I’m heading out of town to visit one of my dearest friends, and I cannot WAIT for backyard palomas, overly-invested conversations about Love Island, and the soul-level comfort that comes with a friendship that spans decades.
So! Let’s pack! I’m sure you (like me) have seen the sudoku packing method floating around the interwebs lately. It’s such a brilliant concept originating from Natalie Shaquer, that I found via this post by Jamie Lee (her Substack is a joy to read!).
It’s a capsule wardrobe strategy that uses a 3x3 grid to build outfits from 9 core pieces. You pick 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 layers. But! The arrangement is everything. It’s got to be laid out in a specific way to work:
Bottom | Layer | Top
Top | Bottom | Layer
Layer | Top | Bottom
You end up with a fresh outfit in every row, every column, and one of the diagonals (that’s 7 outfits, in case you were wondering). And apparently, thanks to math (ew), you can technically make a whopping 27 outfits — but I’m not interested in hyper-optimizing this trip. Just give me a few solid outfits and I’m happy.
From there, you can pack shoes and accessories that aren’t included in the grid.
It promises to eliminate overpacking and decision fatigue on your trip. Sign me up!!
Like any great idea, let it be a springboard, not gospel. I know that for me, this isn’t going to work for every trip. Something is bound to fall outside the lines and that’s a-okay. Like, if I’m packing for a wedding, I have no intention of “mixing and matching” my event dress with the rest of my clothes. It’s good to remember a successful suitcase doesn’t require everysinglething to be interchangeable.
Even still, I am delighted by the idea, so I’m giving it a go. Keep scrolling to see:
The trip itinerary
The inspiration
The capsule as a whole
The individual pieces
A packing planner workbook you can download
The outfits
If you’re reading this post in your inbox, it’s likely going to cut off mid-way through. It’s a long one! Just click through when it prompts you to keep reading.
These days, most of my travel centers around visiting friends, and most of my friends are in the new-mom stage with babies or toddlers. This trip is no different, so the itinerary is decidedly chill — we’ll hang out around the house, go for walks to nearby coffee shops, and take outings to the grocery store.
There is, however, one fancy thing — my friend’s garden birthday party! So while most of the clothes I pack need to be able to handle sticky kiddos, shedding dogs, and sweaty walks, one outfit needs to be very chic and cute.
I might not be going to Italy or the South of France, but that’s not going to stop me from leaning into that European summer feeling. Think cool blues and whites, simple lines, washed denim, and long shorts.
Don’t panic, but I decided to modify the typical 3x3 grid into a 4x4 grid. This means I get to include my shoes into the grid, instead of having them on the sideline. This also means I’m packing less minimally (gasp!). Who cares! Live a little! 😄
I’ve picked 4 tops, 4 layers, 4 bottoms, and 4 shoes — 16 pieces total:
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