Last week Sid wrote about his carry-on-only packing list for a two-week trip. It was a hit… but we got a few people asking where my list was. So I thought… wait… I can do that, too! I am a pretty good packer myself, and, you know, at 63, I should be. I’ve racked up lots of mistakes to learn from and can tell you first-hand that there is nothing worse than 1) bringing the wrong things and not feeling fantastic… or 2) coming home and realizing you didn’t even wear half of what you packed. Not only for the waste of physical space in the suitcase but for the mental space of thinking about it in the first place. So I like to keep in mind the Scouting Motto — “always be prepared” — with as few pieces in my bag as possible. And most of the time it works out pretty well.
As it turns out, I was with Sid on this trip and can attest to the fact that he really does travel this light. (Who do you think took the pictures?) I had booked a last-minute flight to meet him in Sicily for a 5-day portion of the trip with my own trusty carry-on. But like Sid, I could have stretched the contents of my suitcase to last for two weeks. So I’ll walk you through my go-to formula and you can see how it might work for you:
1 dress to wear and re-wear, day and night. I brought a black linen dress from about 4 years ago and wore it to dinner on night 1 and night 3. You could get the same idea with this wonderful little dress. I would wear it with flat sandals… or even rubber soccer slides and unbelted walking the streets in the daytime and then cinch it at the waist for evening to give it a different feel. (In fact, this one would have been the perfect thing to wear not just to dinner but on our factory visits — Sid was in a tie so I felt a little underdressed in the denim I wore.) For me, the key is that it’s a solid color so you won’t get sick of it the way you will with a bold print… but nothing wrong with re-wearing a print you love as well. I promise you, no one at your destination is thinking “hey… I saw her in that YESTERDAY!” This dress would do the same thing beautifully in just a slightly more interesting fabrication.
1 boyfriend-ish shirt. This is my go-to beach cover-up and I wear it with a pareo over my bathing suit. You can wear it on the flight home… It’ll smell like sunscreen, which is a nice little sensory experience for your journey.
1-3 white cotton peasant-type tops. This one is my very favorite and screams vacation to me. I own multiples… so I brought two! And this one, too. You just need one, though.
1 shirt for the plane. I usually choose something slightly romantic (like this one) that I can wear a silk scarf with… don’t ask me why but I just feel kind of “international” in this more than a preppy-looking button-down. A safari-style shirt is also a great alternative.
1 pareo. Doubles as a skirt for daytime… as well as a beach mat if you want to save the towel for drying off without any pesky sand on it. You can also stuff it in your tote and use it to make a little tent for yourself on the flight.
1 beach hat. I like this packable one, but a straw hat works as well if you just wear it on the flight.
2 bathing suits. Okay, I indulged myself and brought an extra, but you seriously just need one. If you look great in it, you look great in it.
1-2 striped tees. This with a skirt is another evening alternative, but also looks great worn more casually with a pareo. I didn’t even get a chance to wear this on my trip, but would have! Speaking of…
1 skirt. I brought a navy bias-cut silk one, but I would have packed this fantastic pull-on cotton one or this faille one if I’d had the chance to buy either before I left. It would have been great with any of the white shirts, too.
2 tote bags. I put the beach tote inside my leather airplane tote, Russian-nesting-doll-style. Purse inside purse.
1 pair of flat sandals. These criss-cross ones scream vacation (almost as loudly as the peasant tops!) and the ankle-wrap style is my absolute favorite.
1 pair of espadrilles. I brought RED, which goes with everything.
Cowboy boots. Yes, even in the summer. I am probably an outlier on this but my ankles always freeze on the plane. I am shocked to see my fellow passengers in sandals — I get goosebumps just looking at them. So boots it is. For what it’s worth, I don’t find that my feet swell on the overnight flights so much when I wear them (cowgirl compression socks?!) They are my go-to travel shoes 12 months a year.
1 pair of jeans. Yes, just one. Wear them on the flight. I broke my own rule on this and the white pair remained in my suitcase, untouched. I hate myself for even bringing a second. What was I thinking?! I know better! I do love to bring white denim... but I can only count on wearing it once in case I spill something on it. I did it.. but you have to accept that it is a trade off for something you might wear twice! Which is probably part of the reason I never broke mine out. I’d stick with blue or black for the actual journey. I could have worn them on the flight home! Oh well.
1 sweater to tie around your shoulders or wear (!) for warmth on the airplane. Alternatively, a pullover can be nice if you like a little more texture or pattern.
1 jacket if isn’t the dead of summer, like a suede safari-style jacket or my M65… I love having the pockets for my passport and wallet and phone and tea bags and candy wrappers and so on and so on and so on…
1 pair of fancy earrings. I don’t like to travel with a lot of extra jewelry beyond my everyday stuff. I wear small gold hoops and then bring a “special” pair like these to wear out to dinner at night to jazz up my plain dress.
A few small scarves. The silk one is my airplane accessory (for my international getup!) but also goes nicely in the hair or on the head… actually, though, I like cotton ones better as head wraps or neck wraps. Tie one around your plane tote handle and then use it to cover your eyes to sleep if you are traveling in coach and they don’t give you an eye mask in the Comfort Plus kit.
And then an honorable mention goes to Lara, the pant I did not bring, but should have. It is THE perfect pair of pants for travel. They do not stretch out and you can truly wear them off the plane and straight to a dinner party by switching out your plane sweater for a silk blouse and some heels. Nothing new to tell you here as I have not only written about them myself, but have shared them with our great friend and most brilliant of all travel editors, Yolanda Edwards, who wears and swears by them! She can tell you about them much better than I can… just like she can tell you about travel much better than I can. I can just tell you what to pack. In fact, this eleventh-hour Sicily trip was tipped off and kind of encouraged by her. Every recommendation was spot on. You need to know her, I promise!
A few more bits and bobs: I always sneak in my running kit because there is nothing better than taking a jog through a new city. The shoes do take up a lot of space but can be stuffed with little hotel soaps on the flight back… which make really nice memories when I get to come home and take a bath and smell it all over again.
Next, I always make space for a packable nylon duffle bag just in case I want to bring home souvenirs and need to check after all. Half the fun of the trip is buying stuff there. I never ever EVER check on the way there, but I’m happy to risk it on the flight home!
Lastly, if I’ll be in the sun, I decant sunscreen in old pill bottles. It is just enough for the first day or two on the beach… and then I can always refill with the cool local sunscreen I pick up at the drugstore locally and bring that home with me. Talk about a scent memory!
Okay… that may be the bottom of the barrel… now that I’ve shared my jankiest tip yet (SPF in medication bottles) I think I will call it a day. While I’m sure I could scrounge around in my head for some more random tips, that feels like a good one to end on. I hope you have an exotic destination or two on your docket for this summer. Give that packing formula a try and let me know how it goes. And go follow Yolanda if you need some tips on what to do when you get there! Bon voyage.
