For those of you who subscribe to my news letter, you'll know that last month I went to Hong Kong during a Typhoon.

It raised my expectations of anti-frizz hairspray and my appreciation for people who can dress well in temperamental weather. Since getting back, it's had me thinking about all the people jet-setting off over Christmas, with or without children - but always with a chic organised suitcase filled with a well thought out summer holiday capsule wardrobe.

This post is going to give you some great ideas about laying down the foundations of your summer holiday clothing and ensuring that every piece is important, chic and makes you feel damn good regardless of if you're tanned and toned or pale and jiggling and have children hanging off you or a tote bag instead.

First things first, you need your itinerary to map out your outfits. The reason why is because you don't want to over pack, or get over there and have to purchase something to wear to one particular occasion. Map out your itinerary in your diary, or on a sheet of paper and estimate how many casual / going out outfits you're going to need. For the average holiday, you should be able to get away with a small amount of items. Today's post will provide you with two weeks full of outfit options.

How To Get Started With Your Summer Holiday Capsule Wardrobe:

Pick a colour scheme:

In the below image I've picked mainly green, black, white and gold and the reason I've done this is to ensure I can match everything easily. If I was to bring along items in a range of different colours, I would have to pack extra items to compensate and I would still likely end up with the same amount of outfits, I would just be taking more with me.

Take 3 Pairs Of Shoes:

As a maximum! This could be a pair of thongs or sandals, a pair of flats and a pair of heels. Taking three types for different uses help to dress your outfits up and down.

Pack Accessories:

Accessories can instantly lift an outfit from beach time to cocktail time and they make your capsule wardrobe stretch further.

Remember that once you've added your swimwear, pj's and underwear, you'll still have quite a bit of room in your bag for a good book, your chargers and camera. The beauty in packing a summer holiday capsule wardrobe is that you'll not only have plenty of chic options each day to wear, but when you get around to shopping and you purchase clothing, you can use your capsule wardrobe as a guide so you come home with something that slips into your wardrobe easily, versus an impulse buy that screams 'Tahiti Freaky!'