Being someone who literally brings their whole wardrobe along with them whenever going away near or far with the sole though of “What if..?” can be a little tough but very stressful. I literally believe in packing a good chunk of my closet and never wearing at least 80% of what I’ve pack. My real life slogan has to be “No Clothes left Behind” because nothing is rarely left when I travel. But being that I’m a little unpredictable and take into account far too much to not overstuff my already XL suitcase and large carry on, recently I’ve discovered the way to not be so narcissistic and a bit “coo coo” when traveling. It all started with a weekend trip to Dallas, TX, early February and dead winter still for the city. The first thing of concern was the obvious weather shift from a breezy but cool 50 degree, Baton Rouge, to a maybe bone shaking 30 degrees with a possibility of snow, Dallas. I’m slightly exaggerating, but seriously, 34 degrees was the high on a Friday while 20 degrees was the low, temperatures unfriendly to someone as tropical as me. Anyhow, though freezing one day from Friday to Sunday the weather was like a light switch, cold on, and cold off. So when packing, definitely check the weather and all its possibilities, in order to properly prepare yourself. Next, if you’re going somewhere unfamiliar to you, and you have no set plans, this is absolutely the most important thing to do: pack 2 set outfits per day, 1 day outfit and 1 night outfit, with a backup outfit. Yes, I know you can’t just pick one but humor me for a second. Chose outfits you absolutely love and have no problem committing to. A great indicator of knowing when the outfit is “The One” is your first reaction. That gut feeling, then a rush of happiness and the flooding of thoughts of how you’re going to wear your hair, do your makeup, accessories, etc. is kind of what you should be looking for. But us women are definitely equipped with the “I’ll know it when I see it” gene. Now once you have the weather down and your outfits down in its entirety (shoes included) always include a backup day outfit and a night outfit. Pick pieces that can be easily mixed and matched to optimize outfit selections if the weather or your mind decides to switch up on you and still minimizes space. The three days I was in Dallas, I had about 8 outfits that offered me at least 12 outfit options along with 4 pair of shoes for whatever adventure I came across. Remember when packing, shoes first, heaviest items are next then the rest of your clothes will follow. Now the only thing I need to do now is to teach myself how to downsize on packing under garments and socks and not bringing my whole makeup collection. Erykah Badu said it best in one of her greatest songs “Bag Lady” ‘One Day all them bags gone get in your way. So pack light’. Stay Fashion forward! XO
