If you’ve ever over-packed your suitcase or packed things you never wore during your trip, don’t feel bad.
There’s actually a kind of science to packing light and fashionable, and it’s not that difficult to do if you follow these four very basic rules.
4 Basic Rules To Help You Pack Light AND Fashionable
#1) Pick clothing items that match your travel location, its culture, the weather and activities.
Packing clothing items to match your location isn’t just about checking the weather. You have to consider your activities. Will you be going out on the town, working out, doing lots of walking or going to the beach?
If you are travelling someplace very different from your own culture, you should do a little research to make sure you don’t dress inappropriately unless of course you want to draw a lot of attention to yourself.
For example, I have a friend who went to Egypt and wore a spaghetti strap top and shorts, not realizing that this was a no-no in a land where women dress very conservatively and do not show skin for religious reasons. She was getting catcalls and getting stared at a lot until she finally figured out that she stood out like a sore thumb.
#2) Choose a simple colour palette and lightweight layer-able clothing.
Choose a simple colour palette and bring clothing that matches that palette. Like magic, the 5 shirts, 4 bottoms and 3 dresses you packed for your trip turns into over 23 different outfits because everything you brought can be worn together (thanks to the colour palette). 2 weeks’ worth of clothing in one carry-on. Nothing will clash, and you’ll look effortlessly stylish.
If you need help choosing a colour palette or want to learn more about this, check out this link. http://into-mind.com/blog/2014/08/25/how-to-choose-a-versatile-colour-palette-for-your-wardrobe-incl-36-sample-colour-palettes
Another trick is to choose items that are lightweight so you can layer them. This way, you can just layer up for warmth if you need to.
#3) Choose Versatile, comfortable shoes
Shoes weigh a lot and take up a lot of space, so make sure you bring shoes that are versatile and can be worn with multiple outfits. Take ankle
To cut down on the amount of space shoes take in your luggage, try wearing your heaviest bulky shoes rather than packing them. Also, don’t let those nooks and crannies of your shoes go to waste. Pack your undies and or socks in them to maximize every inch of space.
#4) Use accessories to add colour, bring to life and expand the looks of your outfits.
Scarves are an easy and lightweight way to add punch to your outfits. Plus, they can also do double duty as a sarong or a shoulder wrap for the evening. I use them on planes to cover up when it gets chilly. I often bring scarves in lieu of necklaces. I always have two pairs of earrings.
One last thing about how to pack light
Try to plan your packing ahead. Don’t wait for the last minute.
It never ends well, and you’ll end up with clothing items that just don’t go together.
