What do you think is my most asked question about packing? It’s not “how many shoes should I bring?” (although I have a definite opinion on that.) It’s not “should I fold or should I roll?” It’s “how can I stop overpacking?”
If you just grab a bunch of clothes and put them in a bag (without thinking about what goes with what) – you’re probably overpacking. If you take a lot of ‘what if’ styles (what if it rains? what if we go on a boat? what if I need something fancy?) – you’re probably overpacking. If you typically don’t wear a lot of what you bring on a trip – you’re definitely overpacking.
I know it’s tempting to bring extra things. To want to plan for contingencies. Or to want more choices that can fit in your suitcase. But here’s the deal – you’ll still enjoy your vacation without 2 extra dresses (or yet another pair of shoes). You won’t have to lug around a heavier-than-necessary suitcase. And the best part – you won’t get home and think, “why did I bring all this stuff that I didn’t wear?”
So, here are 2 secrets to never overpacking again. But I’m going to warn you, it does take some forethought and planning. And it does mean that you can’t bring everything and decide once you get there. You have to pack what you’ll wear and wear what you pack.
PLAN YOUR OUTFITS DAY-BY-DAY
Before you send me a note that says, “Paul, you’re crazy!” – hear me out. The best way to only bring what you’ll wear is to look at your agenda and the weather. And figure out what you need for everything that you’re doing. And then make a logical plan.
I’m not saying that you have to get as detailed as “I’ll wear this on Monday. And this on Tuesday. And this Tuesday night.” (although there’s nothing wrong with that!) But, if you know you’ll be away for 7 days, and one of those days is travel – then you need 6 days’ worth of outfits. Which can mean 6 outfits that work for daytime plans. And then 2-3 outfits that work for evening plans (that you’ll wear more than once). And a minimal number of accessories that work with all the outfits.
I recommend using one of two methods when you’re packing for a trip. The first method works great for short trips – it entails creating one full outfit. And then taking one item from this outfit, to make another outfit. And then going back and grabbing another item (if there is one) from the first outfit to make yet another outfit. And if you’re keep in mind the general ideas of a tight color palette and versatility, things will start naturally working together. Click here to see this method in practice for a holiday trip.
Another method is to look at the number of days you’re away and divide by 2. That’s the number of bottoms you’ll bring. And then pick 2 tops for each bottom – these are all your daytime outfits. And then for evenings, decide the number of times you’ll change in the evening. And then divide that by 2 (since you can wear each one at least twice). And if you prefer to bring less - start again, but divide by 3. Check out how I pulled together a summer vacation wardrobe with this method.
No matter what method you choose, there are 2 super important decisions to make when packing for vacation – which shoes and which jackets you’ll take. Shoes and jackets are typically the largest and heaviest items. So, you want to bring as few as you can of each. My general rule for shoes is 2 daytime shoes to switch off (one of which you’ll wear on the plane) – and these need to work with all your day outfits. And then 1 nighttime shoe to work with all your evening outfits (as needed). Which means that you may not be able to bring your favorite floral print wedges, because they only go with one dress. But you can bring your metallic sandals, because they pretty much work with everything.
One thing that often trips people up when packing is the idea of mixing and matching. If you don’t feel skilled at creating a capsule trip wardrobe that you can combine a bunch of different ways, then don’t. Within the second method I mentioned, you’re creating distinct outfits based on bottoms. So, your shoes and jackets need to work with everything - but your clothes don’t necessarily need to mix with each other to make things work. The only time I’d heavily suggest mixing and matching is when you don’t want to repeat outfits at all. Or you want some flexibility once you’re on your trip.
Before I leave the idea of planning your outfits day by day, I have 2 recommendations. First – take a picture of each outfit as you plan them (so you can refer to them on your trip). Second – if you’re not 100% sure of how these outfits feel when you wear them, try them on as you’re packing. It saves any, “I didn’t realize this top doesn’t work with these pants” moments.
BE REALISTIC
I’ve seen many people spiral off into ‘what if’ territory. What if I decide to work out everyday at the hotel? What if we go to dressy dinners every night? What if it rains every day? Which is why I recommend to be realistic.
Firstly, you’re not a different person on vacation than you are at home. So, if you don’t work out every day at home, or dress up for dinner – you probably won’t on vacation. Secondly (specifically regarding weather issues), be sure to check the forecast and plan for appropriate contingencies. Which means that if rain is in the forecast, your main jacket choice for the trip will be one that works in the rain. And then you’ll also wear this (if needed) on non-rainy days, too.
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying you can’t bring any ‘just in case’ clothes. What I am saying is to think of what is likely to happen (like spilling and needing an extra shirt), as opposed to things that have never actually happened to you on vacation. Because you can be concise, but still build in some flexibility. And you can also bring clothes that do double duty for those ‘just in case’ moments. Here’s one of my favorite ‘just in case’ pieces to bring on a warm weather vacation.
Another aspect of being realistic is knowing the wear and tear you put on your clothes. If you’re going somewhere hot (and you sweat easily), you might not be able to wear certain tops twice. And that’s okay. My recommendation is that if you really do want to wear something twice, wear it first in the evening (when it’s cooler and a for shorter period of time). And then wear it again during the day, before it’s set aside as laundry.
Do you feel more prepared to pack for your next trip? Drop any outstanding questions in the comments.
If you want more summer style advice, click here to sign up for Style Mail. Style Mail is my quick twice-a-month email with style tips, strategies and the mindset shifts I use with my clients to make getting dressed easier. And when you sign up, you get my free guide to what may be missing from your closet – and keeping you from feeling pulled together (it’s based on what many of my clients were missing before we started working together).
