Hello there! I heard the other day that the Thanksgiving holiday was the most traveled time this year! Just because winter is coming it doesn’t mean we stay at home all the time. This Carmel Wardrobe Stylist loves to see the beauty our world has to offer during this time of year. We recently returned from a short cruise to Key West and the Bahamas. It was lovely, and the second cruise we’ve taken this year.
We take other types of trips, too, and just this summer to traveled to Wales (my grandfather was from Newtown, Wales); London, Leister, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Uppingham, England; and Scotland’s Inverness, Loch Ness, and Edinburgh. That trip was very different since we rode local trains, something I’ve always wanted to do. I was not disappointed… it was a very economical trip, and it was great to go beyond London and see such beautiful countryside.
I’d like to share some style and practical suggestions as a Carmel Wardrobe Stylist that I learned from my travels.
- Take the time to plan your wardrobe. There isn’t any shame at all in doing this–I try to start packing and planning a couple of days before the trip, not the night before as I always used to do.
- Plan at least one outfit or “piece” for each day.
- Try to coordinate colors. For the UK trip, my base colors were navy, brown/rust plaid, red, and some lighter-weight dresses in these color prints. That way you can mix and match.
- If you work out, try to pick gear that can double as real clothing. I have found some leather sneakers that are great for walking but also for working out in the fitness center. I also packed a workout dress in black that is also stylish enough to wear on its own with a jacket or sweater. Here is a similar one to mine:
- Don’t forget to pack layers, even if you expect warmer weather. For our cruise, I had packed a cream, cotton jacket that paired nicely with many of my clothes as well as a cardigan sweater I wore on the plane and beyond.
- Pack at least one simple knit dress (mine was by Evereve) that will coordinate with other layers. Mine was a lilac and it went with both of my third layers.
- Bring at least one dressed-up outfit–this was especially important for the one night we dressed up at dinner. Now I neglected to bring the right dress – but it was the one thing I bought in Key West in the Lilly Pullitizer store. This is the dress – I knew I could wear it to a couple of holiday events coming up, so it was worth the splurge.
- Bring flats that you can wear in the room. You want to be careful going barefoot in the room or beyond when you’re traveling.
- I love jeans and always bring at least one pair–but include one pair of more dress pants. When you are traveling you want to have some options.
- Bring a fragrance stick (especially for a cruise). If you are in close quarters, you want to have a nicely scented bathroom.
This year I was called upon a couple of times to pack for a client. It’s a really fun service since I tried to use as many pieces as my client had instead of buying a whole new wardrobe. If you need help with your travel wardrobe from an experienced Carmel Wardrobe Stylist, please reach out! Bon Voyage!
Keep it sassy, Indy.
Beth Divine,
MA, AICI-CIC,
Personal Image Consultant
