I’m fortunate to travel often, but packing for a holiday is still a bit of a challenge. It gets even trickier for longer trips (three weeks or more), though short trips also require some planning to ensure I look good while away.
My Packing Routine
This week, I’m heading to sunny Cebu in the Philippines for a one-week vacation filled with sun, beachside lunches, and evening dinners. Since I don’t expect any cold weather, packing for this trip should be pretty straightforward and take about an hour.
How I Usually Pack for a Short Holiday:
1. I pick out my favorite current outfits that are suitable for the trip and lay them on the bed.
2. I sort them into categories: dresses, skirts, tops, bottoms, and outerwear.
3. Then, I think about how many outfits I’ll need, dividing them into evening, beach, and any other types of outfits required.
4. I create outfit capsules by matching the clothes. For instance, if I have a top, skirt, trousers, cardigan, blouse, and dress in the same color scheme, I can mix and match these six items into multiple outfits suitable for different weather.
5. I select one pair of flats and one pair of dress shoes to go with these capsules.
For longer trips, I have to be really disciplined in creating these capsules to avoid overpacking. As we get older, heavy suitcases become harder to manage, so I aim to keep my luggage as light as possible (though I don’t always succeed!).
6. I choose accessories that fit with my capsules.
7. I usually end up with two main color schemes, so I pack about four pairs of shoes and a pair of good walking shoes. For longer trips, I remind myself to pack less than I think I need because I’ll likely buy new clothes during the trip and need to leave space for those in my suitcase.
This time, I went with neutral colors, focusing on pink, white, purple, and grey. These outfits mix and match easily, giving me plenty of options for the holiday. Of course, I also packed one or two brightly colored sundresses for the daytime to add a bit of color. Seeing how neutral my selection is reminds me that I should stock up on some brighter colors!
How do you pack for your holidays?
