Color schemes for packing 10 days

[candycaramel]

Okay, so I am 60 days out from my cruise :rolleyes: but I'm already planning my cruise wardrobe. I wanna pack light but I like to dress nicely and have different looks for day and evening activites.

 

Anyway, I hear one should stick to a few basic colors so that everything mixes and matches. I chose black & white with silver (for jewelry & accessories).

 

I added a blue tee and a blue/green skirt that I like. So I figured that would be the color scheme. Oh and I found a blue sundress (in my size) on clearance at Macy's for $13 while I was Christmas shopping. The problem is I only have one blue tee shirt.

 

Then I found a nice packable dress with hints of purple and I realized that I have a bunch of purple tees that I could use if purple was my color scheme.

 

Then I have a nice pair of yellow espadrilles that would go well with the blue/ green and possibly purple as well as the black and white. But the shoes are kind of random because I don't have any other yellow. I was looking for a nice pair of gold sandals but I hate to buy another pair of shoes when I have so many. I have a nice pair of black strappy sandals that would go with all the other clothes but I feel like I need something lighter in color.

 

Anyway, how do other people put togther their wardrobe. do they match colors or just throw all your favorites into the suitcase along with whatever else you just purchased?

[Kilnwood]

Okay, so I am 60 days out from my cruise :rolleyes: but I'm already planning my cruise wardrobe. I wanna pack light but I like to dress nicely and have different looks for day and evening activites.

 

Anyway, I hear one should stick to a few basic colors so that everything mixes and matches. I chose black & white with silver (for jewelry & accessories).

 

I added a blue tee and a blue/green skirt that I like. So I figured that would be the color scheme. Oh and I found a blue sundress (in my size) on clearance at Macy's for $13 while I was Christmas shopping. The problem is I only have one blue tee shirt.

 

Then I found a nice packable dress with hints of purple and I realized that I have a bunch of purple tees that I could use if purple was my color scheme.

 

Then I have a nice pair of yellow espadrilles that would go well with the blue/ green and possibly purple as well as the black and white. But the shoes are kind of random because I don't have any other yellow. I was looking for a nice pair of gold sandals but I hate to buy another pair of shoes when I have so many. I have a nice pair of black strappy sandals that would go with all the other clothes but I feel like I need something lighter in color.

 

Anyway, how do other people put togther their wardrobe. do they match colors or just throw all your favorites into the suitcase along with whatever else you just purchased?

 

BBM

 

I'll attempt to help here, but I am a neophyte at making suggestions to others on their cruising wardrobes so please take what I have to say lightly until someone with more experience weighs in here--and I believe you'll receive many replies more instructive than mine!

 

Right now I believe we are 46 days away from sailing B2B2B for 48 days through different climate zones, geographic regions, etc. I started my packing list on November 1, and it's a work in progress.

 

You may benefit from checking out: www.theviviennefiles.blogspot.com for ideas on color schemes, mixing, matching, etc. I picked up on this website from someone who posts here regularly, and I've found it quite helpful even though I've travelled extensively and frequently throughout my adult life.

 

For me it's important to take "my favorites" because they've become favorites based on previous wearings and with many, I've received compliments either on how "lovely" the piece looks on me or "what a nice top that is." I always try not to take "delicate fabrics" or those that will require a lot of care because I am both a klutz and a ditz; my clothes and shoes tend not to have a "long life."

 

Having said that, I make sure that any given piece I pack will go with at least three other pieces I pack. This caveat is especially true if the cruise is a long one. You may have to leave a favorite behind--this time--but you'll be consoled once you're onboard by being able to "extend" your wardrobe. Scarves, jewelry, and belts go a long way in extending my cruise wardrobe.

 

I read with particular interest your narrative on shoes: There are folks on this forum who build their cruising wardrobe from "the shoes up." You may want to consider doing so yourself.

 

When you return from your cruise, please post again and let us know how your wardrobe worked for you.

 

HAPPY CRUISING!!

[SadieN]

Usually I decide what's the most important thing I want to bring with me. For a few cruises it has been cardigans. Sometimes my lime green one and other times it is a black & white cardigan. Everything has to go with that cardigan. My bottoms are usually black, green khaki, navy or denim.

 

If you want everything to go with those yellow shoes, go for it.

 

It is hard at times excluding an item because it doesn't go with my 'most important' thing. Never had I wished I had brought the excluded item.

 

Nobody is going to care if your yellow shoes do not go exactly with your blue top.

[cruisemom42]

For me, the trick is to stick with one or two basic colors -- this goes for shoes too. For example, if my basic colors were black and white, I'd probably pack 3 pairs of black shoes -- one pair dressy and a couple of pairs of comfortable day shoes. That's it. Once you start going off on the color tangent it is too hard to whittle down. Also any purse or bag would be black as well.

