5 tips for packing the perfect holiday suitcase.

Confession time: I am a terrible packer. As a mood dresser, I am the kind of person who wakes up in the morning and sees what my wardrobe flings at me. This means packing is my kryptonite. Pre-planning outfits for various moods, occasions and situations really is my idea of fresh hell. But after 4 years of blogging and many a trip under my belt, I am slowly but surely getting the hang of all this packing malarkey and have come up with my own list of packing rules to try and abide by. If you’re planning a winter getaway, my guide for perfect packing should set you up with the right ingredients every time (well, most of the time anyway!)

Packing Rule #1: Start with the no brainers

The perfect place to start is the things you don’t need to think about. These are items such as your favourite bathing suit (like my duo from Rebecca Torres), underwear, toiletries and sunglasses. I always try to pack varied underwear for different desired results: the comfy, the barely there and the always forgiving shape wear. Once these are done you can have a better idea of how much space you have in your bag before moving onto step two.

Packing Rule #2: Keep your beauty routine simple
When you are in the wonders of your own home, it’s perfectly acceptable to use a range of products to suit every skincare need. But when you are away, it’s surprising how much room – not to mention weight – these toiletries can take up. If like me you would rather save room for another pair of shoes, I would simplify your routine to something more minimal. Lucky I have a bit of a collection of miniatures and went into my local Lush to get travel sizes of my favourite everyday products – Ultrabland cleanser and Skin Drink moisturiser.

Packing Rule #3: Look out your fail safes
We all have pieces in our arsenal that are repeat favourites.  You know, those things that bring a steady stream of compliments, no matter how many times we wear them. Know these items and take good care of them. Maybe even buy back-ups. And, above all, bring them when you travel. That was my head scarves, Silken Favours Kimono, white off the shoulder top, mustard high waisted shorts and Yellow Escada vintage jeans. With these handful of standbys made me feel confident and secure wherever in the world I’m going and gives me the reassurance that if all else fails at least I have something I love to fall back on.

Packing Rule #4: Don’t forget your basics 
Before tossing everything into my suitcase, I lay out each item onto my bed to see what pieces I can double up on. The goal is to pick items that can be used for multiple outfits, such as classic tee’s, shirts a denim jacket and of course, head scarves. A lot of these items have a multifunctional purpose, from layering if it’s a little colder than expected, or flinging on over a bikini when your poolside. Really, these basics should be able to work into most outfits and you should never leave them behind.

Packing Rule #5: Choose your shoes and accessories wisely.
I cannot stress this enough. We have all got our own shoe horror stories to share, so lets learn from each others mistakes and pack what is tried and tested. For me, this was a pair of flat sandals, trainers and a mid heel for the evening, incase, you know, dancing. Who really needs stilettos in hot swollen temperatures?! Not me anyways… I also went for four different pairs of glasses, two normal prescriptions, one prescription sun and these absolute stunning gold round numbers from Silhouette. I am pretty blind so do need a prescription, but these frames were to die for so had to make an exception. Accessories wise I took a long and short necklace and a watch for during the day inlcuding my awesome wooden watch from Kochiba. I also made sure I had the right bags for all occasions also, so in came the backpack, brown multifunctional across body bag and an emergency fun clutch for evenings.

Even with these packing rules, remember the holidays do not need a new outfit each day. It’s about making most out of a capsule wardrobe and wearing what’s comfortable and suitable for its surroundings. When I was in Marrakech last November, I found most solace in this white off the shoulder top from Missguided and mustard shorts. For me, it was suitable and respectful within my surroundings as well as comfortable for every activity the busy day threw at me. I didn’t even need my block evening heels in the end! Packing is a tough thing to get right but by sticking to these 5 basic rules, we are all one step closer to getting it right. Are you with me ladies?!