There is no shying away from the fact that most of us treat traveling like a golden opportunity to dress up in our best outfits and have gorgeous pictures taken, and why shouldn’t we!? Surrounded by picturesque scenery, trying exotic dishes, meeting new people, and undertaking new experiences, all of it warrants busting out the finest pieces in our wardrobe.
If you are someone who loves clothes, you will agree that the anticipation of an upcoming trip only becomes sweeter when it is time to pull up the itinerary and plan the wardrobe! It is so much fun mixing and matching pieces to curate a look for each day, something that would be appropriate for the planned activity, comfortable, and trendy! This strategy also saves you the time and hassle of cluelessly staring at your suitcase once there. When in a new territory, you want to be out having adventures, not stuck in an Airbnb confused about what shirt goes with what pants.
Unfortunately, it’s not all delightful. The daunting task of packing awaits before every trip when you find yourself arranging and rearranging things to make space for an essential pair of shoes, another button-down, the makeup case, or your favorite pair of shorts. And if you are packing for cold weather, it reaches a new height of impossible; lay down two puffer jackets and boom! You are out of space. Safe to say, packing can be a nightmare.
Fortunately, for all you globetrotters and wanderers out there, we love a good challenge! We have figured out more than a few ways that will help you look on-point, pack light, and steer clear of a packing fiasco. So, keep reading to discover a horde of practical tips and tricks!
Look fashionable and chic without overpacking
You might be thinking that fashionable and chic do not go hand-in-hand with packing light; they might even sound contradictory. Your opinion is about to change as you imbibe the following information.
Mix it up!
When picking outfits for a vacation, always – ALWAYS – make sure that every top you take along goes with every bottom in your suitcase. This way, if you pack five tops and three bottoms, you can effortlessly put together fifteen different outfits, and that is mindblowing! You will be looking fresh and attractive every single day with a mere eight articles at your disposal. Bonus: this will leave you enough space to bring along a cute dress or two!
Here is an example, if you are looking forward to wearing a black graphic t-shirt, bring along a well-fitting pair of denim, a black or white mini skirt, and a pair of pastel-coloured shorts so you can style it on three separate occasions.
Accessories for the win
Trust me on this one: the right accessory can take a regular look from blah to fabulous in no time! Unlike clothes, accessories like jewelry, belts, sunglasses, scarves, bandannas, and headbands do not occupy a lot of suitcase real estate; they are light, easy to pack, and versatile in their use. When planning a travel wardrobe, neither overlook nor underestimate good accessories. A statement necklace and a bold lip can have you looking party-ready in a basic white dress. Make it a point to bring pieces that go along with most of your outfits so you can throw them on without needing to brainstorm.
You can’t go wrong with staples
This point correlates to the first one because carrying a bunch of wardrobe staples would mean that you can pair them up with any other article of clothing. Here are some items off the top of my head: black leggings, solid white and black t-shirts, button-downs, and tank tops, blue and black jeans, and a pair of white shorts. These clothes will come to your rescue during every fashion emergency.
Do I need pictures in this outfit?
If you have a hard time making decisions or end up carrying extra clothes ‘just in case,’ this trick will really come in handy. If you are confused about packing an outfit, simply think, ‘Do I want a picture in it?’ and make a decision based on the answer.
Give packing techniques a try
The internet is full of helpful travel hacks, and some of them include various methods to help you pack more efficiently. According to the videos online, most of these techniques make the most of any given space, making it so you can carry the maximum number of belongings in the least number of bags. Here are some that I find most interesting: wearing the bulkiest outerwear instead of packing it, using packing cubes, rolling your clothes rather than folding, carrying travel-sized essentials, and lastly, placing things inside packed shoes.
The joys of traveling light
No trend-following and fashion-forward individuals such as myself would like to have their outfit options limited to a handful. We prefer carrying a decent fraction of our wardrobes everywhere since who knows when an opportunity to glam up may present itself. However, even I will have to concede that traveling light has just as many perks as having fifty outfits to choose from.
Less hassle at the airport
Checking in and collecting luggage at the airport can be daunting, and traveling with fewer bags makes it breezy. You can avoid paying extra for overweight bags or the pressure of pulling things out of your suitcase at the eleventh hour. You also don’t have to worry about a misplaced bag and the chaos that ensues in its wake. A small backpack and carry-on that always remain on your person will help you stay at ease.
Avoid the clutter
The fewer bags you have, the easier it will be to locate objects that you need. Imagine needing to rifle through three large suitcases in search of your underwear or socks. With a single bag in your possession, there will be no time spent hopping from suitcase to suitcase trying to figure out what is where.
Save your energy
No one ever said that lugging around weighted bags is breezy! What use will all the excess luggage be if you are too drained of energy to soak in the new experiences fully? Too many bags slow you down, tire you out, and the effort also takes a toll on your mood. So, you will be doing yourself and your companions a massive favor by traveling light.
More space for souvenirs
Second, to rich experiences and a gallery full of pretty photos, souvenirs and gifts are the best things about returning from a trip. Now, if you arrive with multiple suitcases filled to the brim, you will have to skip out on shopping for new stuff and come to terms with the disappointment of it. I don’t know about you, but a shopping-less trip sounds unacceptable to me. It is okay if you have to leave a couple of dresses behind; it is more important to have space for new possessions.
To sum it all up, no matter the nature or purpose of your trip, lesser luggage means more freedom and peace of mind, two crucial elements when one is out and about. Nevertheless, that does not equate to traveling with two sets of clothes for a ten-day trip or not glamming up; it just implies being extra clever when picking and choosing items to pack. Thanks to the article, you now have more than a few solid tricks up your sleeve to avoid a pre-trip packing debacle and look classy. It is a win-win situation!
