Five of My Top Tips for Packing When Travelling (Plus a Tiny Change to Our Own Vacation Plans)

Truth be told, I didn't know, given all that has been transpiring on this end throughout August, if I'd get time to post more than one this week before we left for our exciting upcoming trip to Edmonton. Luckily however, I was able to carve out time to pen three fun new posts for you, of which this is the second (watch for a yummy - and very classic - autumn recipe post here on the weekend).
 
Next week, while we're away, I have the honour of presenting you with guest posts from three different fellow vintage bloggers (one each from Canada, the UK, and Australia, respectively), and I hope that you'll shower them and their awesome posts with the same sort of kindness and love that you so sweetly bestow upon mine here each week.
 
As blogged about in the announcement post about our trip, we'd initially planned to leave for Alberta on August 31st, however my dear husband got back from a six-day business trip (to Toronto) last Saturday afternoon and the poor thing was beginning to fight the first stages of a rather powerful head and chest cold.
 
We wondered, a bit earlier on in the week, if we'd have to reschedule our trip entirely, but thankfully, Tony is feeling well enough to embark on our trip later today, so that is exactly what we'll be doing.
 
Now, instead of being gone from August 31st - September 10th as initially planned, we've simply moved things up by a day and will be gone from Sept. 1 - 11th.
 
The only other change to our plans is that we're now overnighting in Golden, BC this evening, to help break up the long drive between Penticton and Edmonton for Tony (we'd previously been thinking of staying overnight in Calgary, but now with Tony sick, will be dividing the trip into roughly two equal length drives of some 5.5 - 6 hours apiece between today and tomorrow), while he's still fighting this cold (which - knock every piece of wood in the universe - hasn't jumped ship to me yet).
 
There's almost never a good time to get a cold, but it was especially rotten timing for one to befall Tony so close to our vacation this year. Thankfully though, admirable trooper that he is, Tony is game to carry on and we'll soon be visiting Edmonton, as planned, in no time. I can hardly wait!
 
Over the past few days, I've been packing up a storm for our trip. When traveling by car - especially since we got our first ever SUV last winter and thus have worlds more trunk space than we had in our previous vehicle, which was a sedan - I wouldn't say that I'm the world's lightest packer, but I'm not the most OTT either.
 
Given everything that many of us like to have on hand in to successfully put together dynamic, attractive vintage (or repro, rockabilly, pinup fashion, etc) outfits, it can be hard to condense our closets and dresser drawer contents down into just a suitcase or two (or three!).
 
I enjoy the challenge though and always set aside at least one full day to compose a mini wardrobe on the go.
 
I've been blogging for over seven years now and have had the pleasure of taking a few trips of various durations throughout that time, yet it struck me recently that to date, best I can recall, I haven't shared too many of my tips on packing for when you travel with you guys yet.
 
I'm quite literally gazing across the room at my suitcases, travel makeup case and jewelry roll as we speak, so now seems like the ideal time to do just that.

As such, I'm delighted to present you with a selection of five of my all-time favourite tips for vacation packing (as seen through the eyes of a vintage fashion blogger).





1. Create a mini capsule wardrobe: While this may mean slightly different things for different folks, to me it is the concept of creating a tiny version of my everyday wardrobe and making sure that the vast majority of pieces are colour coordinated/go nicely together.

Whenever I travel, I select a general colour palette for each given trip and then try to focus on packing as many pieces in those hues (and/or ones that will play really, really nicely with them) as possible. This time around, as our trip is happening at the very tail of summer, just as autumn weather and sunlight alike are rounding the bend once more, I opted to focus on a a fall colour palette and primarily packed pieces in shades of medium to dark green, mustard and golden yellows, dark oranges, brown, burgundy, navy blue and dark denim.

These are all colours that I turn to during the fall when at home, and as I know that most (if not all) of the outfit photos we'll take while on our travels will appear on my blog during the autumn months, it makes all the more sense to opt for a seasonal palette that will continue to look right at home clear on through the return of winter weather.

As well, don't be afraid of colour! Travelling is often exciting, upbeat and joyful - why not tuck along a wardrobe that keeps pace with those feelings and that helps to celebrate this special break from the daily grind that you've been able to carve out for yourself!





2. Separates are your friends: Though I always bring at least a couple of dresses with me when we travel (often solid coloured shirtwaist dresses that make for great canvasses to create multiple looks against throughout the duration of a trip), I find that I really, really tend to favour separates.

By ensuring that all - or nearly so - of my garments are colour coordinated (see tip #1 above), this gives me a great deal of flexibility in terms of the number of outfits I can put together and the variety of activities that such can see me through.

For me, separates generally include skirts, pants and/or jeans, tops, blouses, cardigans and/or sweaters, and blazers. I don't wear shorts, but I do sport capris, so if the weather permits, you'll likely find a pair of those thrown into the mix as well.

Even if you don't have every last element of your trip planned out before you leave, chances are you know what your destination(s) will be, the season(s), and can look up the local weather before you arrive, if need be.

Think about these things as you're packing and select items - be their separates or one piece items (dresses, jumpsuits, playsuits, etc) that stand to work really well for the destination(s) you're headed to.

If you're going to be hiking and camping in the Rockies for a week, that's probably not the time for your newly acquired, and very delicate, 1940s rayon swing dress. If, however, you're headed off for ten days of sightseeing and shopping in Paris, France, then you probably don't need to pack your most rugged of clothes and items like true vintage pieces may be even more at home.




