Hi Friends,
Ahh Summer… for me it’s a season of fighting frizz, keeping cool in easy breezy fashions — and especially this year — partaking in plentiful travel.
As soon as those temperatures started rising, I packed a bag, said “bye bye for now” to Texas and “hello” to a season of adventure! Now I’ll admit, I don't travel lightly. As such, I’ve had a lot of practice building cohesive capsule wardrobes and I’m quite the strategic packer.
Here are my top 5 fashion tips for travel:
-
Plan shoes first. Wearing comfortable shoes while exploring a new place is key, so Birkenstocks are usually a must-pack for me (weather permitting, of course)! I’m all about serious comfort for serious running around, so light-weight running shoes are also great. Depending on your itinerary, it could be a good idea to pack platforms, a kitten heel, or cute ballet flats for more formal plans… they should still be comfortable though.
-
Focus on prints. When I travel for long stretches, I don’t concentrate as much on color. What I find easiest is to pack base pieces that are cream, navy, black, and denim… neutral colors that can easily be interchanged. Then, I add interest to those solid basics by pairing them with fun prints. I like patterned skirts and pants, but also throw in the occasional striped tee.
-
Choose versatile pieces. I never leave home without my forever fabulous cropped jean jacket. It’s so good for travel because the denim can go with anything. Also, be sure to select versatile bags and hats. I like bags that can be worn in several ways and close fully – it’s even better if they can be folded up and are easily packable. This same idea applies to hats as well! Choose pieces that can bounce back easily after being smooshed into a suitcase.
-
Accessories are your friends. If you’ve got a fun pop of color in your selected shoes, try playing up that color with accessories (with a scarf and/or a hat) that match. Suddenly you have a cohesive look that’s actually effortless. Matching pops of color across your accessories will play nicely with otherwise neutral-color clothing. For bonus points, try picking up that single pop of color from your patterned clothing pieces.
- Know thyself. As you might have gathered, one of my favorite travel hobbies is searching out spectacular new pieces… and it’s not uncommon that I feel like I’m a skirt or 2 away from needing to call in a sherpa to haul my treasured fashions home. If you’re like me and tend to collect on your travels, pack a soft, folded up duffel bag so you’re prepared to ship or check your bag of goodies back home.
In short, when you think about shoes requirements first and then color palette… everything else will fall into place.
Plus, if you put the thought and effort into your wardrobe while packing, you’ll have a lot more time to soak in your surroundings and actually enjoy your trip once you arrive. Remember to have some fun with the process and choose pieces that make you feel confident and excited!
I recently filmed a YouTube video about packing a wardrobe for a month-long trip to New York City. It includes plenty of handy tips, fashion rationale, and fun frantic moments if you’d like to dive deeper into the Carla Rockmore packing philosophy! Check it out here.
If you’re on the road this summer, happy travels!
Love & Light,
