How to Pack Light

Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that you are planning a fantastic weekend getaway in Paris, being that it is one of the fashion capitals of the world you want to look your best, but you also don’t want to be bogged down by heavy luggage. How can you achieve style in just a carry-on?
Well, you’ve come to the right place!

1. Less!

What I mean by this is that whilst packing it is so easy to get caught up in all these “what-if” scenarios that have us taking our whole wardrobe with us for a mere three day getaway. once we realize that it’s so foolish to bring more clothes than we could physically wear (even changing three times a day) packing becomes so much simpler. Remember, you almost always need less than what you think you need.

2. Have a plan

Over-packers always ask me “How can you have enough clothes?” The simple truth is a plan a head, all I do is figure out the average weather conditions and what activities I’ll be doing. Knowing whether I’ll be cafè hopping or hiking really helps in terms of knowing what items you’ll absolutely have to have with you to enjoy your trip without worrying about what to wear.

3. Pack and “ecosystem”

I think most of us tend to pack in outfits, and strange as it may seem, this might actually be counterintuitive. The pitfalls of packing outfits are that we may fall into the “terror” of outfit repeating, even though there is absolutely nothing wrong with this (see Karl Lagrafeld) which may make us feel like nothing looks good. And secondly we run the risk of packing pieces that only work one way, they are not versatile, they don’t work well with the other items we’ve packed and that makes us have to fall back on the same old outfit. If, on the other hand, we learn to pack an “ecosystem” this will ensure that every piece goes together, allowing you to maximize the number of outfits you can create. This will stimulate your creativity and give you the freedom of knowing that even if you are in a pinch, everything works, making you look more “premium”. How to achieve this ecosystem?
– First of all select a color palette, I’d say no more than 3/4, this ensure that everything looks cohesive and thought out.
– Consider the lengths! Do your bottoms worth with your shoes? Do your tops work with the silhouettes of your bottoms?
– Take some time to play dress-up, try a 5×5 or a 10×10, see what you come up with, you might surprise yourself.

See how everything works together? When your pieces are complementary, you can easily mix and match and always get a fresh look!

4. Accessories

I think that when we travel, accessories are the last thing we think of, but they really could be making all the difference, adding that touch of spice that makes us feel our best. My tip is to select a few items: jewelry, a scarf, some shades maybe a belt, that can add the flair you need to make you really stand out and feel 100%.

5. Stick to what you know

I know that when we travel we can be tempted to pack all those “fancy” clothes, thinking this will be the occasion we will wear them. But in truth there’s probably a reason you don’t wear those garments all that often isn’t there? So what makes us think that we’ll magically want to wear them when we are on holiday? Let’s be real, on holiday, things don’t always go as planned, they usually involve a crazy amount of walking, and at times even facing unexpected weather conditions. The truth is that in all these situations, we want to be comfortable and wearing our tried and true jeans, sweaters, boots, not that super cute minidress that we couldn’t resist but barely wear because it’s out of our comfort zone. The best way to ensure you actually enjoy your trip starts by ensuring you are comfortable in your clothes and footwear.

6. Don’t panic

Lastly, don’t panic! Even though I try to discourage impulse buying don’t forget that they have stores at your destination country as well! If it turns out you’ve forgotten your underwear (so sorry if you did), or if it’s much colder than expected you can always pick something up there. If that happens you’ll have a wonderful garment to remind you of your trip and you still packed light and easy!

What do you guys think? Do you have any other tips? Let me know!