Stylish Packing & Vacation Wardrobes
I recently helped someone (let’s call her “M”) who is planning a trip to the French Riviera in early summer build a vacation wardrobe. Together, we brainstormed how to get the most use from her current closet, and how to think about packing and dressing for her destination. The session brought up many of the common anxieties and pitfalls I see when it comes to planning and packing.
Where We Started
M’s concerns were many: she felt she needed more tops, but didn’t know how to go about adding those. She felt the color scheme of her wardrobe was boring. She could only envision outfits when it came to her dresses and one or two composed outfits she had already decided on. The other items felt like random basics. Her first instinct was to go shopping for more and better options, and she had a hard time seeing how her existing wardrobe could fill the gaps!
M’s Pack List
Cream linen trousers
Brown and cream top with balloon sleeves
Red and pink floral sundress
White sundress
Black sundress/cocktail dress
Red long sleeved linen dress
Medium wash blue jeans
Black linen shorts
Cream cardigan
White oversized button down
One shoulder fitted beige tank top
Black and cream striped lightweight sweater
White sneakers
Black strappy kitten heels
Orange and pink espadrille peeptoes
Cream and beige slide heels
Be Practical
At a basic level, you will need to recognize what the weather and activity levels will be once you arrive at your destination. M was having a little crisis with the weather. We all have vacation fantasies, and M’s fantasy of the French Riviera included balmy weather that called for bare shoulders, breezy sundresses, and a lack of layers. As her departure date approached, M realized the weather would be about 20° cooler than she expected, with more wind and less sun than she had hoped. While it’s not always possible to predict every storm or weather disruption, 10-day forecasts are fairly reliable these days. So check your destination’s forecast diligently in the weeks leading up to your trip, and don’t engage in wishful thinking.
The other consideration that must be weighed heavily before packing is your itinerary and activity level. Will you be walking long distances? Standing for most of the day? Do you expect to be able to return to your hotel multiple times a day, or will you only come back to sleep? Practically speaking, this obviously means packing appropriate footwear so that you don’t experience pain or fatigue. But I would also invite you to consider chafing, sweating, and restrictions you may experience when engaging in certain kinds of movement. Maybe you have a sundress that is perfect for sitting and posing for photos, but the straps cause friction in the armpits if you move around too much. M but was tempted to pack three heeled/fancy shoe options which offered lovely visual versatility, but no purposeful versatility. She expected to walk on cobblestones even in the evening to dinner, so multiple pairs of heeled shoes would be a burden, not a blessing. However, she also realized that there will be many days broken into half-days, and she will have the opportunity to wear comfy shoes for part of the day, and cute ones for the remainder. This automatically boosts the fun and diversity of her outfits, just from a simple shoe change.
Think Outfits, Not Pieces
It can be tempting to bring a ton of options, in an effort to maximize what is available in your suitcase, but that doesn’t always translate to having as many outfits as you need. Generally speaking, I find women overstate the number of dresses that they might bring on trips, and understate the number of bottoms and jackets they need.
M’s “definitely” pile was mostly sundresses, which we decided was not a realistic backbone for this particular trip, given the weather and her activity levels. While the sundresses would look gorgeous in photos, they weren’t a full “outfit” by themselves. Because of the cooler weather, we decided she would keep her balloon-sleeve cardigan which felt sophisticated and luxurious, and add a denim jacket which could serve as a sturdy outer layer while looking casual and cute. These toppers could go with the dresses she did decide to keep, and they could also be worn with any of the pant or jeans options she brought along. She could squeeze maximum versatility and cuteness from her warmer layers, making sure that each item in her suitcase served a purpose.
Keep Color In MInd
M is not a color client of mine, but she has had her personal color analysis performed in the past. She was found to be a Soft Summer, but hasn’t yet explored the full potential of her palette. Her closet, therefore, has a smattering of perfect colors, among a landscape of mostly black, white, and navy. While M ultimately wishes to overhaul the colors of her wardrobe, right before a trip is not the time to do this.
However, if M hypothetically already had a closet stocked with items in her best colors, she would not struggle so much with boredom that stems from the mostly-neutral color scheme of her travel wardrobe. Visual interest can come in many forms—but color is one of the chief ways that you can add beauty and intrigue to your outfits. Besides making you look confident and gorgeous in photos, shopping exclusively from your seasonal color palette ensures all your outfits have a higher degree of harmony. You can more easily pair tops and bottoms together for new combinations, without risk of clashing.
If M’s wardrobe included more neutrals within her season, she could also shop for single, impactful accessories that she would be sure to wear again and again—and they would be guaranteed to work with her smaller travel wardrobe.
If you know your best colors but your closet doesn’t yet reflect that, never fear! You can automatically bring a little seasonal color magic to your vacation by packing your most flattering makeup colors and having a manicure/pedicure done in your best, most eye-catching tones.
