Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Alternate
In the age of minimalism and KonMari methods everyone seems to be keen on just how light they can pack when traveling. I am always super impressed when I see posts about people hitting up Europe in a carry on. I stand in awe and envy.
Unfortunately, I fall dramatically short of these minimalist ways.
I still have memories of trips I took with my church youth group in high school, where we would move our luggage via bucket line. When my bag got passed everyone would stagger under the weight of it, and some would make cracks about the size of it. Packing light is so hard for me. I think I have major FOMO of the rest of my closet when I’m traveling. Since adopting a capsule wardrobe and eventually a lean closet mindset in the last few years, I have certainly gotten a lot better. But I still struggle.
Last week, after Thanksgiving, we headed down to Eugene to spend a few days with family, and I was pretty happy with my light-ish packing, so I wanted to share. I decided to pack in outfits rather than pieces because then I knew I would have exactly what I needed. But to help save myself from my FOMO I packed one alternate outfit.
We’re in full-on winter mode in Oregon right now (snow later this week?!), so warm layers and sensible footwear is a must. I needed shoes that could look good and stand up to the rain, and enough sweaters (read: cashmere) to keep me warm. Seriously, once you go cashmere, it’s really hard to go back! I had never ever bought any until this year, and now, I can’t stop wearing cashmere. It’s so warm and cozy and mega soft. Anyway, let’s get to the list.
DAY 1
It’s the day after Thanksgiving and we are gathering with my brother’s family at my parents’ house. I still want to dress nice, coming off the holiday, but relaxed. Collared shirt it is. Plus skinny jeans that are sort of relaxed, and then a cozy cashmere cardigan to keep me warm. (Grana was nice enough to send me a few items to review for you guys, you can probably expect that next week!)
Details: Shirt, Everlane | Longline Cardigan, c/o Grana | Paige Denim, via Poshmark (simiar) | Booties, Frye
DAY 2
This day was slated for hanging out with cousins and later hitting up an (indoor) pool party. Slouchy pants to stay comfy, sweater to stay warm, and chelsea rain boots to keep my feet dry. Whenever I wear ‘dry clean only’ sweaters, I always wear a thin t-shirt underneath. The last thing I want to do is get my clothes cleaned all the time. The next day I let my sweater ‘air out’ before folding it up and putting it away. This method really helps to keep my sweaters fresh and away from the cleaners.
Details: U-Neck Shirt, Everlane (long time favorite!) | Cashmere Crew, Everlane | 501’s (hems chopped by your’s truly), Levi’s | J.Crew Chelsea Rain Boots via consignment (excellent similar option, thanks Lo!)
DAY 3
Why the Johnny Cash look? Because nothing makes me feel better than dressing in almost all black. The raw denim is still kicking my butt, but in a slightly-gentler way. I am about one month in now. They look exactly the same but are a bit softer. I’ll try to share a full update at three months. This black, merino turtleneck I picked up at Goodwill for $4.99 last year. It is one of the warmest items I own. No joke.
Details: V-Neck Shirt (old as the hills from Old Navy, try this instead) | Merino Turtleneck, Banana Republic via Goodwill (very similar) | Jeans, Imogene + Willie | Booties, Frye
ALTERNATE
Like I said, because I am totally afraid I will not be in the mood for what I packed, I alllllllways like to pack extra. This time, I limited myself to one outfit (yay): my favorite oversized flannel, super soft and stretchy black jeans and Cons just because I wanted to feel like a teenager. Just kidding. Not really.
Details: U-Neck Shirt, Everlane | Oversized Flannel, old Urban Outfitters | Black Jeans, Paige | Converse, via Poshmark (similar)
THE BAG
And of course, all this “light packing” works beautifully in my Weekender by Sword & Plough (c/o). The leather is breaking in nicely now, and the surplus material is so sturdy, I don’t ever have to worry about this bag letting me down mid-trip.
What about you? Have you mastered the whole minimalist-packing thing? My theory is that I will finally get it down when I take enough trips and vacations. Ha!
xo,
Andrea
This Thanksgiving I packed too light, much to my husbands amusement! (He is a chronic overpacker) Since we were in a warm location I didn’t fully think out what I would need and was stuck wearing the same thing twice over a three day trip because everything else I brought was too warm. Usually I am great at packing light and packing the proper clothes for my trips. I always use a carry-on when I travel, so it is pretty much impossible to over pack. Glad to see you had a nice Thanksgiving!! Still making my way through your posts over the last couple weeks.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! Where did you go that was warm?
Phoenix! The kids went swimming on Thanksgiving day! It was certainly unusual since we are used to very fall-like weather on Thanksgiving day, but it was a nice change. :-)
Ooo…excited for the Grana reviews. I just ordered their merino cardigan and *love* it (hoping it holds up though since it’s quite thin) and am eyeing the longline as well so I’m very interested in your review!
I’ve heard good things about that cardigan! And spoiler alert: the longline cardigan is pretty amazing!
Andrea, I can’t wait to hear your take on Grana. Hopefully you got some of those nagging questions answered!
And this post comes at the perfect time, as I am in the middle of a packing conundrum. I’m going to New Zealand next week for two weeks! In my carryon I’m trying to accommodate a range of temperatures and activities, and so far I think I’m succeeding by thinking in terms of “layers” and sticking to a simple color palette. (And wearing my hiking boots on the plane!) I find packing for travel so enlightening — when I’m packing, it’s clear what my wardrobe workhorses are, and the gaps are glaringly obvious too. All the more reason to plan to fill those gaps ahead of time instead of the week before a trip (like I am doing now with jeans, ugh).
Did you end up finding jeans? Wow, New Zealand, that sounds exciting! Also, I’d love to know more about your hiking boots.
Yes, it’s so true! Packing brings everything to light! What a great point. It’s really easy to see what works best, and what’s ‘missing.’
I hope you have a great time on your trip! I’ll be watching on instagram for some pics!!
I’m waiting on some jeans from Prana (last minute, eek!), but it’s been so hard for me to find a straight/slouchy boyfriend-fit that I like and can actually move around in. Here’s hoping the pair en route does the trick. And my boots are from Vivobarefoot — unfortunately not a leader in ethical or sustainable practices, but they have a minimalist sole and a wide toe box and that’s good enough for me.
Thank you, Andrea! Have a great holiday season ahead and a Merry Christmas if I don’t get a chance to tell you before the day!
Yikes, I hope they come on time! BTW, did you look into Patagonia jeans? I was in their store a few weeks ago, and the jeans looked great! How did the I+W jeans work for you?
Thank you for the well wishes Erin. Have a great trip!!
I+W jeans didn’t work out, sadly — and neither did the Prana jeans — but in happy news I ordered a pair of Clyde pants!!! They won’t get here on time for the NZ trip (ugh they would be perfect) but I’m so excited to try them out. Thanks for the heads up on Patagonia jeans — I’ll check them out!
Buying denim online is tough!! I hope you find something that works.
But the Clyde pants, woohoo!!!! Did you go with the black or olive?