Packing for a trip can be stressful for some people, but it doesn’t have to be! You don’t need to pack your entire wardrobe for a week away from home. Is there really anything in your closet you can’t survive without for a week? As long as you remember your basics: proper identification, currency, medicines, basic hygiene necessities, and your clothes, you should be good to go. If you forget anything, you can always run to a store and pick up a replacement.
Wardrobe Wire is all about minimalism and packing light when traveling, so we wanted to share some tips people have shared with us. Happy trails!
If it wrinkles badly, I won’t pack it. Roll your clothes – it saves space and doesn’t wrinkle as much. Pack clothes that compliment each other and that you can layer for warmth and different looks. If I’m going some place where I can get away with wearing a lot of black, then that’s what I’ll pack because it’s easier. I’m absent-minded and tend to lose or forget stuff, which means I pack very few accessories. Less is more. (Although sometimes, less is hard.) - Justine Musk
I start with the shoes. I pick a pair that will function in any situation, and I work from there up! – Sky Nellor
I pack my outfits in two-gallon Ziploc bags. This way I don't have to dig around my bag to put my outfit together when I'm rushing to get ready. – Elyse Walker
When I fly to conferences around the world, I tend to bring outfits that I feel great in and that I can wear the whole day since I probably won’t be going back to the hotel in the middle of the day. I always bring a black dress and a dark skirt that I can wear with different sets of tops. I try to think about which outfit I will wear each day and, if I have the time, I will create an Excel spreadsheet with the possible different combinations. Yes, I know it sounds geeky, but it always saves me from trouble to think of things beforehand. – Debbie Berebichez
When traveling, I keep it light and simple. It’s about compromise. I bring one pair of shoes that are both comfortable enough for sightseeing and proper for hitting the nightlife. Not my most comfortable pair of Nikes, and not my sharpest dress shoes. I pack one pair of jeans, shorts if summer, and swimsuit if appropriate. Otherwise, an amount of solid t-shirts, boxers, socks consistent with my travel stay or desire to hang out in a foreign laundromat. I bring one jacket, one long sleeve layer, and one button-down. I always carry a light rain suit and umbrella. Along with other toiletries and logistical items, everything fits in a backpack, and school bag, front and back. Lastly, bring a camera. Long after your trip, you’ll look back at photos and remind yourself what you saw. You’ll be amazed at what you forgot. – Dr. Matthew Vasey M.D.