 

Pants/shorts/skirts/cardigans also should stick with the basic color scheme. Tops and scarves are where I add variety.

 

(P.S. The approach of taking all black shoes works best if you're not planning on a lot of white pants, shorts, etc. I'm not a big fan of white on the bottom, so this works for me.)

[Happy ks]

I plan from the shoes up. I take only 5 pair of shoes for a trip, so 4 are packed, one on my feet. They include: formal shoes, comfortable sandals or slip ons (usually on my feet for travel) casual night shoes, walking sneakers and a pair of flip flops.

 

They don't all have to be black, my most comfortable slip ons are a camel colored leather. My walking sneakers are white.

 

The night and day wardrobe doesn't have to be the same color family. I tend towards black for evening, I don't want to be in black colored clothes the entire trip.

 

The most important thing is to try on everything in advance and put them together in front of the mirror. Make sure it all looks good together and can be worn several times varying the look. I tend to not take new clothing, I prefer stuff that I know I'm comfortable wearing. When traveling it's not the time to find out you really don't like the way a pair of pants fit in the waistband or seat, or that new cocktail dress is scratchy, or your new shoes pinch. I have had a few too many wardrobe malfunctions in the past and have learned my lesson there.

 

I have a rolling rack that I assemble downstairs and put everything on the rack, that way I can see what I have at a glance. I hang everything on that, put accessories in a bag around the hanger of each piece and place the folded stuff and shoes underneath. It's a great way to pack, only takes minutes once you get the wardrobe figured out, you're out of the bedroom so there isn't any "I'll pack just this one more piece...just in case", plus you don't forget anything.

[KKB]

Black, Navy, white, Tan or Chocolate Brown.

 

I go with Black & Chocolate brown shorts, pants, skirts--that way I only need black & brown shoes. (I also might go with in denim shorts & pants) I also take a black sweater, neutral day purse (soft gold) & black evening purse.

 

THEN I can ANY color of tops as they will go with one or the other (or both) of the pants/shorts/skirs. You also could choose dresses in any colors that would work with your neutral shoe color choice.

 

Shoes: workout shoes, flip flops for the pool, black & brown sandals, black & brown dress shoes.

 

If you limited to just ONE base color, you could eliminate some shoes (I had a tough enough time cutting to this...in fact, I forgot my formal night shoes:rolleyes:)

 

Also, I wear shorts & pants at least twice on a trip--and dark colors minimize the worry of stains.

 

Concerns with yellow shoes--likely twill--likely will get VERY dirty. I have noticed my feet/shoes get very dirty on vacation--are other places dirtier than home??!!

[luckycruzer]

I start with my figural pieces...Evening is usually a figures, glitzy, sheer, or sim w/ various coloures..sometime solid..not always black. I then decide what bottom to pair. If it needs a cami..I have about 30 diff coloures. I select my jewels and bag accordingly. I have sheer trousers..Blk, cream beige, brown, navy..purple, red, blk lace, and green solid long skirts. most never need a press, just steam in the bath. My blk carwash pants have been on over 40 cruises in the last 6 years. I make my own HUGE costumy Jewels to wear. some weight almost a pound or more. I wear backless slide in kitten heel mules. Blk Brn Crm, Red Org, pnk, navy, aqua..clear w/ stones.

 

daytime usually my bottoms are print..or just white....a topper shirt to blend, and a TEE, maybe a matchy 2 piece and get twice the wear. Kinos from Key West or green marshmallow thongs for walking.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Vivienne Files has the best ideas for color-co-ordinating entire outfits. I love that web site, but she is on hiatus right now. Still her past postings remain very helpful.

 

I like her idea of using a colorful scarf to co-ordinate an entire wardrobe. It could be a printed shirt though. She gets colors to work togteher that I never considered. She is not afraid to use shoes in colors. I may have to consider that myself, especially the emerald.

[LittleMissMagic]

I just finished packing for our 10-day. It was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. My wardrobe is very black/navy/white/khaki/gold. I kept my colors bright - yellow, orange, and pink tops. And then with my neutral outfits, added color with belts. My shoes are all neutral - gold, black, and brown. I just start putting together outfits, and the shoes come last.

 

For evening wear, I've packed three paris of heels - silver and gold slingbacks and nude pumps. These neutrals are very versatile, and I can use them to dress something up or dress it down.

[zephyr74]

The website http://www.maitaispicturebook.com/ is also great - she has posts about capsule wardrobes where she mix/matches just a few items and then blings them up with scarves. Her scarf-tying videos are also great and I cannot understate the value of a simple silk square - it is a fashion multi-tasking powerhorse!

