I want to start by saying that New York City was an amazing vacation. I had such a blast exploring the city and going out with all our friends who went with us.
That being said, I’ve been super hesitant to publish this post because of the current pandemic and New York City being completely shut down because of COVID.
We had planned this trip at the beginning of this year before COVID made its debut in the US. We started hearing small bits and pieces about it while we were there. Then as soon as we landed back home is when everything hit the fan and everywhere started shutting down.
Thankfully we got out just in time but it’s made writing this post and the Trip Recap difficult and just not feel right. But I figured I should just get it out there and once we’re all allowed to travel again, it would be helpful to some people.
Like I said, we started planning this trip in the beginning of January, maybe even end of December. I knew as soon as we started planning that I didn’t want to bring too much and have to check a bag. I honestly hate checking bags because I’m worried that they’ll lose my luggage but mostly because I hate paying for bag fees now.
I thought a small capsule wardrobe for the 5 days we would be there would be perfect. I knew we (or I) would be exploring for most of the day and then we had planned some dinners for some nights.
I essentially had to pack two outfits per day for 5 days, plus shoes, and toiletries in a carry-on bag. With the capsule I could rotate tops and jeans on different days and make completely different outfits out of them.
It worked out perfectly and I ended up packing 2 pairs of jeans, 4 tops, 2 cardigans, and 3 shoes. I could make about 12 or more outfits with those!
Plus, everything – even the boots – fit in my carry-on bag with my toiletries!! The only other thing I had was my backpack with my purse and other essentials that I bring on the plane with me. No checking a bag and I got through all 6 days in NY without worrying if I had something to wear or needing to buy anything.
Of course, I did buy stuff and I put it all in my husband’s bag for the flight home… haha! Check out all the outfits below and see exactly what I packed for NYC in March.
Friday: Travel Day
Friday was our travel day to NY! We had about a 3 hour flight then at least an hour drive to the hotel with NY traffic so I wanted cute and comfy for the ride. I also wasn’t sure if we would be doing anything that night or not so I wanted to be partially prepared just in case.
grey tunic sweater, black jeans, black combat boots
Saturday Day
We actually got to NY for the conference a day early so there weren’t any lectures scheduled today. We spent the day together walking around town and checking out the Brooklyn bridge, meeting friends for lunch, and heading to the twin towers to see the memorial. My sister got me these boots for Christmas and they were amazing and perfect for keeping my feet warm and comfy with all the walking we did!
black knit sweater, blue jeggings, black combat boots
Saturday Night
Headed back to the room after a full day of sightseeing and being a tourist. We did a quick change then met some friends for dinner at a Speakeasy type of restaurant. After dinner we also found another basement speakeasy bar to hang out with everyone. I kept the same sweater but changed up the jeans and boots.
black knit sweater, black jeans, brown suede boots
Sunday Day
The hubby had conference lectures all morning and afternoon so I went out sightseeing on my own. I wasn’t about to just sit in the room and wait for him when I knew he would be gone for hours. It was also a little warmer this day than the previous two, which was nice.
striped tee, black cardigan, blue jeans, white sneakers
Sunday Night
This was the outfit that I had planned on wearing but never actually changed into it. I was tired from walking all day and the hubby from sitting in lectures so we did a casual dinner instead and I stayed in the same outfit from the afternoon.
grey tunic sweater, black jeans, brown suede boots
Monday Day
Another day of lectures for the hubby so I made my way up to Central Park to walk around and enjoy the beautiful day. It was almost 70 degrees this day and sunny! I got lost in Central Park (not really) but just walked around enjoyed a slow day. I meet him for lunch, though, and then did more sightseeing when he had to go back to lectures.
black knit sweater, multi-color cardigan, blue jeans, white sneakers
Monday Night
After hanging in Central Park I came back to the room to take a little nap then changed for the big dinner we had. It was the resident dinner with everyone that came to NY – about 25 of us. Our friends and I met up and grabbed a few drinks before dinner with everyone. It was also super warm outside so I didn’t even need my heavy coat.
cranberry camisole, black cardigan, black jeans, brown suede boots
Tuesday Day
Our last full day in NYC and the hubby had a few meetings in the morning. I went out alone again then met up with him and some old friends from Michigan for lunch. Then all of use went out sightseeing together for the rest of the afternoon. It was cold and a little rainy but that didn’t stop us!
grey tunic sweater, blue jeans, white sneakers
Tuesday Night
Another outfit that I had planned on wearing but didn’t get to. The hubby and I just had a super chill night after leaving our friends. We went to dinner at a casual place next to the hotel so I didn’t feel the need to change before.
striped tee, black cardigan, black jeans, brown suede boots
Wednesday: Travel Day
Last morning in NYC was slow and lazy. We did meet friends for a lox bagel before heading to the airport but that was about it. Comfy, casual all the way while traveling home.
cranberry camisole, multi-color cardigan, black jeans, white sneakers
Full Packing List:
Tops: I’ve realized that tops usually take up the most space in my bag because I always pack too many. To save space I strategically planned my outfits and packed minimal tops to mix and match with the cardigans below so that I could make different outfits. One colorful, one striped, then two neutrals.
- 1 tunic sweater
- 1 fine knit sweater
- 1 striped tee
- 1 chiffon cami
Jeans: I usually only pack one or two pairs of jeans wherever I go anyway, but in this case with the capsule wardrobe it more important. I didn’t want to waste space. Just one pair of black and one dark wash – both of these colors go with just about any outfit. Plus, with jeans being so stretchy now you can definitely get multiple days wears out of them before they start looking worn and need to be washed.
- 1 pair dark wash skinny jeans
- 1 pair black skinny jeans
Shoes: Next to tops, shoes take up a large portion of space. I made sure to wear my biggest pair on the plane then folded my boots and stuffed my sneakers full of socks. The sneakers and combat boots were prefect for walking around and exploring. Then the brown suede boots were to “dress up” a little for our dinners out.
- Black combat boots
- White sneakers
- Brown suede boots
Outerwear: It was definitely cold and rainy while we were there for a few of the days then it was actually sunny and almost 70 degrees for a couple days. I packed the two cardigans in the suitcase and carried-on my jacked to save space.
- Multi-color cardigan
- Black cardigan
- Black jacket
Accessories: I did end up packing a couple pieces of jewelry and a couple belts. Then I also had my laptop to write my blog posts while I was there.
- Sunnies
- Crossbody purse
- Camera (duh!)
- Laptop
- Wireless Charger
There you have it! My list of everything I packed for our trip to NYC in March. I hope you found this mini-capsule wardrobe helpful!
