Carrying the right clothes on vacation can be challenging, whether it’s your first trip or you’re a seasoned globetrotter. Whether you are planning a quick road trip, weekend getaway, or a week-long holiday, don’t leave your fashion quotient behind.
Travel isn’t synonymous with style. In fact, it’s the antithesis. But it needn’t be that way. There’s no secret formula, no hidden recipe, and no reason to be strolling around in zip-off cargo pants and jelly shoes. Scroll through for a bit of inspiration.
Packing For A Vacation
1. Check the Weather
Before you start planning your trip, learn more about the weather forecast of your vacation destination if you don’t check the weather beforehand. If you don’t bother to check the weather before you start packing, you might end up spending money on clothing for the weather.
For example, as the weather frequently changes, even though it is mid-summer, we see rainfall in many cities. So it’s better to be safe and check the weather before you leave for your refreshment vacation.
2. Plan every look
Try to visualize each and every day of your vacation. Think of all the places, activities, and special events you’ll be attending. Some activities such as hiking, scuba diving, and skiing require different items of clothing, and the same goes for any event such as weddings, receptions, and formal events requiring different clothing styles.
Plan out each and every moment of your trip to decide what you want to wear and how you can co-include your outfits together.
3. Coordinate looks
While traveling, it’s better to pack light, only pack clothes that work well with each other. For example, if you’re carrying a jacket, make sure it matches your full sleeves shirt and your T-shirt or a black crop top that goes with your jeans and skirts. This way, you can mix and match clothes, and you don’t pack items you’ll only wear once. This goes for other accessories as well, such as shoes, jewelry, purse, bags, and scarves. Coordinate all of your clothes and accessories with each other, and choose the colors and designs that work together.
Take the minimum amount of inner wear and socks, and you can wash these items every night and wear them again in the morning. This gives you more flexibility with the clothes you decide to carry.
4. Pack Light
Take packing light seriously. This might seem impossible, but trust me, you can pack light with some organization skills. The biggest advantage of packing light is your mobility. You can walk through town or travel on buses or trains, and you won’t have to drag your luggage behind you. This will also help keep your bags safe from thieves. Some important tips to consider while packing light:
- Make sure your clothes match each other. When you pack your clothes, ensure that you carry your white full sleeves shirt, black crop top, t-shirt, blazer, women’s shirt, and blouse. These items can be worn with skirts, pants, and shorts without getting them wrong. This takes effort and time to put together, so take your time and plan in advance.
- Stretch your wardrobe even further by packing a few accessories, like a scarf, a few pieces of jewelry, heels, cute purse, to transform your outfits for an evening at a fine restaurant or night at a club.
- How you pack is another essential factor of packing light. Tightly roll your clothing to gain more space in your luggage. Folding your clothes in half and then moving the clothes allows you to take advantage of every square inch of space.
Now that we have gone through the hacks of including fashionably styled outfits for your vacation, here is a list of some vacation-ready looks that you can definitely try on your next trip:
- For a beach vacation, don’t forget to carry your sundresses. Pair them up with strappy sandals, sunglasses, and a tote bag. For men, there are many men’s shirt brands that are famous for their nautical prints and solid pastel-hued collection. Pair it with blue shorts and espadrilles.
- If you were planning to explore and roam around in the city, skip your heels and pick the ballerinas. Wear something chic like a silk scarf or a hat to complete your look. Men, pack your striped tees, trousers, and classy loafers.
- If you’re traveling between major cities, a chic leather jacket, a black crop top, joggers, and the slip-on sneaker is your perfect outfit. Guys, wear a v-neck t-shirt, and you are good to go.
- Going on an adventure? Quick-drying fashionable elastic bottom trousers or cargo shorts; you can opt for any of them. Combine them with full sleeves shirt or a jacket. Hiking boots and pair of flip-flops are a must.
- While planning your trip to the mountains, it is important to keep in mind the unexpected changes in the weather, so pack clothes that can be easily layered to accommodate the change. Carry jackets, mufflers, socks, pair of comfortable jeans, and a pair of boots.
Choose Coordinating Minimalist Travel Clothes
The secret to creating a minimalist travel wardrobe is learning to think outside of your travel bag. Many people pack individual outfits for each day of their travel, and maybe a “just in case” extra dress and a pair of heels. But packing in such a way can increase the number of items you carry. This is the secret of a travel capsule wardrobe. Everything goes with everything. Instead of 7 different outfits, you should carry 7-10 pieces that all work together no matter how you pair them.
There are three rules that you can follow that never go wrong with pairing.
1. Neutral rule.
The neutral rule is to wear all neutral either on top or on the bottom. It means that there’s plenty of room for color in every outfit! Personally, I prefer to travel in black and grey jeans and some bright colored tops.
2. Complementary colors.
These are colors that are opposite to one another on the color wheel, like orange and blue. When you pair them, they create outfits that have an impact. You can still mix some neutrals into your minimalist travel wardrobe.
3. Pastel hues.
The softness of the pastel hues makes it easy to mix and match. When choosing pieces, stick to faded blues, greens, yellows, and pinks. Some people think pastel hues are only for spring, but who could say no to a powder blue sweater in winter? Pack some pastel tops to match them with both neutrals or complementary colors.
