How to Build a Holiday Wardrobe with The Crawford Family
You’ve booked the hotel, the flights and the day trips. You’ve picked out the books to read by the pool and asked relatives to look after your pets. The only thing left to do is to get the suitcases down from the loft. But then you pause and realise that it’s been a year since the last family holiday. The children have grown since then and your style has evolved. What worked last year won’t work this year.
In a lot of ways, deciding on and organising your next holiday is the easy part. Putting together a holiday wardrobe that works for the whole family is another challenge entirely, especially when you're keeping one eye on the spend. Content creators the Crawford family, led by Zaynab and Chris, have this down to a fine art. It’s less about buying more and more about choosing better. Think pieces that work across outfits, colours that complement each other and a wardrobe built around how you’ll actually spend your time.
Below, the Crawfords share their advice on curating looks, essential pieces and how to dress your children with longevity in mind, all the while keeping your budget intact.
Written By: Michael Meir-Wright – Published: 27.04.26
Spring is the ideal time to start planning your holiday wardrobe. How do you go about curating looks for your whole family that will deliver on value?
We always try to ensure we consider the overall outfit and ensure the individual pieces are versatile, so they can be used for as many other outfits as possible. We always start by thinking about how we’ll actually spend our time, rather than just what looks good.
For a family holiday, that usually means outfits for relaxed mornings, exploring during the day with comfortable shoes and something slightly elevated, but simple, for evenings. From there, we build a small, considered wardrobe for each of us, usually focusing on colours that complement our skin tones and complement each other, so we look effortlessly coordinated when we’re out together.
Neutrals, pastels and monochrome are our usual go-tos for easy, but stylish outfits that give that effortlessly styled look we love to share with our audience. Value comes from versatility. We try to choose pieces that can be styled in multiple ways and worn more than once throughout the trip; and even better if they can transition back into everyday life once we’re home. It’s less about buying more, and more about choosing better.
What pieces do you think are essential in any holiday wardrobe, and why?
There are a few staples we always rely on in warmer months. Lightweight, breathable pieces like linen shirts or relaxed trousers are key, especially in warmer climates. A simple dress that can be worn day or night, comfortable shoes for walking and reliable swimwear are also essentials. The common thread for us on holiday is ease and effortless style. We always want pieces that feel effortless to wear and can adapt to different parts of the day without overthinking it. When everything works together, getting dressed becomes simple; which is exactly what you want on holiday, especially one with kids.
For a family working within a tight budget, what are the smartest ways to maximise outfit variety from a limited number of pieces? Are there specific colours that you recommend that could work across the whole wardrobe?
Keeping to a consistent colour palette makes a huge difference. We usually stick to a base of neutrals like black, brown, navy or beige, and then add in one or two accent colours. That way, everything mixes and matches easily, and we can create multiple outfits from a smaller number of pieces. It also helps to think in combinations; making sure each item can be worn in at least a few different ways. For families, especially with children, it’s about practicality. You don’t need lots of options, just the right ones that work hard and can be worn again and again.
When selecting high-value outfits for young children, what should parents be looking for especially if they have an eye on ensuring longevity?
For children, it’s all about balancing comfort with durability. Clothes need to move with them, wash well and still look good after repeated wear. We tend to look for simple, well-made pieces that can be layered and styled in different ways depending on the weather. Outfits that grow with your children also make a big difference, for example, trousers that come with an adjustable waist give a better return on investment. Longevity also comes from choosing items that aren’t too trend-led, so they can be worn across different occasions and even passed down where possible. Ultimately, the best value comes from pieces that fit seamlessly into their everyday lives; not just something they’ll wear once for a photo.
