Top 4 Wardrobe Travel Essentials to Pack

Can you tell I’m on a travel kick?  If you follow me on Instagram you will see that I just spent a weekend in California.  It was a great long weekend getaway to relax and recharge.  These best part of the trip was the fact that we didn’t have any set plans, we were going to play it by ear.  If we wanted to go the beach we would, if we wanted to get dressed up for a great meal we would.  This carefree trip led to an immense amount of packing stress!  No set plans meant I needed outfit options for all types of activities, which as a woman is kind of hard.  My “hang out at the bonfire” outfit is a lot different then my “fancy steakhouse dinner” outfit.   I needed desperately to eliminate packing stress and come up with some travel essentials.

 

There seems to be so much stress in packing and for no good reason at all.  I took a hard look at my closet and truly tried to pick out the items that can be used for multiple outfits.  It was hard work, but I think I finally eliminated the packing stress!  I discovered 4 travel essentials that could be worn multiple ways for multiple activities.  These are my new travel essentials for personal trips.  These items will be in my suitcase on every trip going forward.  So take a look at my 4 travel essentials for every vacation and why you need to have them on your next packing list.  

 

Sweater Blazer

I’ve love the J.Crew Sweater Blazer since I laid eyes on it in early fall.  I basically live in it and have yet to tire of it.  I also just bought a black one and love it just as much.  For my trip to California I brought it as an extra layer, in case it got cold out there. Pretty funny considering it  was about 60 degrees warmer than Chicago at the time.  But I rediscovered why I love this piece so much. It’s because of the versatility it offers.  You can travel in it, where it casually and wear it for a night out.  

 

It’s the perfect piece for travel and a true travel essential.  The pockets can store my phone, boarding pass and odds and ends.  It’s also a great layering piece offering the perfect amount warmth.  It can be worn with a tee shirt, long sleeve shirt and topped off with a scarf.  You can quickly take if off and put it on when figuring out how hot or cold you are on the plane.  I know I personally can’t control my temperature on a plane no matter how hard I try.

 

The sweater blazer is a great piece for casual wear too.  It’s the perfect piece to explore around town with.  It acts as a lightweight jacket for breezy days and can easily be carried around if you are warm.  You can dress this piece down with street shoes for an effortless chic look.  I love the way the sweater blazer looks dressed down for daytime wear.

 

And let’s talk about wearing it at night.  It looks so chic dressed up for night over a blouse with a pointy pair of flats.  It once again acts as a lightweight jacket and makes you look instantly polished and put together.  

 

Holly & Tanager Companion Max

If you haven’t seen my full review of the H&T Companion you will want to check it out.  This purse is the ultimate day to night bag and a must have for traveling!  Before I had this bag I’d pack multiple purses for vacation taking up a lot of room in my suitcase.  Now I just have to pack one bag and I’m all set.  I use the bag with the strap during the day for exploring around town.  I can wear it across my body or on one shoulder.  It’s big enough to fit the essentials I need in the day such as my wallet, a scarf (because I always get cold), sunglasses, a map and a bottle of water.  The bag is made so well that it moves with you, not against you. It’s made for the woman on the go.

 

For night time I simply remove the strap and use it as an oversized clutch.  I can wear it tucked under my arm or use the hand strap to let it hang down my by side.   Given that it can fit everything for day time it most definitely fits all my night time essentials too.  I usually downsize at night and take less out with me anyways.  I switch out the sunglasses and bottle of water for lip gloss and face powder.

 

Shoes

Packing shoes for vacations is always a struggle.  I end up having one outfit that requires a special shoe and I hate to use up the valuable suitcase space for it.  I usually end up bringing another outfit (that I don’t love as much)  to go with a shoe I’m already packing.  That was the old way of packing shoes. I finally figured out the two shoes you need to pack that go with everything and can be worn everywhere.

 

Street Shoe

First up is the street shoe, which is a white soled shoe with a leather top.  My go to for street shoes are Ecco’s, they are ultra comfy and stylish too!  Mine featured here are old, but they have an equally as cute new pair currently in stock.  The street shoe can be worn on the plane and slipped off for comfort.  When you arrive at your destination you can wear it around town and walk for miles in it.  On my most recent trip to California I also hiked in my street shoes.  While it might have not been the safest option, it did allow me to not have to pack a gym shoe.  

 

Pointy Toe Flat

The second shoe that I always pack is a pointy toe flat.  My go to pointy flat is the M Gemi Staccato.  They instantly dress up any look for day or night.  Plus pointy toe shoes add a touch of sophistication to any outfit.  I often wear my pointy toe flats out at night and feel just as dressed up as I do in a heel.  With this flat you can keep the heels at home and save the room in the suitcase.  What I’ve found in my travels is that when I pack a heel I wish I packed a flat, because sometimes my feet need a vacation too.  

 

These 4 travel essentials; the sweater blazer, H&T Companion Max, street shoes and pointy toe flats are always on the top of my packing list.  Each piece is so versatile that you will get tons of use out of them on your trip.  Check out a few outfits I’ve put together to give you packing inspiration or everyday outfit inspiration.

 

Stay tuned for my full travel guide on Laguna Beach, where I discovered my travel essentials to pack.  Speaking of packing, have you checked out my cold weather vacation packing list, it features 25 items to pack for cold weather vacation.