

The Bottoms

I like to have a nice choice of bottoms on a cruise, so I chose five casual pants and one dressy, deciding to forgo bringing a dress this time.

I love chinos for a cruise because they are comfortable, durable during excursions, and can easily be worn more than once. So, I chose four pairs of chinos and one pair of jeans for casual wear, and a nice pair of dressy pants for more formal dinners.

Short-Sleeve Tops

Recently, I ordered a few tops in merino wool from Wool&, intrigued by its long-wearing odor-resistant qualities. It’s also thin and lightweight for packing, and easy to wash in the sink and hang to dry because it dries so quickly. It’s the perfect fabric for travel.

This trip involved a lot of walking and way too many stairs on excursions, so I knew I would probably be wearing short-sleeve tops for most days in port.

So, for short-sleeve tops, I chose four merino and four cotton tops.

Long-Sleeve Tops and Tunics

For cooler weather and chilly restaurants, I chose long-sleeve tops and tunics. Plus, I tend to get cold on cruise ships, so these light sweaters will be perfect.

The Shoes

For this trip, all my shoes came from Allbirds because I have to wear flat, comfortable shoes these days. After breaking both my ankles several years ago, I can no longer wear any type of heel and must stick with flats. My Allbirds provide comfortable all-day wear, which is a must on an excursion-heavy cruise like this one.

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Outerwear

For an extra layer, I brought along my trusty jean jacket and a merino cardigan, plus a lightweight packable rain jacket from Land’s End.

The Jewelry

With simple daytime outfits, I needed to accessorize with eye-catching jewelry, so I pulled from my collection of handmade natural-stone jewelry created by Anne Vaughan Designs. Note that some of these pieces are one-of-a-kind or have been discontinued, so cannot be shopped, but I have included links for those that are still available.

I have quite a bit of this jewelry, so I’ve made cheat sheets for myself for each collection to help me quickly choose the best jewelry for any outfit. Some have selfies wearing the jewelry to remind me of the length of the focal necklace in that collection.

To see more of this gorgeous handmade jewelry, visit Anne Vaughan Designs.

For evenings, I picked out some Chico’s jewelry that would look fantastic with the outfits I chose to wear to dinner for this trip. Unfortunately, I didn’t place the order in time, so I missed out. Since I’ve been home, though, I’ve ordered a few of these pieces for future trips.

The Outfits

This cruise was ten days, plus three more days for travel and exploration, so I planned for thirteen days. Most days, I would only need one casual outfit that would take me from day to night. For some evenings, we dined in specialty restaurants, so I planned for that as well.

Casual Outfits

For day, I created the following casual outfits, some for days in the 60s, where I chose longer sleeves and maybe added a jacket or cardigan, and others for days in the low 70s. These outfits would be perfect either for excursions or sea days.

Dressier Outfits

For dinners at specialty restaurants, you will want to dress nicer, so I created five outfits that would be appropriate for specialty dining.

Travel Outfits

I needed two travel outfits, keeping in mind comfort and flexibility in temperature, so layering was a must. I like to wear my jean jacket while traveling since it is bulkier than a sweater to pack.

Additional Items

In addition to tops, bottoms, and outerwear, I packed a couple of swimsuits with a coverup, underwear, pajamas, and a few accessories from Amazon.

I always travel with this Travelon canvas tote bag with security features. It’s large and roomy with all the right pockets, and it fits perfectly beneath an airline seat.

Whenever we go to Europe, I’m sure to take along my Travelon crossover purse, plus a packable sun hat (just in case) and a travel umbrella. Take sunglasses too; the sun in the Mediterranean can be bright, even in fall.

What I Packed vs. What I Wore

Here is a visual of the clothing and shoes that I originally packed for the cruise.

At the last minute, I made a few changes before we left for the airport, so what I wore was slightly different. It turned out that I didn’t want to dress up as much as I thought I would, and I never needed the swimsuits that I packed at all.

Here’s what I actually wore on the trip. I wish I looked as trim and young as the models, but most of us don’t in the real world, do we?

For my next trip, I’ve decided I’m going with more patterns. All the solid colors were more versatile, but I felt a little blah.

The merino wool tees from Wool& were fabulous, by the way. I wore them over and over between travel, pre-cruise exploring, and the cruise itself, and they were still as fresh as when I’d packed them. Simply amazing. They’re also very lightweight and resist wrinkling.

Final Thoughts on My Greek Isles Cruise Capsule Wardrobe

Your needs will vary, of course, but this exercise should give you an idea of how to create your own cruise capsule wardrobe for fall in the Greek Isles with ease.

Happy cruising!

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