Travel Fashion

I’m never home.  I’m not just saying that, I am NEVER home, ask anyone here at KJ or anyone in my family or any of my friends that I never see anymore.  I travel constantly, usually only in Phoenix 4 days a week on average.  I write for a magazine in San Diego (Jenny’s Mag!), my boyfriend lives in San Diego (soon to be Virginia Beach…but let’s worry about that another day), and then I work like 3458 hours in between here at the studio.  What this means is that I live out of my suitcase and trusty VW Beetle, and I have to pack and re-pack ALL the flipping time.  While this has gotten old, I’m pretty good at it, so I thought I’d drop some tips on how to look good while traveling!

Pack Simple

This guy is going places.

I’ve learned that if I try to put in all my cutest outfits for every possible event that could come up, I’m just bogging myself down in wrinkled clothes to re-wash later.  Yes, we could end up at the ballet as a surprise gift to me from my boyfriend…but, has that ever happened before?  Sadly, no.  I try to keep it pretty simple now and think through the days I’m going to be in one place.  I pack a “going out” outfit (cute jeans, fun top, cute heels), a couple everyday outfits (for me, sundresses), one nice outfit (nicer dress, heels), and some lounge-y comfies (Abercrombie and VS Pink sweats in all forms), plus a few staple solid color tanks, a sweater, and an extra pair of jeans.  And that’s IT.  I used to pack so many cute outfits and shoes, but every time I got home, I hadn’t worn anything but my sweatpants and jeans one night.  The boyfriend one time said, “Why do you pack all of this?  You always wear the same three things.”  Sigh, thanks honey.  But…he’s right.  I keep it light now.

Pack Stuff that Travels Well

Don’t pack this.

My dry clean only satiny dress?  So cute it’s unreal, but if I stuck this in my suitcase it’d be unwearable by the time I got anywhere!  I’ve learned the hard way that some stuff (jeans, pants that can hang up for a day before wearing them, nothing 100% cotton) looks better after travel than others.  Anything 100% cotton is going to be a wrinkle-fest in five minutes in your bag, and why would I want to bring dry clean only stuff if I’m staying more than one or two days?  I’m not going to make it back to pick it up!  Look at what you’re packing and picture it after it’s been in a suitcase for a day.  Some items just weren’t meant to see the world, people.

Keep Toiletries to a Necessity List

Only what you need!  (How cute is the bowl, though?)

I used to pack my full shampoo and conditioner bottles (sorry Boyfriend, I don’t use Old Spice shampoo–yep, a real product!), all my face products (you have no idea how much that really is), my full make-up case, and like, five random bottles of lotion for no real reason at all.  I would just toss things into my bag.  Then, as I went to grab a hairbrush, I’d have a hand full of shampoo and my face wash would have coated everything in my makeup case.  It was awesome.  So now I have the sorted makeup I actually use (blue eyeshadow doesn’t have a lot of “everyday” use…I hope), the products I need for the shower in travel sizes, and…that’s it.  Much like my clothes, I don’t need the arsenal to travel with me.  How often do I do mud masks anyway???

Make a Checklist

Call me a nerd, I make lists.

Look, I know how nerdy that sounds, but it helps a LOT!  This last trip last weekend I forgot:  hairbrush, toothbrush, socks (we had a hike at a resort I reviewed for the magazine..and I had to wear his BLACK ankle socks. I was mortified), and a razor.  Really, Jennifer???  The only hairbrush I had was the big, heavy bristled round brush I use to blowdry my hair with, so I had to use this all weekend–in other words I had this weird, puffy, kind of coarse hair for three days.  I had to get a dental kit from the hotel and of course, the sock incident.  I was a mess!  So, dorky or not, I have a basics checklist taped in my suitcase now.  I will not have that puffy hair twice.  The BF kept saying I looked fine, but I have eyes and I saw the mirror.  Yeah, I looked really good in my too-big BLACK Nike socks sticking out of my Pumas, puffed-weirdo hair, hairy legs, and bleeding gums from the hotel’s rough toothbrush.  I’m surprised no one asked if I was a model all weekend.  A detailed list happened shortly thereafter.

Happy travels, friends!  It really doesn’t matter what’s in your suitcase–where you’re headed is the fun stuff!  (But…a hairbrush is always nice)