Incorporate Small Special Touches
At the end of the day, you need to fit your wardrobe into your suitcase. That means being smart about space. Shoes and thicker-weight items such as bottoms, bags, and jackets take up the most space. When packing bottoms (skirts, pants, shorts) you must ensure that those items can be worn with essentially all of your top options. Your shirts may only be worn once, and you can usually pack 7-10 of them easily. Bottoms should be pared down to only the essentials, which can be mix-and-matched with ease. As a rule of thumb, each pant/short/skirt option should harmonize well with at least three of your tops and one of your outer layers.
On the other hand, compact items like scarves, belts, and jewelry take up very little space and can help you feel unique and dressy while traveling. While traveling, your Monday and Tuesday outfits might be essentially identical, but switching up the accessories can help the same outfit feel brand-new. Bringing five unique pairs of earrings takes up a fraction of the space that bringing five pairs of pants would.
Don’t Reinvent Yourself
I asked M to show me all the blouses she owns, and when I pointed out three or four that caught my eye, she said that she liked them, but that they really needed to be worn with black pants in her opinion. When I floated the idea of packing black pants, M immediately responded that she always wears black pants to the office. While there is an argument to be made for Severance-style, distinct work and play styles, the reality is that most of us don’t have the closet space or budget to actually own two separate wardrobes.
When I help guide someone’s fashion journey, it is usually a multi-week or month project. Too often, people will panic-buy a bunch of stuff for their vacation, rather than looking at the trip as a snapshot of their current style. Vacation represents a milestone—we are often observed and admired based on our vacation photos. We also sometimes feel pressure to be our “best” or “most real” selves, while we don’t necessarily feel that pressure in daily life or at work. Unfortunately, panic-shopping before a trip is more likely to end up wasting good money that could be spent on dining al fresco at your destination. I have fallen victim to the impulse and ended up with chunks of my closet that I never wore again—or even worse, never wore once while on my vacation!
Instead of looking at the vacation as an opportunity to show who you wish to be, take it as a way to explore a more relaxed version of yourself, who is still essentially the same. You’re a jeans gal? Bring one to two pairs and make that the backbone of your travel wardrobe. You always wear flats? Don’t pack heels, and if you don’t have any fancy, special flats—ask yourself why! If you don’t drip in jewelry or accessories at home, don’t feel pressure to load up a bunch of scarves and bags in an effort to look more interesting.
Where We Ended
M’s Updated Pack List
Black strappy kitten heels Eliminated in favor of the more comfortable and fun colorful espadrilles
White sundress Eliminated as the fit was not as flattering as other dresses, and weather would make it unlikely that she would wear dresses every single day
Black linen shorts Eliminated as weather was too cold for these
Cream and beige slide heels Eliminated due to discomfort and impracticality
Cream linen trousers Kept for daily wear
Brown and cream top with balloon sleeves Kept for slightly dressy daily wear
Red and pink floral sundress Kept for daily wear
Black sundress/cocktail dress Kept for her one very fancy dinner date
Red long sleeved linen dress Kept for casual wear with sneakers, or to wear with espadrilles
Medium wash blue jeans Kept to form backbone of casual separates outfits
Cream cardigan Kept for cozy layering
White oversized button down Kept for lightweight layering
One shoulder fitted beige tank top Kept for layering
Black and cream striped lightweight sweater Kept for layering
White sneakers Kept for everyday wear
Orange and pink espadrille peeptoes Kept for versatility and comfort—one fancy/fun shoe option is definitely required on all but the most active/outdoorsy vacations
**Denim Jacket Added for casual layering option. May be layered over any dress or worn with any outfit with cream linen pants.
**Black trousers Added for a darker bottom option to go with any blouse (except brown and cream balloon sleeve top.) May be worn with cream cardigan or denim jacket on top. Suitable to be worn with tops which M felt were too voluminous for her linen pants.
**Pink wrap tee Added for casual layering, can be worn with jeans, denim jacket, linen pants, or layered over black sundress. Fits under any jacket or white button down.
**Teal/cream/black patterned blouse Added for another fun top option, can be layered under cardigan or denim jacket or worn alone.
**Skinny black belt Added to give waist emphasis especially in voluminous outfits. Can be worn with jeans or cream linen trousers. Good visual interest for basic outfits.
**Teal patterned silk scarf Added to give flair and personality, goes beautifully with some of the colors she packed
Below find a slideshow of just some of the outfits she can make with this list of items!
M felt much more relaxed and excited at the prospect of packing only what she already owned. She saw that a little extra visual interest (brought in with a few more colors and accessories) went a long way to quelling her fears of looking boring. She also looked at some of her basics in a new light, seeing that their mix-and-matchability made them ideal travel items—so long as they fit into real outfits, not hypothetical ones! She was able to release the fantasy of perfect, warm weather and accept that she wanted to be comfortable and cozy in the forecasted environment.
While the colors may not be perfectly in season for her complexion, and there are items that she wishes looked a little different, M was satisfied that she would be comfortable and look beautiful on her trip. A week of panic-buying new stuff ahead of her trip would only increase her dread and stress. And what is a vacation for, if not to get a little relief from all that noise?