While I'm waiting at the airport and preparing for tomorrow's Winning Wednesday I figured I can enlighten you all with the likes of Michie from Michie Doll! Being from the midwest I tend have troubles not looking like a tourist when trying to pack practically for a vacay, so I asked the stylish Michie how she goes about packing'n'traveling without looking like this:
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Hi! My name’s Michie and I write The Michie Doll blog. It’s all about the happy things in my life – my family, boyfriend, fashion, design, style, art, books, etc. When Jaime asked me to write about my packing strategy for staying stylish on vacation, I immediately thought about taking off to the beach. Being from Toronto, Canada, I do not purposely travel to places where the temperature is cold. Instead, my preferred destination involves a week on a sandy beach getting my boyfriend hyper on girly mixed drinks. (He’s such a lightweight; it’s cute!) However, with the new bag weight restrictions and my shoe habit, I’ve had to learn to pare it down while traveling. This is the way I’ve learned to do it, stay under the weight restriction and still look like a doll while enjoying some quality travel time! I hope it helps you too.
It all starts with my list:
Yes, I’m a big nerd and I make lists. However, so far, I haven’t forgotten anything! (I realize there are several important items missing from that list.) It helps to ensure that all my clothes work with more than one other thing in the case.
Versatility is so key for me. The uber-awesome, can only wear for that one special occasion dress? Leave it at home. Unless you’re going to elope or you expect your partner to propose, you’ll be sorry you packed it. I stick to easy to match patterns, like stripes, neutral florals and polka dots and bring good basics to match. I say neutral, but what I really mean is “easy to match”. A white tank with black polka dots goes with almost every single thing in my closet, but that pink/green floral tank may not.
While I am mostly a dress/skirt girl, I make sure to bring some shorts too. I wear them to the beach, but I always seem to want to be a little more casual once I arrive and start to really relax. The following are really good basics to pack that will match with everything:
I love dresses that will work during the day and into the night.
I picked two examples that have cute prints. If we go on an impromptu dinner date, I don’t feel like a bum, but if not, these are lightweight cottons that are casual enough for me to throw them on anyway.
Bathing suits are such a huge part of a beach vacation, so I always make sure to over-pack them. I can justify it because a bikini has almost no weight.
Plus there are reasons to over-pack them beyond getting dirty. One suit that is amazing for tan lines; the white one has a removable string in the middle and it’s a super cute gold and white pattern. The second is just in case we do any water sports, like surfing, where keeping your top may be an issue, but it’s also reversible, which is cool for a mix and match look. Also, it doesn’t have any embellishment that will get ruined or more importantly hurt you while doing said activity – I had bruises for days after going surfing for the first time in a bikini that had some beads between the girls. Finally, I like to bring a hot, “look at me” bikini, just, well, because. It’s fun to be pretty!
If you’re anything like me, you wear heels a lot. So, unless I’m planning on hiking the Amazon jungle, I leave the runners at home and stick to one pair of wedges in a colour that will go with most outfits and that I can wear all day in lieu of runners. The way I get away with it, since they are heavy, is by wearing the wedges on the plane. My only exception is if heavy sightseeing is in the game plan, then I’ll usually stick in a pair of flats.
I know what you’re thinking. What about the grimy airport floors, crawling with diseases as yet unknown to modern science, you ask? You don’t wear socks with your flats/wedges/sandals either? I have a solution and I’m so excited to talk about these:
I call them mini socks. They may look ugly, but these babies keep you from getting blisters in your flats or wedges and you can avoid the airport security floor when you are forced to remove your shoes. The best part is that I bought two pairs (black and nude) in a pack that cost $8!
Speaking of airports: They were designed by the devil. I am alternately cold upon arriving, boiling during the security line up, comfortable while waiting to board and then freezing again on the plane and I know it’s not just me. The only way to deal with this is to wear layers.
I’m always chilly, so bringing a jacket and/or a colourful cardigan or long-sleeved tees is important, but I have trouble justifying the space. Instead, I make sure to prepare a cute and comfy outfit for the plane. My general uniform is jeans, tee, cardigan, a light jacket with wedges and a cute summer scarf. This way I get to justify the cardigan, light jacket and wedges, while looking nice on the plane and not wasting the precious suitcase space. The jacket and wedges are worn back to Toronto, which is inevitably much colder than my destination. Am I the only one that forgets that when I get back, I have to deal with local weather again? I used to hate being unprepared, but now, I’m weather-proofed and polished!
Happy packing dolls!