Continuing with my petite-friendly travel capsule wardrobe series, I thought I’d showcase something a little different this time: What I packed for a 3-week trip to Italy and Malta this May.

Unlike my previous trip to Southeast Asia, this European trip demanded a bit of a different approach. While I could get away with wearing elephant pants and t-shirts nearly everywhere in Southeast Asia, that just wasn’t going to fly in fashion-forward Italy or Malta. I needed a more upscale, city-friendly wardrobe that could transition seamlessly from day to evening, handle walking miles per day on uneven cobblestones, was appropriate for visiting churches with strict dress codes, and could stand up to the heat of late spring in southern Europe while still looking chic and put together.

A few practical considerations: For a 23-day trip, we planned to do laundry halfway through, so I needed enough clothes to last me 12 days at a time. I could re-wear most items a couple of times between washes, other than undies of course, but I needed sufficient options. And of course, everything still had to fit in my 36L carry-on sized backpack, and weigh less than 12kg to fit within airline carry-on restrictions.

So what did I pack? Read on.

What I packed

Tops

• 3 cotton t-shirts – Old Navy Everywear Petite, XS Petite, navy, charcoal, and wine
• 1 long-sleeve linen button-down – GAP Linen Boyfriend Shirt, XS Petite, white
• 1 black merino cardigan – Lord & Taylor, XS Petite

The t-shirts were selected to be able to wear with either the jeans or the skirt. I mostly wore the navy one with the skirt, and the other two colours with the jeans, though I easily could have mixed and matched. Solid deep colours meant they were easy to keep clean.

The linen shirt was a nice lightweight layer to wear over tops and dresses to protect me from the sun. Linen is tricky because it wrinkles, but a favourite backpacker tip of mine is to hang it in the bathroom while you’re taking a shower to steam it out. It’s cool, comfy, breezy, and perfect for spring and summer in Europe.

And the black merino cardigan is quite old by now but is a favourite travel layering staple. It’s thin and folds down to nothing, it gives a little extra warmth on chilly days or evenings or on overly air-conditioned planes and trains, and it goes with everything.

Dresses

I packed four dresses on this trip, which is more than I’d normally bring. But I ended up wearing my dresses most days:

• 1 polka-dot navy jersey dress – Boden petite, size 8P UK (4P US)
• 1 linen midi shirtdress – GAP petite, size SP, navy
• 1 yellow floral midi dress – Talbots petite, size 4P
• 1 red ditzy faux-wrap dress – NEXT Petite, size 8P UK (4P US)

Two of the dresses I packed were midi length, one was knee-length, and one came just above the knee. All of them were short-sleeved, not sleeveless. That meant that, regardless  of what I wore, my knees and shoulders were generally covered, which allowed me to enter churches with strict dress codes. The red wrap dress was pushing it when it came to my knees, and in retrospect I might have opted to pack a slightly longer dress in its place. But I just took care not to wear it on days when we’d be visiting churches in Italy. (I found that in Malta, places were far less strict, perhaps because so many people arrive to those islands having packed beachwear).

I wore each dress 3 or 4 times in total. The midi dresses were the most practical since they worked for even the churches with the strictest dress codes, like the day we visited the Vatican:

Overall, I found dresses to be the most practical items of clothing in my bag. They were easy, lightweight, and practical for both sightseeing and dinners out. And, of course, for breakfast cappuccinos everywhere.

The linen shirtdress was perhaps the most practical thing I packed. A recent purchase, I’d had to hem it since the original midi length was almost down to my ankles, even in a petite length. But it was cool, comfortable, and easy to wear in every situation. I was a bit concerned that it would look less-than-elegant to wear sneakers with dresses. But everyone in Italy appeared to be doing the exact same thing.

Pants and skirts

• 1 pair cropped jeans – AG jeans, size 26
• 1 skirt – Cleo, size 4P

In hindsight, I might’ve swapped the jeans for a pair of lightweight linen pants, but I didn’t own any before the trip, and I couldn’t find a pair that fit well and were flattering. That may seem odd, given how trendy linen is at the moment. But it’s actually really tough to find a pair that isn’t high waisted (the bane of my short-torsoed petite existence) or that didn’t bunch at the waist. Instead, I opted for my trusty ex-boyfriend jeans, which are comfy, cool, and basically are my version of shorts. They worked well on days when I wanted to wear something a little more casual than dresses or skirts, and on flight days. I wore them quite a bit in Chianti and in Malta.

