Packing Lite

What’s the true measure of a happy traveler? Speed and grace. A girl just can’t have fun if she’s weighted down by heavy suitcases bulging with wayward fabrics and uncooperative shoes. The first rule of packing for a trip this season is layering. The second rule is fabric content. The weight of the fabrics you pack can make or break your travel experience and carry-on comfort. With airlines charging for checked bags, every ounce becomes critical. Save your $15 for a Mai Tai on the beach.

Start with your favorite jeans and black work out pants or leggings. Then add your favorite tanks and t-shirts. For a two week trip, we suggest two tanks, one black and one white, four short sleeved t-shirts, black, white and two fun colors, two long sleeved t-shirts, one black and one white, and a long cotton tunic in a fun color with an interesting design. These are the baseline clothes that give you the flexibility you need to always look chic. I like black workout pants and leggings because the color can mask the casualness of the pant in case you find yourself in need of a black trouser some evening. Add the long cotton tunic and you’ll look like a hottie from Californication.

Tanks and t-shirts in different sleeve lengths can be layered on and off as dictated by formality of your event and atmospheric changes. With a light weight cashmere sweater you have two weeks’ worth of fashion coverage. This season I added a cotton/ rayon maxi dress to my travel collection, which is the new go anywhere look. No matter where you wear them, you look like a fun, cool, chic chick.

All these cotton layers make accessorizing easier than ever. Pack one long scarf in a soft fabric for the neck. It adds a splash of color and works equally well with the t-shirts or the maxi dress. Polish the accessories off with a pair of gold hoop earrings in any size or shape and a long gold chain to wrap twice or wear as a single long strand, depending on your mood.

Now down to the foot of the matter. What shoes should a girl take on her adventurous journey? That depends on how much walking she will indulge in and how rough the terrain is. Judy and I were packing for her trip to China with another Good News Girl when we discovered she would be walking on the Great Wall of China. This is not a pussyfooted adventure. Great Walls need great walking shoes and we hoofed our way over to Nordstrom where we found the perfect hearty glove for her foot to traverse this land of ancient wonders. My rule for shoe packing:  one tennis shoe, one slip on cutie to wear on the plane, and one beauty to wear for going to dinner and not walking extensively. With these three shoes, I am equipped to handle anything in the summer.

Whenever you go anywhere for a vacation, especially if it is a place you’ve never visited before, you will find the one perfect outfit that works for the weather and terrain and you’ll wear it or some version of it everyday. With that in mind, ask yourself this one question:

Can I actually pack for two weeks in a carry on?  Yes, thanks to the Good News Girlz! Just make sure you concentrate on cottons and cashmere