Have you ever been on a trip with someone you swear packed their entire closet? Are you the person that seems to forget something on a trip because you didn’t know what to take? Vacation and family travel will soon be in high gear. Because of all the travel and weight restrictions placed on travelers today, you may find that you have added stress just trying to pack for your trip.

Several years ago, I traveled to Germany for a week. I challenged myself to see if I could pack for a week of travel and sight seeing while feeling comfortable yet put together using a small, “weekend” sized bag. The hardest part of this decision was choosing a signature color to wear for an entire week!! Rest assured it can be done.

Perhaps you are planning an exotic vacation or going on a weekend trip; maybe you are going on an extended vacation, or just to the relatives. Regardless of where you will be going, the rules really do not change in planning your wardrobe. My recommendation is to create stories, vignettes, or ensembles and remember these key words: core and signature color as you begin to pack. It will make your travel effortless and easy.

Core Color is a base from which all of your accessories and tops will work. It gives support to the other actors (wardrobe pieces) in the story. Signature Color is the color that you look good and feel great in. Working with your core and signature colors will give you flexibility to change your looks (your stories) as the day changes. No, you won’t have your entire closet, but you will endure a stress free, worry free wardrobe while away. It’s funny but true; less is really more if you follow these six travel tips.

1.Select 5 easy pieces in a one neutral solid color (black, brown, tan, or navy, etc)

-1 Slack

-1 Short

-1 Jacket

-1 Skirt

-1 Jeans(white or dark denim)

2. Select Novelty Pieces-add your signature color

-1 Raincoat or sweater (a outer layering piece adds color)

-1 White shirt or blouse

-1 White t-shirt

-1 5 tops in different styles in your signature color (3/4 length, tank, sleeveless, etc)

-1 Print top must be in signature color you have chosen (optional)

-1 Dress (optional-in core or signature color)

-1 Pashmina or wrap in your signature color

3. 1 workout or lounging outfit

4. Accessories in your signature color (scarves, handbag, necklace, bangles, etc)

5. 3 belts (1 dressy, 1 casual, 1 trendy- core color)

6. 3-4 Shoes (walking or exercise, dressy, casual flats, sandals or loafers core color)

It goes without saying that you will know to pack your sleepwear and lingerie. Just don’t forget special lingerie should your tops and bottoms require it. Once you have pulled your wardrobe looks (vignettes) together with your signature color, you will see how easy it is to mix and match your core pieces and create different mood altering looks. No matter what the occasion or where you are going, you will feel dressed appropriately.

Add a few accessories and be dressed for the evening. Change your shoes and be dressed for a day of sight seeing. It is easy, effortless and you’ll look good, feel great, and have fun doing it!

P.S. Don’t forget your camera to record all your great new looks and fun you’ll have!

The secrets to successful travel packing elude the majority of people when they are going on vacation. We have all seen the images of people sitting on their suitcases trying to close them but failing miserably because they are way too full, but the amount in those suitcases should often not prevent individuals from being able to close them easily! With a few travel packing secrets, you will find that taking everything you want to when travelling is no chore at all!

The first secret to successful travel packing is making a list and then sticking to that list! It is so easy to go through belongings and debate over whether to take something or not. Individuals usually find themselves taking more than they will actually need just in case. That, in truth, is the worst attitude you could take. The just in case items are very rarely used, so resist the temptation! A list will help you to do that because if it is not on the list then it does not travel!

Always take into account what you will and will not need when making the list in the firs place. What is the climate like in your destination? Does it vary at night? Will you need extras if you plan to go to dinner? Are there certain customs or traditions there that would have an impact on your clothing? All of these things need to be taken into consideration when travel packing so you can pack appropriately.

The travel packing list can also help out in another way, should your luggage ever get lost or stolen. If you have a list, it can also act as an inventory so you will know exactly what you need to claim for and this can save serious arguments with the insurance company!

Before placing everything in your suitcase, go over every item by laying it out on your bed and asking yourself whether you will wear it or not. If the answer is “no” or “I don’t know” then leave it at home! Make sure that your travel packing includes all of the necessary toiletries so you will not be panicking when you get there. The only way to pack toiletries is to take the travel sized equivalent of your regular brands. If the company does not do travel sizes then simply buy some of the travel bottles from the local pharmacy or drugstore and fill them with your regular toiletries. This travel packing secret will save you plenty of space! However, do not forget to place all bottles with liquid in them into their own individual Ziploc bag before packing to spare your clothes leaking accidents!

Your travel packing should also include a quick assessment of whether or not you would be prepared to lose the items you are packing or not. If you are taking expensive jewelry then you should be prepared to lose them. Of course, this is a worst-case scenario but this will definitely make you think before you pack items that you may prefer to leave at home!

When it comes to travel packing, you should fold all clothes as flat as you possibly can. All larges items of clothing, such as jeans, should be folded along the bottom of the suitcase, whereas t-shirts can be used to fill the gaps at the side of the case. If you are packing shoes too, then stuff your underwear and the socks into the shoes to save space. This will also prevent your shoes from becoming misshapen and damaged during the journey!

Also, think logically when travel packing and place things that you are most likely to wear first when you reach our destination at the top of the case, with the other items towards the bottom!

There is nothing to travel packing successfully when you get used to the concept, but it is all about taking the time to learn the art! Once you have employed these secrets of travel packing once, it will become second nature to you, thus you can concentrate on looking forward to your vacation rather than stressing about what to take!

1. The first of our travel packing tips will maximize the room available inside your suitcase by simply folding your clothes in the same way that the clothing stores did when you first but bought them

2. The second of our travel packing tips is what we call the interlocking method of packing. To do this you simply lay two articles of clothing flat and then when you wrap them, you wrap them into one another, this provides a sort of cushion effect and helps to stop wrinkles and creases from forming.

3. Tip three amongst our travel packing tips is another simple way of stopping your clothes from becoming terrible wrinkled once they are squashed into your suitcases, and this it to just place a layer of tissue in between the garments before you wrap them, and also in between each layer.

4. Tip number four and again, simplicity itself, is to pack things in reverse chronological order, so whatever you think you will use last, you put to the bottom of the case, and conversely whatever you think you will be using first, you pack toward the top of the case. This could save you a lot of time grubbing around for things and disturbing everything else when you are searching for something and are not quite sure where you put it.

5. Tip five is to pack everything tightly. You’ll be surprised how things will squash together when you force them, and this can create quite a lot more space for some smaller items, and, strange though it may sound, packing things tightly together will also help to reduce the amount of wrinkling.

6. Tip six our travel packing tips is to utilise whatever space you can, so for example, stuff your sox or items of underwear inside your shoes.

7. Finally, tip seven is to do with your travel documents and other things of value or necessity such as jewelry, keys, traveller’s checks, and any items of medication. Don’t pack these in your suitcases, especially if they are going in the aircraft hold. They may end up getting lost in transit. Always keep these sorts of items in your hand baggage. It could save you an awful lot of worry.

And remember (one bonus tip), it is always a good idea to put a name and address label on the inside your suitcase and to ensure your case is tightly zipped, and locked. You never know, if your luggage goes astray, and the outside label comes off, there’s still an outside chance of recovering it if the label inside is discovered.

Happy packing!