The skirt was a thrifted find, a lined cotton skirt in navy and white that goes just past the knee. Cool, comfy, easy to pair with anything white or navy on top, it was a practical alternative to the dresses I’d packed. Long enough to wear to visit churches, but short enough to work on my petite frame, it was a very practical piece. I will say that, with the lining, it took up quite a bit of volume in my bag, so next trip I might pack an unlined skirt instead.

Shoes

I packed two pairs of shoes on this trip:

• 1 pair sneakers – Allbirds Women’s Tree Runners, size 6
• 1 pair sandals – Taos Trophy 2, size 6

Instead of my usual hiking shoes, I opted for the Allbirds this time, which proved to be a good call. The Tree Runners are a lightweight mesh fabric that are cool in the heat and feel practically weightless. They don’t offer as much support as a typical hiking shoe, so I swapped out the stock insoles for a pair of Superfeet to prevent foot pain on those days when I was walking more than 30,000 steps.

 

One thing I noticed in Italy was that everyone was wearing sneakers. Tourists, sure, but even fashion-conscious locals in one of the most fashion-conscious countries in the world. Currently, white chunky sneakers of all sorts are trending. Mine were light grey, and actually looked pretty dirty by a few days into the trip. I might’ve opted for white leather ones instead, which could be cleaned more easily and might’ve been a bit more waterproof in the rain. I will say this for my Allbirds, though; they were comfy, blister-free, and the tread held up nicely on cobblestones even when they were wet.

For sandals, I opted for a pair of silver Taos Trophy flat sandals in a metallic pewter. They went nicely with skirts and dresses, paired easily with jeans, and had a soft sole and tread that was easy to walk in on cobblestones and uneven surfaces. Because of the adjustable velcro straps, they fit well on my ultra narrow feet:

I actually didn’t end up wearing the sandals as much as I thought I would. Most days, I found it more comfortable to wear my sneakers, due to all that walking I was doing, and my preference for closed shoes in crowds or in areas where there might be broken glass on the streets and such. The Taos sandals also don’t survive wet weather very well, so they weren’t super practical in the rain. Still, it was nice to have a bit of a dressier shoe to wear in the evenings, and the sandals were much cooler than my shoes in hot weather.

Socks and Undies

• 4 pairs socks – Darn Tough Women’s 1/4 no-show ankle merino, size S
• 12 pairs undies – cotton
• 2 bras
• 1 pair slipshorts

In hindsight, since I wore my sneakers far more than expected and my sandals far less, I might’ve opted to bring another couple of pairs of socks. But merino wool can be worn a couple of times between washes, since it’s antimicrobial. We were lucky that we had very little rain, since they can take a while to dry if they get wet. So I managed fine with the 4 pairs.

For underwear, ideally, bring pairs that are made from natural breathable fabrics like cotton, and are both thin and light enough to both pack up small and dry quickly if you find yourself needing to do sink laundry. We had access to a washing machine halfway through the trip, so I packed enough for half the time we were travelling.

As for the slipshorts, I brought one pair in nude and wore them most days under my dresses and skirts. They provide useful protection against thigh chafing, which can be a real issue in hot climates. They also gave me some protection from gusts of wind, and helped keep my money belt in place.

Outerwear

• 1 rain shell – Mountain Hardwear Women’s Thundershadow, size S

Italy and Malta in late spring tend to be hot, so there was no need for heavy jackets. I packed one rain shell, which got quite a bit of use in San Marino and Ravenna, where it rained pretty much the whole time we were there, and on one of our days in Chianti, when we got caught in a drizzle. If travelling in springtime, you need to expect some rainy weather. So a rainshell is a great idea.

Sleepwear

• 1 sleep t-shirt
• 1 pair of lightweight pyjama pants

Nothing special; just cool comfy layers I could wear to sleep or to lounge at the hotels during siestas. I prefer to pack dedicated sleepwear, since it ensures I always have something clean to wear to sleep.

