Here's How to Pack for Vacay
I love finding out new people who read my blog. So when Judith Garcia from Wheaton College, Facebook IMed about Closet Casualties, I was blown away! Judith asked if I had any packing tips for her romantic trip to South Africa with her boyfriend. Below is the email I sent to Judith:
I'm so excited for your trip with your man! These are a few pieces that I think would be great for you! The most important thing is packing pieces that you can mix and match, especially when it comes to your shoes!
So for me the hardest thing for me to not over pack are pants and skirts, I always want to bring them all but of course I can't :( The best way to resolve this issue is to pull out your favorite pairs pants, jeans and skirts then narrow them down to the top 7-10.
Once you get the pants/skirts down, pull out an assortment of long & short sleeve shirts that you can easily mix and match - throw a couple of tanks in there too for those really really hot days. Oh! Don't forget to throw in some cardigans/sweaters just in case you need to do some light layers and if the nights get cool.
You know how maxi dresses are must have staples for the summer time? Luckily, you're traveling during South Africa's summer season. Throw in a few maxi dresses, they're so light weight and perfect to walk around in. Also, they make the perfect outfit for those romantic meals I'm sure you'll be having :-)
The hardest part now are the shoes, as girls we want to pack them all but our luggage (and boyfriend) won't permit it. Grab your favorites and then be realistic in those choices, do you really need two pairs of black flats? No. If you have a pair of Toms- throw those in, when traveling you need great walking shoes. Cute sandals and strappy heels are definite but keep those down to a minimum of 2 each. Remember when choosing, which shoes to bring make sure each pair is versatile enough for different outfits. If a pair only works for one dress - don't bring them not worth losing that space in your bag.
Now I'm sure your closet is FILLED with treasures so don't feel like you need to go shopping for this trip. Pull everything out of your drawers and closet - seriously pull everything out. Take a look at what you have and start shopping there. As girls we tend to think we have "nothing" in our closets but in reality we really do! Improvise with what you have and try to match things that you've never put together before. Playing dress up before a trip can save you a lot of money from running in and out of stores.
Attached are some of my favorite pieces that I think would be amazing for your trip!
Let me know what you think :-)
PS: Here are some pieces I found on some of my favorite sites:
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=dress&ProductID=2000074828&VariantID=
http://www.tobi.com/product/51402-tobi-lost-in-folds-maxi-skirt?color_id=69324
http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/clothes-blouses/30118806.jsp?cm_sp=Fluid-_-30118806-_-Regular_22
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=27802313&parentid=W_APP_DRESSES
http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=bottom_skirt&ProductID=2000050781&VariantID=