5 Easy Steps To Pack The Right Stuff for Your Next Weekend Getaway
Packing is one of the biggest challenges in any wardrobe. You don’t think about it day-to-day, but when it’s time to throw everything in your suitcase, the process can feel daunting and confusing. Not knowing what to pack or how to approach it can leave you overpacking or packing all the wrong things.
Packing the right things isn’t hard though. It just requires concentration, foresight and self-awareness — three things you already use in your wardrobe. Here’s how to turn the tricks you use for your everyday wardrobe into a plan that’s perfect when packing for vacation.
STEP ONE: Note all of the things you’re dressing yourself for.
One vacation can look vastly different from another depending on where you’re headed, so the first step is thinking about what you need to dress for. Grab a pen and paper and make a column for each day of your trip (i.e., Travel Day, Day One, Day Two, etc…). Below each column write down all of the activities you know you’ll be doing on that day.
STEP TWO: Get a clear picture of how many outfits you’ll need.
For example, if your day one is completely dedicated to time on the beach, but that night has a dressy casual dinner, you’ll need two outfits for that day. If you’re at the beach in the morning, walking through town in the afternoon and going to dinner at night, you may want three outfits instead.
Come up with the exact number of outfits you’ll want for the whole trip, so as you put together each outfit in step four, you can check the activities off the list as covered with a fabulous look for that event.
STEP THREE: Decide on suitcase size.
This is very important. Everybody likes to travel differently, so make sure you’re in tune to how much you feel comfortable bringing.
Do you want a full-size suitcase or a carry on? If you choose a full-size suitcase, you can put together completely different outfits for each day, night or event. You can also bring more shoes.
If you choose a carry-on (this is my favorite way to travel!), you’ll likely need to reuse a few things, so make sure you’re comfortable with that. You might only pack 1-2 pairs of shoes and wear your bulkiest pair on the plane.
STEP FOUR: Decide on every single trip outfit.
Make sure to do this chronologically, so you don’t overwhelm yourself or get confused. Start with travel day one.
Below I’ve created an example of what I might pack on a beach vacation. Note all of the times I reused the same pieces to make sure I can fit everything in my carry-on.
OUTFITS BY EVENT
Travel Day: Black joggers, oversized tee, denim jacket, fashion sneakers, gold hoops
Day One: Bathing Suit, denim shorts, cropped tee, slides, gold hoops
Evening One: Maxi sundress, denim jacket, heeled sandals, layered necklaces, clutch bag
Day Two: Ripped blue jeans, ribbed tank, layered necklaces, slides
Evening Two: Romper, platform sandals, gold hoops
Day Three: Mini Sundress, bathing suit, slides, gold hoops
Evening Three: Ripped blue jeans, bodysuit, fashion sneakers, jean jacket, gold hoops
Travel Day: Black joggers, cropped tee, denim jacket, fashion sneakers, layerable necklaces
STEP FIVE: Fill in the holes.
You don’t want to leave home without the basics, so make sure you’ve got every last one — underwear, the right bras for your tops, sunglasses, sunscreen, beauty products, socks, a small bag for evening, hand sanitizer and anything else that you reach for often in your every day life.
