"I can't fit a fifth pair of shoes and an extra sundress in my suitcase? So done. Trip's off."
I'd like you to take notice that I said "almost". This is because I have been able to cut the packing anxiety down by at least 93% by coming up with and following a few tips.
Today's blog post is all about how you can pack a week's worth of clothing into a weekender bag (yes, really!) and embark on your adventures stress free. For this post, I used my lovely Po Campo Midway Weekender bag that I recently purchased. It was a bit of a splurge, but I can already see how well it's working for me! It's super cute, but best of all it's functional and perfect for the frequent traveler.
The Bag
I mean, there are just so many features I love. The leather portion at the base is a special zippered section designed just for shoes, the black straps on the front are elastic so they stretch to hold items in between (also, do you see the little reflective strips on them?), there are handles as well as a shoulder strap, and I can't get over the cute blue and white stripes and bright pink interior.
Not to mention that I can pack away quite a lot in this baby. And speaking of...
What I Packed
Tops:
- chambray button down
- red and white baseball tee
- green tee
- image muscle tank
- white kimono
- white cami (not pictured)
Bottoms:
- medium wash destroyed jeans
- black skater skirt
- light wash high waisted shorts
Accessories/Other
- 2 pairs of pajamas
- 1 pair of exercise clothes (not pictured)
- white Converse
- black sandals
- white flip flops (not pictured)
- pink Nikes
- socks/underthings for the week
- swimsuit
- black crossbody
- statement necklace
- gold necklace
- bracelet set
- sunglasses
- brush (my egg shaped pod that I raved about in previous posts)
- hair ties
- body spray and deodorant
- eyeshadow
- mascara
- concealer
- pressed powder
- gold eyeliner
- eyebrow kit
- eos chapstick
- makeup brushes
- toothbrush and toothpaste
For those of you who do get excited over packing lists, are you not in wonder over my packing skills? All this is a itty bitty weekender bag?
How I Pack
- Oh, the places you'll go- This seems obvious, but look ahead at your destination. What's the weather like, what kind of trip is it, are there any extras you'll need (a swimsuit or coat perhaps)? Knowing where you're headed is a good first step.
- Double the fun- Try to be able to wear most of your clothes in at least two different ways. This creates more outfit choices because you can mix and match with the pieces you packed. Choosing to bring versatile pieces is especially important if you're trying to pack as light as you possibly can because even though you're bringing along less clothes, you'll have more options. However, this doesn't mean everything you pack has to be multifunctional. If about 70% of your suitcase includes clothing you can re-wear, you can then afford to use the remaining space for fashionable sweaters/pants/shoes that really don't go with anything except for that one particular cute outfit. In my bag for this trip, I am able to create over ten different outfits just by changing up the top or bottom (for example, each of my shirts can be worn with the black skirt and that's four outfits right there!).
- Lay it out- Once I've picked out what I want to pack, I lay every last item out on my floor in front of my suitcase. I do this because sometimes I'll forget to pack things (socks can be my greatest downfall) and it's also nice to double check how you'll be wearing things. I move pieces around so I can visualize each outfit before packing it away.
- Let's roll- Perhaps you've seen the rolling packing strategy on Pinterest. If you aren't familiar with this, all you have to know is that you should never fold your clothes. Instead, roll them up tightly into a little burrito and stack them on top of each other in your suitcase. Why? a. It takes up way less room. b. Your clothes will be 52% less wrinkly. c. The rolls are easier to reorganize within your bag (meaning you don't have to shuffle through stacks of shirts and ruin your carefully folded tees in order to get to that one sweater you unfortunately packed at the very bottom).
- Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize- A single necklace, belt, or scarf can change up a whole outfit. If you only pack a few staple pieces, you can differ your outfits from each other with a quick twist of a scarf around your neck or a colorful statement necklace. Plus, these things are tiny and hardly take up any of your limited space. I usually bring a small cosmetic bag devoted solely for jewelry, but for this trip, I just combined any bling I had in the bag with my makeup. Two more tips for successful packing (these are definitely from Pinterest though, so I can't claim them for my own): a. If you're worried about your necklaces' dainty chains getting tangled and knotted, slip them through a straw and secure the clasp on the other side. b. If you lose earrings like Biggest Loser contestants lose weight, than look no further than the simple fix that is the common button. Take a four holed button, secure a cute stud through each hole, and voila! Two pairs of earrings are neatly stored on a little disc that you can just toss in the bottom of your bag.
- Lose the shoes- This one is especially hard for me. Shoes take up so much space in a suitcase and can weigh it down, which means that if you're trying to pack light you just can't bring five pairs of shoes- no matter how adorable they are. Bring only a select few. I would recommend a comfortable pair and a neutral colored pair, and if you have extra room in your suitcase at the end? Pack all of your shoes. Also, if you can, wear your biggest/clunkiest/heaviest pair of shoes on the plane/in the car to save even more room in your suitcase. And because I'm feeling generous, here are a few more packing tips involving shoes: a. Squeeze in a few pairs of socks inside your packed shoes or if you're feeling classy, put a little lavender sachet in there. It will keep your shoes (and the rest of your clothes in your suitcase) smelling fresh. b. If you're expecting that your shoes will get dirty or wet (or both), bring a plastic shower cap. Just wrap the bottoms of your shoes with the cap and it will keep the rest of your carefully rolled clothes (right?) clean. Or if you want to invest in a Po Campo weekender bag, the entire bottom zippered section is devoted to shoe storage, so you don't have to worry about separating your muddy shoes from the rest. 👌
Also, this bag is currently 15% off, so click here to check it out!