How to pack a great vacation wardrobe.

I love to pack. I don’t know if that is a popular sentiment, but I really love it. I think its because I have a very methodic process to it – and it all starts with a moodboard. Who has time for that, I know. But I’m basically thinking about summer and vacations all year round, so as I endlessly scroll through Instagram, I always save images of clothes and accessories that catch my eye (or should I say, stop my thumb).

As the agenda of a trip comes together, I literally plan every outfit that I am going to wear every day, for every part of the day. I start with things I own, and then I use my moodboards as shopping inspiration for anything new I want to buy. This not only eliminates any planning required of you on vacation, as you embark on your day, it also allows you to pack very efficiently. In addition, I always pick a few handbags, hair accessories, a set of durable but fun jewelry, and shoes that can cover all activities and outfit iterations. And last but not least, I throw a few showstoppers into the mix for those great pics for the Gram.

So how can you do the same? How many outfits a day should you plan? What are great options for transition and travel clothing? Keep reading!

*I should preface this by explaining that vacation for me is going somewhere warm and/or beachy. Being a California native turned New York transplant, 7-8 months of cold drive me absolutely crazy. My skin starts to peel, my scalp hurts, my lips get chapped, I eat all the carbs for comfort and then can’t fit into my clothes, and I refuse almost all social activity. Its not rational, but it’s me. I made the Boy promise me, before getting married, that if we settled down in New York, we have to spend the Christmas holiday in California and take at least 1 warm weather vacation in February or March. That may change at some point, but for now, warm-weather locales it is and warm-weather locale packing tips follow.*

IN THE AM | I don’t know about you, but when I’m on vacation, having a long and leisurely breakfast is a must. It’s a welcome change from the 5 minute scramble that is breakfast for most of us during a regular work week. So for breakfast or brunch, I pack a 2 easy dresses or jogger and sweater combos that I can roll out of bed and throw on, rewear every single day, throw in the wash if needed, but still look put together before I’ve even had coffee. Extra credit if the pieces you pack can double for a travel outfit, with a pair of sneakers and a jacket thrown over them.

Here are a few good options:

IN BETWEEN | I am a big fan of sitting by the pool or lounging on a beach chair all day on vacation. I usually have a few great books with me to read or a few handy travel games to fill the time. The Boy, on the other hand, requires some activity every day, whether that is sightseeing in the local town or trying a local ‘sport’ like surfing or hiking.

Here are some brands that I am currently coveting for hanging by the pool:

Here are some brands that I am loving for exploring the local town:

PM | Assuming I have time to rest and refresh in our hotel room (this is a requirement from the Boy), I freshen up and change into something that feels luxurious and breezy. It must have extra room to stuff my face with dinner and dessert after a long day of doing nothing (in which case I’ve been stuffing my face all day so I need something extra loose) or running around town.

Brands that I love for trendy and breezy evening outfits:

Once I have all my outfits together, I always lay out all my clothes and choose 3-4 pair of shoes that can stretch across all clothing types.

This usually includes:

And the last step is to add fun and versatile accessories, including jewelry, handbags, belts, and scarves. For jewelry, I usually take fashion jewelry, because I prefer not to worry about storing fine jewelry when I’m not wearing it. For bags, I usually take a few bags, including a convenient crossbody, an evening clutch, a beach bag, and a trendy handbag.

Throw a denim jacket or a trench coat, and a beautiful scarf into your suitcase and you are ready to get on that plane.