With the summer holidays upon us and travel restrictions lifted in many parts of the world, we take the bags from the hidden places to pack! Oh, how fun to think of the holidays coming, if it wasn’t for that dreadful moment of needing to choose what to pack!
I am a fan of carry-on luggage. Wherever I go, I try to survive on carry-on only. My best achievement in the field of #PackingLight was traveling for 2 weeks in Russia, in winter, on carry-on only - without freezing or wearing same outfit every day!
By now I am so proud to be able to pack lightly (yet with maximum variety) that I aim at the smallest sized bag possible, even when traveling by car. If you know me well - you'll know that I hate detailed planning, so meticulously forecasting an outfit to every weather condition is just not me. So here are a few other tips that I find helpful:
1. Start at the colors.
Whether at home or away, I always want maximum variety. Variety is achieved through combinations. Easy combinations are achieved through color match and base match. That doesn’t mean - pack everything of the same color!! It means - pack all things that can match in color easily.
For me, I have a few base colors that I love in summer: various tones of beige from nearly white to a warm sand color, taupe, variety of blue tones, magenta, golden yellow, black, dark green etc. Not all of them work together well, and not in all combinations. I usually pick a few base tones to pack: Say this time it would be blue and beige . I will make sure to pack my base wardrobe in these colors so I know it will match!
2. Continue with the shoes.
Now that you know the colors, get the shoes that go with them. If I chose for the blue and beige, I may not pack black sandals that don’t really match with the blue. So, maybe rather tan-colored shoes and white sneakers? I always recommend at least 2 pairs of shoes: It is better for your feet and your shoes if you don’t wear the same pair every day!
Now, sometimes I will change my choice of colors for the trip after I look at the shoe options. That trip in Russia was thought of in brown and dark green, but my warmest boots are black, so I changed to black and taupe instead!
3. Got the colors and the shoes? Move on to the base wardrobe.
The base wardrobe is essentially a selection of tops and bottoms, along with any one-piece outfits you love. Once you know the colors - pick your favorite tops and bottoms. If you’re doing it for the first time - I suggest to pick them all out and throw them on the bed. Get those forgotten bits at the back of the wardrobe too, as long as they are the right color, they can add variety! Place the shoes nearby. Have a look at what can match in style. Usually you will find one pair of trousers can be worn with multiple tops. Pick the most versatile, yet matching bits. Try to combine them in different ways, for example - you can wear that tank top on its own, and you can wear it over a long-sleeve shirt! Check the shoes still match with your base choices.
4. Now - the easiest and most fun bit - accessories!
Time to go a bit wild with colors and options. Get the accessories that bring most verity to the chosen outfits! They don’t take much space and add a lot of fun. Try scarfs, statement necklaces, bangles and bracelets, and even different color nail polish and lipstick if you use that.
5. Nearly done! Now you just need to get it all into a bag.
There are many tips, videos and suggestions on how to efficiently pack. Here are my few: Start with the bulky and heavy. Pack things one into another and consider rolling. Put things that don’t get kinks easily (like jeans or scarfs) inside shirts or blazers and roll them in. After the most space is used, squeeze small things like socks and underwear into little spaces and corners!
You may need to further streamline and reduce by a few items - just so you have space for that amazing new treasure you may find while shopping on holidays.
Enjoy the holidays, in style! And feel free to show off how efficiently you pack!
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