Packing for a holiday always fills me with dread. I wouldn’t say it takes away from the pleasure of the holiday itself, (that would be too dramatic) but I’m usually just so bad at it that I always leave it to the last minute – anyone else find themselves in a 3am packing frenzy? I’ve always envied those girls that can pack ahead of time, use the capsule wardrobe formula, have just the right amount of clothing, shoes, bags etc for their trip and always look so well put together, even when they’re miles from their full wardrobe at home. I actually have no excuse, as I can leave a second wardrobe of clothes at the apartment in Spain, but of course I want to take newer things with me, and clothes that fit last year might not fit this year blah blah blah. Add to that, the fact that Mr H travels all the time for work, so he has packing down to fine art, and I feel even more miserable.
For this year’s short-but-sweet Easter holiday, I decided I was going to nail this packing conundrum once and for all. I had no choice but to pack in advance as we were out till super-late the night before we were due to fly and we had a ridiculously early flight the next morning. But with it being only a five day trip, I felt certain I could plan it out to a T. And what do you know? It worked! I wore every piece of clothing I packed (clothes, shoes, bags, underwear, even fitness gear) – not one piece went unworn – a first for me, and a great feeling! (PS – you can see all my outfits in action in today’s video – a vlog of my holiday here).
So these are my top 5 tips for packing right.
Planning ahead
Forwarded is forearmed…or something like that! If you know what you’ll be getting up to while you’re away, it’s much easier to pack. So get involved in the holiday planning process (if you’re not the one making the bookings etc) and you’ll have a much better idea of what you’ll need. If you’re spending the whole time by the pool or on the beach, you’ll need to make sure you have enough swimwear, sarongs etc and the umpteen high heels and designer dresses may well go unworn, but if you’re sight-seeing, you might be needing layers to get you through the day.
Colour Code
Stick to a colour palette of two or three colours; that way, everything will work together, no matter how much you switch around your outfits. I decided to stick to black and white (which is pretty much what I wear at home anyway), so I took a black leather jacket, four white tops and one black-and-white striped T, all of which worked with the two pairs of black trousers (one pair of black skinny jeans, one pair of leather biker jeans). I wore white Stan Smith trainers to travel, which worked perfectly well for days out and a pair of fancy (flat) shoes for more special outings, day or night.
Two For The Price Of One
If you can wear the same top for daytime jaunts and for nights out, then you’ve got two outfits in one, right? So I made sure that at least couple of my tops were day and evening appropriate, ringing the changes by switching it up from black jeans to leather jeans, trainers for Valentino Rockstuds and a more dramatic lippie when the occasion required. My bag was a mini 3.1 Philip Lim Paschli satchel which worked perfectly for day and night. Basically, if you can’t wear something two ways, then don’t pack it.
Stick to what you know…
When taking cabin-luggage only, as I was, now was not the time to try out new outfits. The general rule is: if you wouldn’t wear it back home, you’re unlikely to wear it on holiday; it’ll just sit in your suitcase annoying you that it’s going home unworn. So make sure to pack things you know make you feel confident and look good and save the experimental dressing up for when you get back home.
The added-extras
Sometimes all you need is a belt, a scarf or a piece of jewellery to switch up an outfit, and they don’t take much space (or weight) in your case. A pair of over-sized sunglasses, a co-ordinating sweater that goes with everything and a scarf that can be used to keep warm, as a sarong or just to finish up a look; they are all essential, so make sure to pack a few of what I call ‘outfit polishers’.
Share your own favourite tips in the comments below – I’d love to hear your packing strategies!
xXx
SHOP THIS POST
White Off The Shoulder Top – here
White Embroidered Top – here
White Lace Top – here
White Broiderie Top – here
Black Leather Jacket – here
3.1 Philip Lim Pashli Mini Satchel Bag – here
Gold sign Black Skinny Jeans – here
Faux Leather Zip Detail Jeans – here
Adidas Originals Stan Smith Trainers – here
Valentino Rockstud Flats – here
Oversized Sunglasses – here
Lumix GF6 4/3 Micro Camera – here
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