A quick trip to NYC
The Edit / Travel categories: The Edit Travel
NYC called so I have continent hopped over here. It will be a brief trip, but nothing beats a short and sweet getaway, especially to the ‘city that never sleeps’.
So when you are on a tight schedule and have limited time to pack, what does a gal actually need to bring?
The skill of “packing light” wasn’t something that came to me naturally. I never found it super easy to pack lightly but I’ve learnt a few tricks along the way with my recent overseas adventures. Even when I was young, Mum (Jude) would always teach me to be selective with what I took away and taught me the very important philosophy of leaving space in my suitcase for “essential” shopping souvenirs.
Besides avoiding lugging around a 40kg bag, packing on the lighter side certainly has other advantages because it forces your pieces to be super workable. The right pieces make getting dressed on a holiday so much thank to (ta da, you guessed it) being able to “mix and match”.
After working hard to develop the fine skill of “packing only essentials”, I’m sharing my top 6 pieces made it into my bag which made travelling SO MUCH EASIER!
Activewear
I’m a lover of activewear in Sydney and my affection for activewear surely does continue when I’m on any form of vacation. There is always so much walking around (especially in NYC – hello, Central Park is so beautiful on foot) so I make sure I have activewear pieces which I can style up or down. I leave my less desirable pieces behind so that I don’t feel like a total dag walking down First Avenue and trotting around Time Square. A pair of cool sneakers had no trouble getting into my suitcase and a fresh pair of leggings always make you look (and feel) five times fitter. There has never been a better time to wear sneakers around as they are so ‘on trend’ right now.
If you can splash out
Perfect if you are saving your pennies instead
White t-shirts and layer dresses
Perfect for activewear and amazing under a velvet dress or any slip dress for that matter – look no further than the humble white t-shirt. Keeping things simple will make getting dressed so much easier. Pop a white t-shirt under dresses which roll up easily. If you haven’t become accustomed to the art of rolling, get on board! Rolling will save you so much time trying by not having to iron your clothes in hotel rooms and will avoid the awkward crease marks in your photos if you don’t have the “ironing thing” quite down pat.
Swimmers
I’m going on vacay to Europe soon so my bikini collection has been growing despite it being the middle of winter in Sydney now. I always pack a bikini or swimmers on all my trips because I make the most of the hotel pools and spas if they have one. My afternoon ritual usually consists of a quick dip before getting changed and heading out for dinner (or forgive me, more shopping!).
I’ll admit I am a bikini Queen (or self labelled collector). I have an overflowing drawer of bikinis but I like to always look out for new members to add to my collection. I’ve got everything covered from blacks to metallic to florals and crochets.
I’m loving these
Prefer to rock the high-waisted look?
Clutch
There is nothing worse than scrounging through your bag looking for your passport, ID and boarding pass. I now always keep everything safely stowed in a little bag inside my bigger bags so that I can find things easily. The best bit about a good clutch, is that you can take it travelling around with you while playing tourist because you don’t need all the other bits and bobs which force you to take a bigger bag around when your home.
Bag a bargain
That over-the-top holiday splash out
A little black dress
You never know where a holiday will lead you. ALWAYS pack a few dressy items because there is nothing worse than ploughing through your suitcase to find you have no good dressing options for those special (and often spontaneous) occasions out. I packed a black mini off-the-shoulder dress and it was the perfect piece to take me out on the town. A simple but sophisticated dress for nights-out is a must have option.
Headphones
Wireless everything seems to be all the rage these days and I totally get why. Packing a versatile set of headphones was a lifesaver for me because it cut out so much of the noise of the plane and meant I could watch movies the whole way over here. I’ve recently discovered the ease of wireless headphones and can’t see myself turning back for the cords anytime soon.
I hope my tips help you for your next travel adventure. Now the reason for packing the ‘bare essentials’ cannot be masked any longer. Of course, I was wanting to buy lots of goodies and would have been crazy not to. The shopping here is next level and on that note, I better go finish it off!
