This free capsule wardrobe trip planner builds a small mix-and-match wardrobe for your trip length. Enter the trip days and how many tops and bottoms you plan to take, and the tool counts the outfit combinations, so you pack fewer clothes and still have an outfit for each day.
A capsule wardrobe works on one idea: every top must go with every bottom. When that rule holds, a handful of pieces multiplies into many outfits, and the suitcase shrinks without the holiday shrinking too. When it fails, because one top only matches one pair of trousers, the maths collapses and the case fills with single-use clothes.
To use the tool, enter your numbers in the fields above and press the calculate button. The results table updates at once, and you can change any number and calculate again as often as you like. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing you enter is sent to a server, and you need no account and no sign-up.
The formula is simple multiplication: outfits equal tops times bottoms. Days covered is the smaller of outfits and trip days, and spare outfits are outfits minus trip days, never below zero. Total items are tops plus bottoms, which is the number that decides whether the plan fits in a small bag.
Example: for a 7 day trip with 4 tops and 3 bottoms, the tool gives 12 outfit combinations, covering all 7 days with 5 spare outfits, from just 7 items. That is a week of different outfits in a bag that weighs less than a bag packed day by day.
Tip: pick one colour family for the whole capsule. Navy, grey and white mix freely, while a bright red top that matches nothing wastes a slot, so keep bold colour to one scarf or one accessory, not a main piece.
Tip: count shoes separately and keep them to two pairs. One pair for walking and one smarter pair covers almost every trip, and shoes are the heaviest, bulkiest items in any capsule, so a third pair often costs more space than it saves in outfits.
Tip: test the capsule at home for two days. Wear only the planned pieces for a weekend and check that every combination feels right, because a combination that looks fine on a list can feel wrong on the body.
Common question: How many items do I need for 10 days? With 5 tops and 3 bottoms you get 15 combinations, which covers 10 days with 5 spares, from 8 items. That is the classic capsule size for a ten day trip in one climate.
Common question: Does a capsule wardrobe mean boring clothes? No, it means fewer, better pieces. Accessories, a scarf, a jacket and different shoes change the same capsule a lot, without adding a single top or pair of trousers to the bag.
Common question: What if the weather changes mid-trip? Build the capsule around layers, not single heavy pieces. A light jacket over the same tops and bottoms handles a cold snap, while a heavy coat that only suits one outfit breaks the capsule rule.
Packing well is a skill that pays off on every trip. A bag that is planned before you leave saves time at the hotel, avoids overweight fees at the airport, and leaves room for the things you bring home. Spend ten minutes with a plan and the whole trip feels calmer, from the first morning to the last evening.
This tool is free to use as often as you like. Bookmark it, run it before every trip, and let it carry the counting while you focus on the journey itself, the places you will see, and the people you will meet along the way.