This is a guest post by Eyenie Schultz, Career and Style Alchemist
Do you leave packing to the very last minute and end up staring at it while asking yourself, “what the eff do I do now?”
No matter how often you travel, if you don't have a strategy and the tools necessary to make packing a cinch, the experience can be an overwhelming and daunting task.
For this holiday season take all the yuck and “I don’t wanna!” out of loading your suitcase by following these three simple steps.
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Have a closet that’s yum and easy to pluck from.
A closet that feels nice to look at and experience is vital to taking the overwhelm out of packing. Go through your closet and remove everything that doesn’t fit, that you don’t love, and that’s hard/challenging to wear. Organize what’s left by category, putting the stuff you like the most front-and-center.
Quick tip: Every wardrobe should include what I like to call the French Foundation. For the ladies, one each: white button-up, white t-shirt, black or neutral blazer, cool jacket (think leather), knee-length skirt, black slacks, kick-ass jeans, classic heels (black or nude), knee-high boots (black or neutral), classic black flats. For the dudes, one each: black slacks, white shirt, neutral tie, kick-ass jeans, leather jacket, white t-shirt, dark suit, black or neutral v-neck sweater, dark or neutral slacks, brown or black belt, loafers, classic dress shoes. When you have these and they all fit well, the rest is a piece of proverbial cake.
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Think of all possible scenarios.
Even if you’re leaving for just an overnight trip, make a quick list of all the possible contexts you might find yourself in: drinks, theater, taking a swim, going to a nice restaurant, playing hide-n-seek with the kids, etc. Rate each experience from 1 to 5, 1 being very casual and 5 being fancy schmancy/formal. What number appears most? That’s the baseline for what you’ll be packing, and your key pieces should be at that rating level.
Quick tip: Pick things that you can mix-and match and wear several different ways. Packing neutral colors + black items makes this really easy.
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Add oomph with accessories.
We want to save time and space when packing, and accessories help you do both. Even if you have very few clothes to wear over several days, adding a scarf (dudes included), amazing earrings or fun shoes or socks can change all of your looks up lickety-split.
Quick tip: If you don’t consider socks and tights to be accessories, you should start! These take up very little space, and can add lots of color and texture to your outfit, totally changing its mood and feel. Plus, they’re mega easy to pop into a pocket and great for Holiday parties! Think because you're a guy you can't accessorize? Step up your game with shoes, socks and a cool watch for more pizzazz and kick!
Try these three steps on for size and see how fun-n-easy packing can actually become!!
Eyenie is a Career & Style Alchemist helping the career-driven, Overachieving Misfit who struggles with hiding out and letting life pass her by to have more FUN, discover her craft + calling and express herself through her style. She lives in the south of France and helps women all over the world to infuse their worlds with NEON. Learn about her signature program and sign up for a gratis discovery session here: http://www.technicolorpriestess.com
