Packing in style is already a difficult task in itself, but packing as a mum, when you have so many others to think about, is an additional challenge.
Worry not, because we’ve got you covered. To ensure you’ve got everything you need to keep your fashion game on point during your trip – and not totally embarrass your kids – here are a few tips for you:
List Down the Essentials
The most basic thing you need to do first is to list down your essentials. What counts as essential pieces will vary for everyone, since it depends on your style, on the climate of the place you’re traveling to, and the items available to you at the moment.
If you’re traveling to a colder place, for example, shop tights with thicker deniers, scarves, and other layering pieces to keep you warm beneath your outerwear.
Meanwhile, warmer climates will call for sheer clothing and far fewer layers. Your summer outfits will also take up much less packing space.
Prioritize Your Comfort
While you do want to look good in your travel photos, it’s important to prioritize your comfort above everything else. After all, you can’t access your full wardrobe while you’re on a trip, which means you can’t easily change into something else if you start feeling uncomfortable with what you’re currently wearing.
That said, your choice of shoes will be a central consideration when it comes to comfort.
Since you put all your weight on your feet and expect to do a lot of walking when traveling, make sure to protect your feet. This doesn’t mean resorting to frumpy or undesirable shoes, though.
You can always invest in travel shoes that look fashionable and feel comfortable to wear. These include slip-ons and sandals for warmer weather and low-heeled boots for colder weather.
Prepare Your Travel Capsule Wardrobe
As the name implies, a capsule wardrobe is basically a smaller but curated collection of clothing pieces that mix and match well with each other. In this “capsule,” you should be able to come up with all your essential outfits.
Because you only need a few key pieces to create a capsule wardrobe, you can save a lot of luggage space, giving you more room to bring home some souvenirs or your new fashion hauls (or lets me honest, all your kids stuff!)
To start, select a few good pieces to bring with you, such as your go-to shirts, dresses, and at least two pairs of shoes. Also remember that your travel capsule wardrobe should be curated specifically for the trip you’re taking.
So, if you’re going somewhere sunny, it wouldn’t make sense to pack in a thick coat, even if it’s part of your usual wardrobe at home.
Once you’ve weeded out clothes you won’t be needing on your trip, trim down your selection based on an overall colour palette. You can never go wrong, for example, with pieces that all come in warm hues or solid cool colours.
Planning how you’ll look in photos means making sure your attires are coordinated, and one way to do this is by making sure your clothes have a running theme, like summer tones or minimalist fashion.
Pack a Few Accessories
If you find that you’re starting to run out of luggage space but still want to add variety to your outfits, fret not. You can drop a few of your more repetitive clothing pieces and pack a handful of accessories instead.
This is a great way to save on luggage space and still have everything you need to create lots of dynamic ensembles. Worn well, accessories can liven up even the simplest of outfits and can add a pop of colour or visual interest to neutral-coloured clothing.
You’ll want to look for necklaces or earrings that perfectly frame your face and highlight your outfit.
Try to diversify your accessory selection as well. Bring a few different types of bangles and bracelets, or go for light jewelry alongside chunkier pieces like statement earrings.
The best thing about accessories is that because they’re so lightweight and easy to pack, you can bring a lot more of them with you. So, don’t hesitate to bring some extra options, just in case.
Include Extras for Just-in-Case Moments
During your travels, you never know when you might end up going on a spontaneous adventure. So, include a few extra clothes that you can wear for surprise activities like a sudden hiking trip or a visit to a nearby beach.
You don’t necessarily have to pack too many of these kinds of clothes, either. Opt for just a few easy to bring ensembles for those activities that require specific kinds of outfits, and stick to one extra pair of footwear that’s a different type from the main pair you’ll be wearing.
For example, if you’ll mostly be wearing sneakers during your trip, then pack a pair of sandals in case you need to wear something a little less constricting.
Downsize Your Toiletries and Makeup
Any chic traveller’s got to have her supply of tried and tested beauty and hygiene products on-hand. Do note, though, that bringing entire bottles of lotion, hand wash, or shampoo would take up too much room in your travel bag or suitcase.
The same goes for your favourite makeup products. It’s simply not practical to try and bring a huge palette of eyeshadow or a whole bottle of foundation if you’ll only be gone for a short while.
To minimize the amount of luggage space eaten up by your toiletries without having to leave behind any of your favourite products, all you’ve got to do is downsize these essentials.
This means packing each of your beauty products and toiletries into smaller containers and only filling these containers with enough product to last you for a few days or weeks. This way, you won’t add any more unnecessary weight to your already fully packed luggage, and you won’t have to skip on any of your usual beauty routines, either.
Packing light without sacrificing fashion can be a bit daunting at first. However, you don’t have to go through the process completely clueless. After reading this article, you now have a lot of practical tips you can apply to your own packing method.
Remember: you’ve got full control over what does and doesn’t go into your luggage. Make the most out of the opportunity to mix and match outfits, select great accessories, and pack in a few other extras just in case any surprise activities or events come up. As long as you always plan ahead, you shouldn’t have a problem bringing only what you need and will actually wear during your trip.