My dad was in the Navy. And he’s always been a meticulous packer. When it came to going on holidays, which we didn’t do that often, he was very adamant: “you give me the luggage, I’ll make it fit anywhere”. He particularly hated loose bags, boxes or other non-standard ways or carrying stuff because they move in the trunk and they create confusion etc. My mum and dad still get carefully separate suitcases when they travel – so “it does not get messy” (in my dad’s bag!). Far from being so obsessed, I did inherit a bit of this mania – while I don’t compulsively order my flat or my clothes, I do tend to pack very organized. In my travels, I always follow a sort of a checklist – and yes,
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD IT HERE
👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
The Stylish Packing -TSF CHECKLIST
It’s a 3-step process, capped by a final list of the actual items. Yes, I know 🙂
Step 1 —> Think of the destination & identify the nature of the journey.
Then work through these elements to guide you.
– duration: how many days? One or 4 does not really make a difference in my experience but if it really is 24 hrs you may pack lighter.
– temperature: fundamental to choose staple clothes and accessories (shoes too).
– style of location: hotel, camping, nature, city…
– purpose: work, leisure, mix?
Step 2 —> Based on these factors, assess the following:
– unexpected events: what if I sweat? What if I stain myself? What if the weather changes? What if I’m invited somewhere funky or posh?
– extras: umbrella, hat (especially for beach destinations).
– essentials: scarf, glasses, hayfever tablets, handbag, chargers. I always pack a black tee, a pair of denim, a black cardi, a leather jacket hat I travel with.
– shoes: I leave with the bulkiest pair on, usually a trainer if I believe it’ll need them.
– toiletries: I carry my own arsenal of minis. Travelling does mean giving up your routine. One of my must-have is my own shampoo and conditioner.
Step 3 —> Start listing the actual things you are putting in your bag.
It may seem excessively pedantic, but trust me, it makes your bag so much more precise and you are always on top of what you need for there right event. This is an example of my recent list for Dubai (which you can see as a photo diary here by the way) – sorry, in Italian.
Lately, some of my go-to pieces are these.
And shoes?
Yes, I can fit up to 4 pairs of shoes in a decent hand luggage. If it’s a holiday I normally go for
– 2 heels (medium / high).
– 1 mules.
– 1 ballerina (that gets swapped with any flat if needed or if very hot).
– 1 pool / beach flip flop.
The trick is to put them in individual bags so they are not too bulky and can go in between clothes – always making sure the heels look inwards (to avoid breaking). I normally carry a shopper handbag too (yeah, that’s cheating) so any extra pair that I cannot fit in the bag goes in there. Perhaps that’s my secret 🙂
My luggage looks like this and I have been using this for all trips from 1 to 6 days away for a few years now.
– Edit –
Bags: Chanel, Furla
Shoes: Chanel, Aquazzura, Zara
Luggage: Eastpak (small cabin)
Dresses and skirts: Zara, Asos, Lady Vintage, ChicWish