Looking good on the road anywhere you travel, without lugging around huge suitcases, is quite doable.
The new airline policies are cracking down on baggage limitations and making it harder for us to fit our whole closet (just in case) into two suitcases. But with these practical tips, you won’t need more than a small carry-on suitcase to look your best while you are away from home.
- Grab, Roll and Tuck
Maximize space by neatly rolling your clothing and tucking each item into your suitcase. An added advantage to this technique is that you avoid wrinkling your clothes!
Start with the bulkiest items and work up to the lighter ones.
- Go Neutral
To make sure you get the widest variety of outfits to choose from when get to your destination, pick the most neutral items of clothing so you can easily combine them.
White, gray, black and beige are perfect, and you can still add a splash of color here and there.
Also pick the watch that best suits your dress. There are a lot of minimalistic designs perfect for women reviewed on https://www.spotthewatch.com by James Hampton-Smith and his team. Take a look and you just might somethin you fancy.
- Interchangeable Clothing
Choose clothing with the most mix-and-match variety.
For example:
- Dresses that can become more informal by throwing on a cardigan or sweater.
- Colored tights to add a touch of color or to dress down skirts and dresses.
- Comfortable shoes that will both look and feel great either day or night.
- The Little Black Dress
It never fails.
Be armed and ready for any unexpected situation, such as a hot date or special event, with your LBD (little black dress).
With the right accessories at hand, you can dress it up or down to fit any social events that you might encounter during your next vacation.
- Travel-size Products
You can still take all your favorite beauty products, but in travel sized containers.
If you can’t buy your preferred shampoo and conditioner brands in this size, you can always purchase small travel containers to put them into.
Next time you buy makeup make sure to request some samples that you can use later on when you travel so you don’t have to carry the “originals”. If you pack them in your carry-on luggage, don’t forget to have them all neatly tucked into a plastic bag so that you can easily access them when going through security check-points.
- Think Layers
If you’re going to a colder destination or you’re not sure about the weather, think about clothing items that you can easily layer. Tank tops, light sweaters, cardigans, tights and the like are an ideal way to be ready for cold weather forecasts.
- Wear the Heaviest and Bulkiest Items On D-Day
Don’t try to pack a heavy coat into your suitcase: you’ll take up most of the space available.
Instead, opt to wear it on you when you head to the airport. If it’s too hot, you can easily take it off and store it in an overhead compartment once you board the plane/train, or your preferred method of transportation.
- Do NOT Over-pack
The main reason behind why women over-pack is the infamous question, “What if…?”.
If you’re traveling somewhere, be it for business or pleasure, you will never be 100% prepared for the unexpected.
That is half of the fun. Embrace it, and look forward to these unexpected situations to have an excuse to go shopping. Just make sure you leave some extra room in your suitcase to bring all your new purchases back home!
*Remember: DO NOT underestimate the importance of clean underwear and socks!
What are some of your travel essentials? A piece of clothing or accessory you never leave home without?
14 Comments
Scarves! They are so versatile and can change every outfit, even be used as a sarong if big enough. Ideal for a bad hair day too.
So true! How could I have forgotten!? I even use scarves to cover my head while I sleep on planes or anywhere public. They also function perfectly as an impromptu picnic blanket 😀
I would reccomend a pair of black pants and a pair of black shorts. There is nothing worse than being stuck somewhere grungy being unable to sit down because you’ve got your glamorous cream pants on and all possible sitting spots are dirty. (Hmm… perhaps you could sit on your scarf?)
If you’re going hard core, be prepared to say goodbye to some of your clothes along the way. Things get stretched at $2 laundries, ripped when hiking, strained and stained. Don’t waste time mourning clothes.
Agh… how many times have I done the good old -so 90’s- sweatshirt wrapped around my waist! Usually to hide something staining my ass. Black shorts/pants make so much more sense!
Do you know where to buy those little flowery tights in the photo? Love ’em.
No idea, it’s a stock photo… BUT, I am a big fan of tights/stockings and there are many websites online selling only that, in every different color and print that you can imagine. So I’d check some out 😀
Even though I’m a man, I’m gonna have to agree with Inka here on the scarves. My wife LOVED all the scarves she purchased while we were on the road. They became so versatile in so many ways, from completely changing the look of an outfit to being used for warmth on a cold bus or train. Not only that, but if you are going to a destination like SE Asia or India, you can buy them for super cheap and have awesome souvenirs and gifts to bring home. And they weight next to nothing. And scarves have seemed to become very popular at home (at least in the US) in the last few years.
“…versatile in so many ways, from completely changing the look of an outfit….”, I am SO glad to know that some men STILL notice these things. Your wife is a very lucky woman!
A male contribution:
Jeans, t-shirts.
Voila!
Ah, so simple but yet so classic!
Jeans are heavy though, that’s why I try to avoid them. BUT, they are a heavy-duty, long-lasting alternative…
Do not over-pack I think is such a vital tip. I’ve found the less I have the less hassles I experience.
I never realized just how necessary it is to roll clothing in order to conserve space and to also avoid wrinkles. One thing I have done in the past when packing jeans (which I will probably no longer do going forward) is laying those flat and at the bottom of the suitcase first, folded in half. This has always allowed me to bring up to 3 pairs without overusing space. Travel sized products are a must only if they are things you cannot obtain once you have arrived at your destination (a specific face wash, for example). Otherwise I try to save space on things like shampoo and soap until I arrive. The advice for wearing your heaviest items the day you leave is CRUCIAL. I have found this particularly helpful when I need to bring boots with me. A good pair of lightweight leather boots will not overheat your feet, so you can wear them in most conditions when flying.
Great tips Paulette!
When I went backpacking for 5-weeks, I put a lot of things in ziplock bags and squeezed the air out of it – I had an underwear bag, a t-shirt bag, a “dirty clothes” bag, etc. and it saved a lot of space, kept my backpack organized, and separated my dirty clothes from my clean ones.