An effective strategy to start packing for your trip.
So, I’m a planner. I’m sure that is a shock to you (wink, wink), but it’s true. I like to have all my ducks in a row ahead of time, last minute packing really isn’t my style. I like to review all factors when it comes to packing that precious suitcase. When I start putting my packing list together I consider three things: the weather, my potential itinerary and a color scheme.
Think about the weather in your destination. I know it seems self-explanatory, but I can’t tell you how many of my friends have traveled without looking at the weather. For example, my dear friend—who shall remain nameless—traveled to Atlanta in January without looking at the weather. Now, we all know that Atlanta can be warm, hence
“HOT-lanta” but in January, it can snow. On this particular trip, my friend was borrowing sweaters and gloves to keep warm. Meanwhile she’s in little biker jacket and I’m in a down parka! That January it got below freezing in Atlanta, COLD-lanta!
After checking the weather, I start to put together a loose itinerary, what will I be doing? Eventually my itinerary will be more refined but when I start, I’m just considering the basics. Is this a business trip, will I be going to business meetings? Is this a vacation? Will I be hiking? Will I be going to the beach? These questions help me narrow down my options and start the packing process.
Weather, check! Itinerary, check! Now I start looking through my closet to see what items I have for the appropriate weather and activities on the trip. After I review these items, I look for similarities in color to narrow down the items I’ll need to pack. For example, black is a staple in my closet for both warm and cold weather pieces. Let’s say it will be warm and I know I have a ton of black cute tank tops to go to brunch or shopping. I’ll pull those items out to start formulating some outfits. I also notice that I have black pants, a black dress, cute black heels and black flats. Because I have so many items for the right climate and for my trip agenda in black; this will be my base color.
A monochromatic grouping of clothing helps you stick to a smaller capsule collection of items. This makes packing much lighter. Now that you’ve have a base you can add another color as an accent, but I suggest adding just one or two accent colors to keep packing to a minimum. With black is my base, I will look through my closet for colors that pair well with black—but that also work with the weather and my itinerary.
If black is my base color I will look through my closet for white or tan or beige items, anything that I think will pair well with black. I’ll narrow down my accent color based on the color and amount of items that will work best for my trip.
Using this packing strategy helps keep clothing to a minimum as well as creates the ability to mix and match pieces on a trip. If you only have two colors that work great together, all items can pair well together and be interchanged if necessary. Add a few accessories and every outfit looks chic while still keeping your load light!
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APB
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