Ciao everyone! Coming to you live from Milan, Italy and wanted to share with you today some of my super hacks for packing like a PRO. This week I was so fortunate and was able to attend our good friend’s beautiful and breath taking wedding on Lake Como. We had such a fabulous time and made so many great friends from across the country.
Anyways, I LOVE travel, I mean, who doesn’t? I am actually that weirdo that loves to pack, it is so liberating for some reason! 😉 There is nothing more exciting than packing knowing you are going to wear your normal, everyday attire in a foreign place, am I crazy? I have been traveling a bunch lately, and have mastered the art of packing to a tee into your little old carry on. You’d be surprised how much you can fit in one of those bad boys!! You can give me 10 minutes and I can finish packing with a minute to spare. Before I get too cocky, here are my MUST HAVES and tips when traveling, whether you are going to the desert or the snow. You can obviously accommodate accordingly, but these necessities will have you looking totally chic wherever you end up!
1.) Jeans – these are sooo crucial to me when traveling. Not only are they super versatile, but with cool, edgy jeans being all the rave, I love bringing two types of jeans that are totally contrary, like one black ripped ankle jean and one two toned cropped flare. But you can pick and choose whether you want to commit to two jeans, I just always tend to gravitate toward a pair of jeans and a tee – so easy and so cute! That’s another thing with jeans, you can wear them with literally anything, making packing tops a whole lot easier. I am kind of a germaphobe so I like alternating between two!
Pro Tip: I like make a general color scheme when planning all my outfits, which seems really extra, but makes the process of packing much more effortless when you have a certain palette in mind when looking at all your clothes. I like to consider where I am going and pick a color from there, so then I feel even more so enveloped in the culture and can mix and match pieces together.
2.) Dresses – I cannot emphasize enough how AMAZING dresses/rompers are when traveling. It is one piece of clothing that makes up a whole outfit which is so incredible. And you look so trendy wearing a dress or romper, it’s just a fact. I typically bring 3-5 dresses/rompers that is how psycho I am. An example of what I would bring would be a white off the shoulder dress, a black slip dress, two fun dresses like a wrap dress or pom poms or something, and then a long dress or jumpsuit. And its totally normal to feel a little over dressed but logistically, dresses are a packers dream and they are so so comfy. There are soooo many dresses on the market, and are so worth packing in your bag.
Pro Tip: GO BOLD. You’re traveling, who cares! I love sampling super fun trends and accessories because why not! You’ll never see these people again, so go big or go home! Try out those out there trends and you and your camera roll won’t regret it 😉
3.) Skirts and shorts – This is more optional, but I feel like unless you are going to somewhere brutally cold, you will be inside at some point and can warm these up with some tights. I find It so helpful to bring a denim skirt because again, they are so basic and can be paired with anything. You can dress it up for a nice dinner or dress it down for a day trip. Even a cute flowy pant or skirt is so fun! The same goes for shorts, if you’re going to the beach, you will definitely want to bring shorts, but skirts and shorts can be so cute and effortless, which is ultimately my goal when traveling.
4.) Tops – I ALWAYS bring a black and a white tee, no matter what. I find this can get you through any situation and are total go-tos for everyone. So this is where it gets fun. If you want to align your shirts to a color palette, this part will come really naturally and you will be surprised how much in your closet you actually have! I like to bring two trendy tops, like a concert tee or a ruffle top or whatever. Definitely try to incorporate a tank, a short sleeve and a long sleeve, just to be safe. Oh yeah, have I mentioned I am kind of an over packer 😉 I typically like to stick to comfortable tops, so whatever feels best for you will work amazingly. 🙂
5.) Outerwear – This can also vary, but I find it comforting to bring at least one super cozy hoodie, cause when do you not need one? And then I stick to one jacket that I can throw on over anything, like a jean jacket or bomber jacket. As fall is right around the corner, I am kinda digging a furry jacket, its just so stinking cute I can’t even handle it!
6.) Shoes – This is by far the hardest part. Just wear whatever is comfortable for you and fits your travel itinerary well. Some go-tos of mine are platform sneakers, a heeled bootie or sandal, and a slide mule. Again, as long as you are comfy, you should know what is right for you!
Aaaaand that’s it! I am far from a perfect packer, but I find that this works for me and has gotten me through everything! Packing is truly a skill, and I only hope that I can be super baller at it some day. This is just your everyday girl’s guide to packing, nothing too fancy. However, as I mentioned earlier, don’t be afraid to spice things up with a fun baker boy hat or sunglasses! Its so fun to rock that travel street style! I hope this helped your packing technique, I will see you soon!
xx, Madison
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