How to pack for your summer holiday

Did you know it’s possible to pack the perfect wardrobe for your summer getaway, and not even use hold luggage? Just think, all that extra money for cocktails!

I get very cross with the ‘bargain bucket’ airlines that charge ridiculous amounts for hold luggage. A friend of ours recently flew to Bulgaria on business and to fly a suitcase in the hold would have cost more than flying himself in the cabin. How is that acceptable?! In response, I have developed an almost military approach to selecting my holiday wardrobe and packing it into two small, but perfectly adequate bags.

On most airlines you can book an overhead bag sized 55 x 40 x 20cm, PLUS tuck one under the seat in front, and that can be sized 40 x 20 x 25cm, which is actually quite considerable. Find one on Amazon, just search ‘ryanair under seat cabin bags 40x20x25’ and a whole host of options will pop up. My friend Katie has a very pretty pale blue one, to which she has added her initials in sparkles. I’d not advocate running out and buying a glue gun, of course, but if you happen to have one handy… the underseat bags are essentially blocks of space, which you can fill with all sorts of useful stuff.

One of the biggest issues with not booking a hold bag of course is the current restriction on liquids. One small sandwich bag! You don’t have to attempt to get your HRT in there, thankfully. Here, too, I have become very fierce. My favourite perfume, a lipstick and my skincare is all that makes the cut. The rest I order into Boots and collect once I have passed through security.

To the important bit! Clothes. Just what constitutes the perfect summer holiday wardrobe?

Think light, and less is more. Of course you can wear the same outfit twice, or more. Of course the same linen trousers will work with two or three different tops.

The key is to spend a few moments with a pen and paper and imagining each day. How will it go? In two weeks you can expect to spend most days by the pool, with perhaps two or three on trips out, so write an imaginary itinerary and plan your daily wear as if you were a stylist for a relaxed, easygoing A-lister.

Crease-free fabrics

When selecting your clothes, you should aim for a mix of those that barely show a crease, and those that don’t matter, because they’re linen. Go for draped rather than tailored, and think about accessories to add the glam. A bold necklace will lift any t-shirt from day to evening. Blazers and jackets may look elegant in the evenings, but don’t travel well. Wear your favourite on the flight, and ignore the rest. Choose instead a couple of wraps you can drape elegantly around your shoulders. They’re great for daytime excursions too, to keep the sun off your arms and shoulders.

Limited colour palette

Aim for a selection where you can mix and match every item in your case. Choose your colour palette, add a classic white linen shirt and a couple of brand new, sparkling white t-shirts, and you’ll feel confident for every occasion.

Shoes

The bulkiest items in any suitcase, how many pairs of shoes do we really need? Travel in your go-to trainers, choose your most comfortable wedges and throw in a pair of flip flops. DO NOT LOOK BACK! I freely admit an obsession with shoes, but also love the freedom of not having to decide which pair to wear on holiday, it makes dressing for dinner a breeze!

How to pack

I spent ages watching ‘how to pack’ videos on YouTube, and they all say one thing: roll, don’t fold.

Start with smaller items like t-shirts and shorts, then progress to dresses and shirts, which aren’t so straightforward. And in all of this, the key is a nice, tight, roll. Cotton and linen doesn’t work so well for this, but your crease-free fabrics will love it. For cotton and linen, I have found that inserting a softer item into the roll, by laying it over the linen piece, helps reduce creasing. It’s definitely worth watching a couple of videos to get a handle on how to do it, and will save you masses of space.

Next, use packing cubes – especially the sort that compress your clothes. Again, Amazon is your go-to here, but in essence a packing cube is a rectangular, zipped pouch you place your rolled up clothes in and then shrink.

Holiday wardrobe shopping spree?

We have loads of summer items in store at the moment, and many of these are in our quite fabulous sale with up to 40% Off! From Camilla to Melissa Odabash to Jimmy Choo, there’s some absolute bargains to be found. Our holiday shop is also heaving with stunning swimwear, beach cover ups, pretty dresses and versatile tops. Browse the website or pop into the boutique!

Happy Holidays!
Love, Christine x