Last Thursday I asked you about the moment your closet lets you down.

Here are a few things you told me:

"I want to remove things but I don't know what to remove and why."

"The outfit looks great on the hanger."

"I am notorious for overpacking for trips!"

Last week I also told you about the four years I went with almost no shopping. During those years, I had to get creative and learn how to style the things I already had in my closet.

By the time we left to travel full time in 2021, I knew exactly which pieces I could style in many different ways.

That's what we're going to work on together for the next few weeks.

Every Thursday, one step at a time. With your closet, not a new one.

And we're starting with a fake trip (or a real one if you have it booked).

🧳 Why a trip?

Because a trip is where a closet that doesn't work shows up the fastest.

At home, you can wear the same three things over and over. When you pack, every piece has to earn its spot. It has to work with the other pieces, fit in a small space, and get you through days of walking, sitting and eating out.

And the same things that make a piece good for a suitcase (comfortable, easy, goes with everything) make it good for a regular Saturday too.

So pick the trip you take most. The one you take every year.

That's the one you'll pack again for, so it's the one worth getting right.

Now that your trip is picked, pretend you have to start packing for it. Let's say the length is 7 days.

📝 Your homework (it only takes 5 minutes)

​Download or print this little PDF I made for you to help you visualize things better.

No printer? Open it on your phone and copy it on any piece of paper.

Go to your closet and set a timer for 5 minutes ⏱️

1. Pick 3 bottoms for the trip you chose above. Pants, jeans, skirts, shorts. The ones you reach for.
2. Pick 3 tops you think go with ALL 3 bottoms.
3. Put all 6 pieces on your bed and take a photo 📸

Go with your gut. No overthinking allowed.

When the timer goes off, you're done. That's 6 pieces and 9 outfits, all from your own closet.

👖 How to pick your 3 bottoms

When I build a packing list, I always start with the bottoms. Then I pick tops that go with every bottom.

✅ Comfortable all day. Not cute for two hours at dinner. Comfortable from breakfast to bedtime. Walking, sitting, all of it.

✅ They fit right. Meaning you feel good in them.

✅ Neutral colors (to get started). Neutrals on the bottom, colors/prints on top. That way, almost any top has a chance.

✅ Each one has a job. For example, one for active days, one for long walking days and one that works for a nicer dinner. So try not to pick two that do the same thing, like two pairs of almost identical black pants (unless that's all you wear of course).

For me, fitting right is a must. After that, it comes down to three things: comfortable, takes little space and goes with everything.

Wrinkles I can live with.

But this is different for everyone, so I really want to encourage you to think what your non-negotiable are.

👚 How to pick your 3 tops

The only rule: each top has to look good with all three bottoms.

Here's an example. Say your yearly trip is a fall city trip, and your 3 bottoms are dark jeans, olive travel pants and black ponte pants.

A striped long sleeve tee works with all 3 ✅

A crewneck cashmere sweater works as well ✅

A black cashmere t-shirt is also a good one in this example ✅

A silky blouse works with the black pants and jeans, but looks off with the travel pants ❌

🧮 Why this math matters so much

3 bottoms x 3 tops = 9 outfits.

Add one more top that works with all 3? That's 12 outfits.

Add a top that only works with one bottom? That's 10. Same space in your suitcase, fewer outfits.

That's how you pack fewer pieces and still have more to wear. Your suitcase should still be filled with your favorite clothes, just fewer and better versions of them.

Here's a visual example with the pieces I listed above:

🤔 Couldn't find 3 tops that worked with all 3 bottoms?

That's not a failure. It's information. Data, baby!

For the ones that don't work, take note of why. Too short? Too long? Wrong color? Wrong fabric?

Super important, because that list tells you what to look for next time you need to shop.

Everything that works (or doesn't) is just data.

💡 What you just did

You just put together 9 outfits for your yearly trip without buying a single thing.

Next time you pack for it, you start here, not from zero.

And those 3 bottoms are now your anchor for that type of trip.

When you look at any piece, in your closet or in a store, you can ask:

"Does it go with these 3 bottoms?"

That's a much easier question than "does it go with everything I own?"

And that's how a travel friendly closet starts taking shape. Trust me, you want to build a closet where most of the clothes you own can go straight into a suitcase, so packing is just picking.

Next Thursday, we build on these 6 pieces, so keep that photo handy 📸

🎯 Now, let me know what happened (and send that pic if you want)

Which was harder, the bottoms or the tops?

Even if you only thought about it and didn't open your closet, I still want to know. And if you want to tell me why, even better.

Your replies and votes truly help me shape future emails. Plus, it's always good to write things down. So think of this as your closet journal you're just sending to a friend.

You'll see what's coming up in the next few emails 👀

Thanks so much for being here. Hope you find the little closet exercise useful!

XO,

Aimara

>> PS: Need an example of pieces that just work? These three are in my closet (the first 2 in several colors):

• ​Black cropped ponte pants. Comfy all day, no wrinkles, and they go with almost any top. Heads up: they have front pockets, so if you're an apple shape, the Athleta pants below are a better pick.
• ​Cashmere tee. Works with pants, skirts and under a blazer.
• ​Athleta pants. Comfortable for long walking days, like museums and cobblestones.