 

I've been planning my ultimate cruise wardrobe for years - LOL - and finally bookd a 10-day Med cruise to go with it! :D It's pretty much all blacks, creams, beiges, and khaki/olive. Then I have some scarves for color pops. For day shoes, I've found some very comfortable walking sandals that are bronze metallic - I find find this metallic color goes with EVERYTHING and still looks nice (not frumpy).

[sail7seas]

When we travel, I always work off of black.

Black pants, black skirt, black sleeveless sheath dress that I can wear alone, then add different jackets or shawls/jewelry, scarves.

 

I can cut down on shoes and purses when I use black as my basic and then add different tops and accessories.

I agree creams are good to mix with the black.

[MrsPete]

Although I pack lightly, I see no point in limiting myself to a color scheme -- I know I'm in the minority here, but I just don't see the point:

 

A good half of what I'll pack will be simple sundresses -- no coordination is necessary. If I wear a pink sundress on Monday, it has no bearing whatsoever on whether Tuesday's sundress is blue or green. The pink sundress doesn't have to match anything for future days. It's going to be sweaty /dirty, so matching it to something else just doesn't matter.

 

I do tend to pack two shirts for every pair of shorts; thus, those three items (one pair of shorts, two shirts) would need to coordinate -- but that's not a whole-week's coordination. Trying to match the whole week together is just a waste of effort. Once I've worn the pink shorts, they're in the dirty clothes -- why should it matter whether they match the yellow shorts I'm pulling out for tomorrow?

 

As for shoes, I just pack basic colors, which match everything. A pair of simple brown sandals and a pair of simple white sandals will cover your everyday wear; in fact, you could leave one pair at home and be fine, though I personally find it comfortable to be able to switch to a different style of shoe.

 

For eveningwear, I do take care that everything I pack matches the same pair of dressy heels and clutch bag -- usually silver. And I have one hard-and-fast rule about eveningwear: NO BLACK. About 90-95% of the women in the dining room wear black for formal night, and (sorry, ladies) it's boring! When almost everyone is wearing the same color, all those dresses just blend together, and they all look alike! Jewelry takes up so little space that I don't consider it a problem. The jewelry roll in which I pack takes the same amount of space whether I pack two necklaces or ten.

 

I don't usually bother with a wrap. I'm usually comfortable in the dining room.

 

Finally, I do pack a coordinating cover-up for every swimsuit; however -- again -- if swimsuit #1 is blue, it doesn't matter a bit whether swimsuit #2 is purple or red. Onboard I tend to wear my good, everyday sandals with my swimsuit. When I'm in sand, I wear basic-colored flip-flops (for example, I've been wearing the same pair of dark blue Teva Mush flip-flops for several years now); these match everything. Likewise, I have a nice straw hat that I like to wear on the beach, but it matches everything I have.

 

Now, in contrast, if I were traveling for business -- especially during the winter -- I would see the point in coordinating things. In that situation, it makes sense to pack one jacket and one cardigan (in the same color family), and it makes sense to pack two pairs of dress pants and two pairs of shoes. Then a shirt for every day. That makes sense, but that logic doesn't carry over to a cruise.

[islandgirlejfan]

I like black and white. When it comes to white, I'd probably wear it all through the year, but finding what I like is another story. I've recently decided to clear my closets and life out from too much stuff. I have one or two things that don't fit in the dark blue/black or white/khaki bottoms. I mix it up with my tops and there are many shades of them from yellow to blue. My shoes are all basic colors. I have a pair of multi shade brown sandals for casual evenings, black rhinestone embellished sandals for formal evenings, light pair of sandals and flip flops for shore excursions and the pool.

 

I'm done with the formal dresses....I got tired of having meltdowns trying to find *just the right thing*, wearing it once and then pitching it. From now on, it's black palazzos and at this point, I have three different blouses at this time to choose from. Two are sparkly and one is satiny. I have an easier time finding blouses I like to take then having to look for a dress that I fall in love with. If I change my mind though, I have a little black dress that will look stunning with a set of pearls. I'm a larger gal, but my one asset is great legs....I just don't feel the kind of shoes I need to wear are ones I can deal with on a cruise, so the dress stays home now.

 

I too do not feel a pair of slacks is dirty upon one wearing on a cruise....that also goes for shorts. I now take three pairs of slacks, one pair of capris, three shorts, one pair palazzos, two sparkly blouses, and probably a total of ten assorted blouses for evening and day wear along with a few pieces of complementing jewelry. I also pack a pashmina, coverup and one or two bathing suits. It's so much easier....we can just walk off the ship with our luggage and not be bothered by feeling stressed out waiting for our luggage and trying to make our flight.

[RTurnaround]

Honestly I think a little too matching is a bit much.. especially choosing a color scheme for the whole trip. I definitely match my individual outfits, and I always wear gold jewelry, but I wouldn't go as far as to pick a color-based wardrobe for my cruises. But I'm sure all you ladies that do look pretty fashionable!