How To Pack For A 2 Week Vacation Using Only a Carryon and Still Look Cute

I have always been envious of those who had the ability to pack just 5 items of clothing and look cute 800 different ways. My stylish friend Reachel enlightened me with the following formula:

Pack just one item of clothing for each day that you are gone.

WHAT! This was so counterintuitive to what I have done in the past. I was an “outfit for everyday of the trip” type of gal.

The secret is to devise a wardrobe that can be mixed and matched.

You can do this one of two ways.

The first is to use a color wheel to find which colors compliment each other.

Now this can be a bit complicated for some, so instead you can select a favorite print (floral, stripes, whatever you prefer) and then draw upon the colors that are used in the print. You can see Reachel’s helpful tutorial using this formula HERE.

Since I am planning a trip to a beachy area I settled on a somewhat French Seashore theme comprising of the colors navy, white, coral, butter yellow and kelly green.

In my carry on I will pack a lightweight blue sweater purchased last year at Forever 21 because airplanes, restaurants and seaside evenings can get cool. A similar sweater is shown HERE and other versions can also be found at such stores as Target and Marshalls.

A second sweater in green was also included. I found mine earlier this year at a Banana Republic outlet on major markdown but a similar sweater is sold HERE.

I selected one dressy top, two t shirts and two tank tops in various shades of my selected palette. The green top and the blue and white striped top came from a Banana Republic outlet earlier this year on clearance. I see similar tops at discount stores quite often.

The yellow t shirt was found at Forever 21. A similar t shirt can be found HERE.

The coral t shirt was found at J C Penney.

The white eyelet dot tank was a recent major score at the J. Crew outlet due to a small split seam that I was able to easily repair. The full price version can be found HERE.

The coral cropped pants were found at T. J. Maxx and the denim capri’s at Marshalls. I have recently seen similar styles at other discount stores.

The white and navy cotton ankle pants were found at end of summer clearance last year at Banana Republic. A similar version is shown HERE but again you can find white and navy ankle pants at almost any clothing store.

The polka dotted skirt is my favorite and a bit of a splurge for me at $42.99 but others might think it’s a steal! If you go HERE I’ve listed the link and there is a $15 coupon.

While Reachel packs 2 pairs of shoes and wears a third pair I plan on packing only one other pair because I don’t wear heels. The blue and white striped flats I purchased on deep discount at the Gap outlet will be dressy enough to see me through. I’ve seen similar flats and espadrilles at Target and other discount stores.

My darling daughter knows how much I adore toe ring sandals. She found my second pair of vacation shoes at Anthro. Since she works for the company they were almost half off, but you can find them HERE.

For those who noticed, “Why yes, I did paint my toenails a coral shade to coordinate with my clothing.”  🙂

The the final touch is accessories. You may have the overall impression that my clothing is always purchased on sale or from inexpensive discount stores. That is correct. But the secret to never looking cheap is great accessories.

For this trip I will wear my really good (valuable/sentimental) jewelry on the plane. They include Grandma Mary’s pearls, my wedding and mother’s ring and some nice gold hoops. I think they lend well to the French Seashore theme as I can’t help but think of oysters and gold hoop wearing pirates. 🙂

But I am also packing 3 pieces of cute on trend fashion jewelry. The flower statement necklace and the daisy earrings were found at Forever 21 last year. 98% of my fashion costume jewelry is purchased there. The coral bracelet was recently found on clearance at my local J.C. Penney.

One area that I don’t hesitate to spend money on is handbags. As a young adult I worked in the handbag department at Macy’s and yes, there is a difference. I will pack a small over the shoulder purse and take a large “Eze” basket tote as my “purse” on the plane. It is large enough to hold my wallet, plane tickets, small makeup bag, snacks, 2 magazines, 1 book and my bulky 35 mm camera. It will work great at the beach too!

I plan on taking you along on vacation with me so you’ll get to see how the outfits evolve based on the fun activities planned. So stay tuned.

Bon Voyage!

Laura