Pack like a Pro!

Love going on holiday, hate packing? I feel you. As I’m sure you’ve seen (if you follow me on Social Media), I have been in Ibiza and have been documenting my holiday outfits. Now, over the course of my holiday I was messaged quite a bit by people wondering how I planned my outfits and what tips I could offer them to help them pack for their holidays. So I thought I would put it all in one place!

Let’s get started….

1. Check the Weather

The first thing I do before I go away is check the weather of said place as there may be some not-so-nice days whilst you’re away and you need to make sure you accommodate for that. For instance, I knew there was going to be a day (or 2) when it was going to rain, so I bought a pair of jeans and closed toe shoes. Also, make sure you bring a light jacket for the plane as it can sometimes get quite chilly with the air conditioning etc...

Try and pack: A light jacket and some closed toe shoes in case the weather changes.

1. Think of what you have planned to do on holiday

Another important factor people tend to forget about is what they are actually planning on doing whilst they’re away. I know you might just be laying on a beach then out for dinner in the evenings, but if you do have a special evening planned, or even a day trip, make sure you put this into consideration. For example, there was one night in Ibiza where we went to our favourite, uber cool restaurant on the beach, and I knew I wanted to wear white (to suit the vibe), so opted for a white shirt dress I got last year but haven’t managed to wear in the UK (image below). We also went to the hippy market where I popped on an easy cami top and some bright shorts, finished with my straw hat.

Try and pack: Some comfy shoes if walking around during the day and a nice dress for a swanky evening out.

1. Pack something you might not have the balls to wear in the UK

Another thing I tend to do when I’m packing to go away is to look at the pieces in my wardrobe and try and bring the items I’m too scared to wear at home, as after all, you can pretty much get away with anything when you’re on holiday. As mentioned above, I did this with a white shirt dress I bought from & Other Stories a while back but just didn’t have anywhere appropriate to where it in the UK, so thought this would be great in Ibiza! I also wore a red polka dot dress which I find hard to wear at home as It looks so much better without a jacket. Last but not least, I have a beautiful embroidered kaftan I splurged on a few years back that is far too low cut to wear here, however it looks great teamed over a swimsuit and shorts on holiday.

Try and pack: something you’re too scared to wear at home.

1. Do a test run

I always do a little try on sesh about a week prior to going away so I know which outfits I’m happy with and I’m not surprised when I’m away (and it’s too late). Once I’m happy with the outfits I have tried and selected I take a picture of them in the mirror so I don’t forget.

1. Write a list

Probably the most important part for me. I live for lists and my mind works really well when I’m working from a list. I usually do a little something like this…

Day 1

*Black cut out swimsuit

* Yellow shorts

* White Tee

* Beach slides

Evening 1

*gingham dress

*black dune slides

* straw bag

You get the gist….

1. Get the case out….

Everyone has a different way they like to actually pack. I usually do mine in sections. For instance I start with the basic stuff at the bottom, like shorts, t shirts, skirts – basically the stuff I don’t mind getting overly creased. I usually do hop folding so they are flat fronted. This means that they pretty much iron out with the weight of the other pieces on top of it, if that makes sense.

I then put all my underwear and swimwear in a separate dust bag with an empty plastic bag inside so I have somewhere to separate my dirty washing. Once the basic bits at the bottom has been packed, I go for shoes. I usually slide my shoes in around the side so the sole is facing the edges of the case and not the clothing (you don’t want your clobber to get dusty!). Once all that has been packed, I layer the dresses and more crease-y items on tops. I try to lay these as flat as possible with the heaviest at the top so it weighs down on the other dresses to flatten them so I hopefully don’t have to iron. Another reason why I ensure these are on top is so they are easily accessible when I get there and I can quickly start hanging them up asap.

To finish, I put all my toiletries in the zipped section, along with my book and hat so they don’t go everywhere on my clothing and are kept separate. I also keep a clutch bag in my beach bag and use as a travel pouch so I don’t have to pack both bags in my case. Plus using a beach bag as an actually handbag is all the rage right now, so embrace it!

To summarise….

• Try and get clothing you don’t have to iron (as who wants to iron on holiday)

• If you have separate dust bags for your shoes, use them as they will be handy for the way back so you don’t have sand everywhere.

• Pop in a scented pouch so you’re clothes smell fresh when you arrive

• Keep liquids separate so they don’t spill over your stuff!

I hope you find this helpful and if you’d like some packing help do pop me an email lauren@wardrobedoc.com