Best Travel Outfits For Style & Comfort
For even more inspiration – here are a few of my favorite travel-friendly outfit combinations.
- Kimono
- Skinny jeans
- Easy maxi dress
- Black tights
- Slouchy boots
- Striped tee
- Boyfriend jeans
- Long sleeves shirt
- Black crop top
- White shirt
I’ve also included additional packing lists that incorporate fashion for business travelers, outdoor adventurers, and summer and winter climate travels below.
Summer Travel Wardrobe
Use this packing list for cruises, beach vacations, and other warm-weather trips.
- Casual t-shirts or tank tops in breathable fabrics (skip long-sleeve tops)
- Short-sleeved blouses or button-up shirts
- 3 bottoms, carry shorts, skirts. (Don’t carry all the jeans)
- Pair of walkable sandals or flip flops (if you are going hiking, carry those shoes as well)
- Pair of nice sandals, shoes, and heels
- Baseball cap or sun hat
- A lightweight sarong
- Beach dress and Sundress
- Shorts/top combo
Winter Travel Wardrobe
Use this packing list for winter travel.
- Comfortable, casual t-shirts for layering
- Long-sleeved base layers for particularly cold days
- Long-sleeved button-up shirt or blouse for dinners or formal outings.
- Sweater, fleece, or hoodie
- Puffer jacket for added insulation (depending on your destination, you need to bring an extra coat as a protection against the rain or wind)
- Bottoms (long johns or leggings to wear underpants on extremely cold days)
- Pair of weather-resistant boots
- Pair of nice, closed-toe shoes
- Pairs of tall socks
- Neck gaiter or scarf
- Beanie
Business Travel Wardrobe
If your travel includes regular meetings, consider adding the following to items in your capsule wardrobe:
- Collared dress blouses or shirts in wrinkle-resistant fabric
- Professional bottom-half pieces (slacks or knee-length skirts)
- Travel blazer
- Pairs of dress socks
- Pair of comfortable dress shoes or block-heeled sandals
- Long sleeve shirt (preferably white)
Adventure Travel Wardrobe
Use this list if you plan to spend a lot of time outdoors:
- T-shirts or tank tops
- Packable fleece or puffer jacket (plus climate-specific gear)
- Pairs of athletic shorts
- Pair of quick-drying travel pants
- Pair of water-friendly shoes
- Baseball hat or visor for sun protection
- Pair of jeans or casual bottoms (to wear when not actively adventuring)
- Pair of multi-use shoes for everyday use
We have here 18 stylish looks to prove you can combine basic clothing items to look good and dressing functionality can coexist.
1. Sweater + Leather Pants + Oxford Shoes
2. Leggings + Turtleneck + Coat
3. Bold-Hued Pants + Blouse + Sandals
4. Boyfriend Jeans + White T-Shirt + Trench Coat
5. Matching Jogger Pants + Shirt Set
6. Neutral-Hued Tailored Pants + Blouse + Flats
7. White Pants + Oversized Shirt + Boots
8. Track Pants + Black Crop Top + Sneakers + Blazer
9. Silk Trousers + Oversized Sweater
10. Yoga Pants + Cashmere Sweater + Statement Bag
11. Wide-Leg Jeans + Booties + Sweater
12. Jumpsuit + Boots
13. Mom Jeans + Cardigan + Sunglasses
14. Matching Track Set
15. Tailored Pants + Bright Sweater + Layered Turtleneck
16. Straight Jeans + Cropped Sweater + Pointed-Toe Flats
17. T-Shirt + Jeans + Duster
18. Blazer + Long-Sleeved Shirt + Flared Jeans
Here’s a list of item that works for all the trips (and pretty much everywhere):
Casual Dress
Casual dress is important to carry. You can put them on for dinner at a restaurant to ice cream run, and it won’t go wrong. Having a dress on hand also means you won’t feel out of place at any time of the day or event.
2 Pairs of Jeans
Instead of traditional blue, opt for pairs of black or grey skinny jeans. They go with any top or shirt. But blue jeans can be a better option if you are traveling in summer.
When exploring beautiful cafes and scenic overlooks, a cardigan is a must. Sometimes you can tie it around your waist and create that cute 20s look.
Black & White Striped Long Sleeve Shirt
The long sleeve option is one of the best because you can wear it all day without getting too hot or cold. A carry long sleeves shirt means you have day and night top-wear without worrying about the occasion.
I follow the “neutral rule” for bottoms and wear vibrant tops. You can wear 3/4 length sleeves or pair a short/sleeveless top with a black cardigan.
Final Word
Make sure that you take more than enough time to plan and pack before you go on vacation so you don’t forget anything. Keep a checklist of all the items that you are carrying; keep this list in your bag; this will simplify your repacking. And if you think there are any casuals missing from your wardrobe, head to Boer And Finch and get your vacation shopping done online with assured quality, great fit, and easy returns available as well.
Packing light requires some flexibility and practice, but once you get the organization skills to pack light, I’m sure you won’t pack heavy again. I know I did! To challenge yourself, aim to pack light next time!
What other tips or tricks do you follow for vacation packing with fashion?
