Packing for holidays is hard. At least for me. I spend probably an unnecessary amount of time doing it. Most of which is trying to find that perfect balance between packing only the bare minimum but ensuring I have enough to keep me feeling you know… clean… And that I’ve covered for any unpredictability weather wise.
And the problem remains essentially the same whether I’m travelling for a weekend, a week. Or as we are now, travelling around Bali for a month.
Maybe I’m alone in this, as I will admit… I’m pretty indecisive at the best of times. Which definitely means I’m prone to over-packing for fear that I won’t know what I’ll feel like wearing (so dumb right?). But I think you’ll agree, most of us tend to wear the SAME things over and over again on holidays. We all have our favourites that we love to live in. E.g. I actually have this jumpsuit from SIR the label that has been my ‘holiday’ jumpsuit for the last 3 years or more.
But I’ve been trying to develop a formula…a packing recipe if you will. And I think I’ve got it pretty sorted. At least for a tropical getaway. Denim, bikini(s), a one-piece, t-shirts, light loose tops, a shirt dress, LOTS of cotton, a scarf and always a light long sleeve incase there is a cold snap.
Pretty minimalist right? And now I’m certainly not opposed to outfit repeating, especially on holidays. it’s just bound it happen. But I think to key to making these essentials stretch across your entire holiday is to re-think how you wear them.
TOP TIPS TO MIX UP YOUR HOLIDAY STYLE:
1. Wear a dress as a shirt
Case in point as above. I have lived in my shirt dresses on every tropical holiday I’ve been on. Perfect to effortlessly throw on over a bikini during the day, or wear out to dinner at night. I had one from Faithfull that saw me through a few years. For this item, I would always stick to neutrals, plain or stripes if you choose to go for a print. Stripes are always a safe bet with this item, as they never date (unlike some prints). They are also a little more subtle so you don’t feel as obvious when wearing it over and over again.
The shirt dress provides pretty good versatility as it is, but this time I mixed it up by leaving a few buttons undone, draping it over my shoulders and layering it under a skirt. And like magic, you feel like you have an entirely new piece in your luggage.
2. Wear a onepiece as a bodysuit
So definitely not rocket science, and you probably do this anyways. I always pack a one-piece even though I generally live in my bikinis on holidays. But they just provide a certain amount of practicality, which is perfect for any unexpected adventures i.e. surfing, waterfalls. Or any time you feel like you’ve had a little too much sun. Usually what ends of happening though, is when I’m running out of clean clothes, I wear my swimsuit as a top instead. This also means you are always ready to go for any spontaneous adventures or ocean dips.
3. Never underestimate the power of a good scarf
Scarves have quickly become one of my favourite wardrobe additions. On holidays, they are also the perfect versatile piece. If you’re a proud member of the itty-bitty-titty-comittee then scarves make the perfect substitute top (that can be worn in a couple of ways). If your scarf is big enough, you can always create your own wrap skirt too. Make sure you shop around for the right size in your scarf in order to maximise its versatility.
WEARING:
Faithfull dress as shirt (similar here and here) | NAKD denim skirt | Senso sandals | YCL jewellery