Swimwear

I packed one bikini, with the thought that I might go swimming at some point in one of the hotel pools or perhaps at one of Malta’s beaches. I never used it, though. The closest I came was the Blue Grotto in Malta, where we’d planned to perhaps take a boat ride so I brought the swimsuit, but alas, the boats weren’t running. Unless you’re a keen swimmer or are planning beach days, I’d say you can skip this.

Accessories

• 1 sunhat: Wallaroo Petite Catalina
• 1 pair sunglasses: Ralph Lauren (prescription)

The sunhat is one I’ve reviewed here. This particular one actually doesn’t pack down quite as nicely as my other Wallaroo hats, but I felt it was a bit more elegant looking, so I took it anyway and mostly just wore it on transportation. It helped protect me from the intense midday sun.

As for the sunglasses, I have a very narrow face, so it’s actually quite challenging to find glasses frames that fit. My current pair are by Ralph Lauren, which are a great fit on petite faces. I’ve had them for ages and have replaced the prescription lenses several times, and will probably continue to do so until the oversized trend comes back down to earth.

Putting it all together

As always, I travel carry-on only. Everything I packed above, along with my toiletries, electronics, and other miscellaneous items, fit neatly in my Gregory Jade 38 backpack. I see so many people hauling heavy wheeled luggage around Europe’s cobblestoned streets, uneven surfaces, and steep staircases, and I always wonder what level of insanity drives them to do this. A backpack is just so much more practical than a suitcase, and keeping everything under the carry-on limit means no having to worry about lost or delayed bags.

I also pack a cross-body purse, my Timbuk2 Jessie, as my personal item. I’ve been travelling with it for years, and it can comfortably hold everything I need for a day of sightseeing: Wallet, phone, camera, kleenex, N95 masks, a small bottle of water (you can refill for free most everywhere in Italy), and other essentials. It isn’t the most stylish bag, particularly in Italy, where it seems everyone is carrying designer purses. But it’s practical and the design is useful against pickpockets.

Fully packed, I was comfortably under the airline’s 12kg weight limit for carry-on luggage, with a bit of extra room for souvenirs.

A few notes about this capsule wardrobe

This is a great capsule wardrobe for warm weather travel in Europe, especially when more conservative dress codes are involved. A few caveats to note:

• We lucked out in terms of weather. It was very comfortable in Tuscany, downright chilly in the mountainous San Marino, and hot during the day but cool in the evenings in Bologna, Rome and Malta. It also didn’t rain a lot on this trip, so I was fine with what I’d packed. If we’d gotten more rain, I might’ve preferred some more waterproof shoes and perhaps some long pants.
• This isn’t really a beach-friendly wardrobe. I did pack one swimsuit, but we never actually went to the beach, so I didn’t end up using it. If you’re visiting the ultra-trendy beaches of the Amalfi Coast or the Italian Riviera, a somewhat different wardrobe might be required.
• I didn’t really go shopping. Italy is, of course, known for high-end fashion, and it would’ve been easy to do some serious damage to my bank account while there. For us petites, however, I find it’s much easier to resist the temptation to go shopping, since petite sizes aren’t really available in most European retail stores, and on the road there isn’t much time to get things hemmed or tailored.
• White clothes and orange food doesn’t mix. I opted for mostly darker colours in this capsule wardrobe, since whites might look cool and breezy in photos, but it is impossible to keep clean on a diet of red wine, pizza, pasta, and gelato. I packed prints and solid darker colours and managed to keep them mostly clean, save for once when I dripped chocolate gelato on the yellow dress. Luckily, I’d packed a Tide2Go pen in my purse, which was perhaps the single most useful thing I brought.

• Linen wrinkles easily, but there’s a simple trick: Just hang it in the bathroom while taking a shower, and it will steam those wrinkles right out.

Overall, Italy and Malta are both super-stylish destinations, and I would have felt out of place in my usual travel wardrobe of t-shirts and hiking pants. Even while backpacking, there’s no need to look, well, like a backpacker. It’s easy to bring slightly more elevated pieces that look more put-together, all while packing light.

Happy travels!