3. Lean generously on accessories: This is something I always do when I travel, but all the more so if space is at a premium. Cast your net far and wide when gathering up accessories to bring with you on your travels. I rarely leave home without a selection of handbags, snoods, hats and hair accessories, and always bring jewelry, scarves and (fashion) gloves with me.

Shoes - even fancy ones - are more utilitarian in nature, but there, too, you can sometimes find room for multiple pairs (try placing smaller, such as socks or scarves, items inside of clean shoes to maximize storage space).

I suggest that you try to avoid breaking in any new shoes for the first time on your trip (save perhaps for super comfy sandals, flats or sneakers - but even then, proceed with caution – and some moleskin!) and instead bring a selection of shoes that you not only love and find comfortable, but which coordinate as well as possible with the garments that you've packed (so that, again, you can get as much mileage as possible out of what you've travelling with).

If you're concerned about loss, theft or breakable, opt for cute, fun accessories that you wouldn't be utterly gutted if something were - goodness forbid! - to happen to them.

Such examples might include inexpensive novelty brooches (modern or vintage), strands of plastic or inexpensive cultured pearls, basic hoop in earrings in silver, gold, and/or rose gold; plastic (but not necessarily Bakelite or celluloid) bangle bracelets, inexpensive handbags (straw, raffia, pleather and denim can all be good choices there), and small, understated vintage hats that don't break the bank.

I also like to personally try to coordinate at least a couple (more if possible) of my accessories with my destination. For example, if I'm going to be near the ocean, nautical and marine life related jewelry and accessories are a must. If I'm headed into the mountains, I reach for pieces with pine cones, woodland critters, and faux bois elements - as well as real wood pieces themselves. If you're trucking out to the desert, what about cactus, Wild West, and Southwestern related accessories?

Almost regardless of where you're going on holiday, you can hit upon at least one or two fun accessories that tie into your destination and which can even serve as the jumping off point for a whole outfit - be it likewise themed or not - as well. 



{Please note: The Image source for this vintage photo is a lovely Tumblr blog that may not be safe for work due to the inclusion of some artistic nudity.}


4. Plan at least some of your outfits (from top to bottom) out before you leave: This is one of my favourite elements of getting ready for any trip. I really make a day out of playing dress up in my own closet. I usually crank up some great vintage tunes, light a scent candle, have a tasty snack to hand (to help keep my energy levels up while trying on scads of looks), and make sure that my full length mirror has been freshly Windexed.

If you're creating a mini capsule wardrobe, you don't necessarily need to plan out every last outfit - especially since itinerary plans can change, just as the weather can, too - but it never hurts to have at least some ensembles generally mapped out before you arrive.

If you think you might forget or be too busy in the moment to create a dazzling look on the fly, take cell phone or tablet photos of each outfit that you've mapped out while you're still at home and then just refer back to them once you've reached your destination.

There's nothing wrong, I should mention, of course with bringing along one or more outfits - if space (and weight limits, if that’s a factor) permits - that are standout ensembles, meaning that they may, intentionally, only be worn once. If, for example, you're headed to a formal wedding out of town and have opted to spend another five days there and make a trip of things, you might only need to wear your 1940s suit or 1950s cocktail dress for the wedding itself.

Plus, by planning out some (or all) of your outfits - including outerwear and accessories, if applicable - before you leave, you greatly cut down on the risk of forgetting something important that you'll likely need at your destination.




5. Pack clothes you know and love: Ideally, you want to pack clothing, shoes and accessories, that fit well, are comfortable, that you've worn before (potentially less of an issue with jewelry), and that you genuinely love - or at least really like - and hopefully won't feel self-conscious when wearing.

As well, try to look over each garment you want to bring before you pack it into a suitcase or overnight bag, and make any repairs (such as fallen hems or loose buttons) before you leave. Bring along a small travel sewing kit, too, in case you need to do any mending jobs to your garments while you're on the road.

I strongly believe that the happier you are with your travel wardrobe, the more enjoyable and relaxed just about any trip stands to be.


{To learn more about a specific image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective online source.}

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This list is by no means exhaustive. I could - and very well may - write more on the subject as time goes on. These five tips, however, are ones that I put into action each time we travel, be it for just a short jaunt or a longer stay. At a week and a half, I'd call our upcoming journey to Alberta a nice middle ground on the summer vacation timeline scale.
 
Do you have any great travel packing tips that weren't mentioned here that you'd like to share? I'm all ears, if you do! :)
 
Again, my dears, there will be another post coming down the pipeline from me later this week, followed three really delightful guest posts from fellow vintage blogger, and then I'll be back here in no time at all with plenty of fun new posts of my own in just a few days time (spoiler alert, they're going to heavily feature fall + Halloween related topics).
 
In a largely unrelated (to this post) note, I just wanted to mention, for those who may have been following along, that despite the recent return of a very real looming threat, it would appear as of the latest news releases, that Canada Post is not going to be striking this week and that, happily for all involved, a tentative negations have been reached.

I'm thrilled about this, as it means there won't currently be any strike related disruptions to my Etsy shop (which will remain open while we're on holiday; all orders received while we're away will promptly be shipped out within 48 hours of our return).
 
And last, but certainly not least, I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for your fantastic, caring, sweet, and enjoyable blog comments this summer.

I treasure each of you and your visits to my blog, and can hardly wait to chat about our travels (which I'll be posting plenty of snaps of while they're in progress on my Instagram) and to celebrate my absolute favourite season with you again this autumn.