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Style Buzz: How to Pack (Without Overweight Baggage Fees) + Styling a Cream Blouse


Three Ideas to Inspire Your Style This Week


QUOTE OF THE WEEK


"I have a lot of pieces, but no outfits."

This is such a common lament I hear, and not just from clients. It stems from shopping without remembering what you already have or are lacking in your wardrobe. One fun little exercise is to hold one piece up - say, a blouse - to all the skirts and pants you have. If the colors look complementary, try them on together and see how they go as an outfit. Do the lengths work together? Is the silhouette flattering? Do you feel good in it? You'd be surprised at how many combinations you can find without having to spend any money on new pieces!

 

 xxx rachel

One blouse, at least 8 different outfits just by pairing it with colors pulled from the print.
One blouse, at least 8 different outfits just by pairing it with colors pulled from the print.

TIPS FOR PACKING WITHOUT OVERWEIGHT BAGGAGE FEES


I'm getting ready for a quick trip to England next week, so packing is definitely on my mind! It's always a challenge to come up with just the right number of pieces so that I've got variety but not too much, everything is mix-and-match, and I'm comfy no matter the weather (because England = rain).

 

I've found a couple of hacks that help me sort through the myriad options when it feels like everything is my current favorite outfit and I want to take them all!

 

  • Pull out all the non-negotiables and plan around them. These could be your pants, shoes, coat, special occasion attire, or your favorite blouse. If you're absolutely positive that you're taking it, use it as the foundation for multiple outfits and find pieces in your wardrobe that work with it. Pack those pieces first so you know how much room you have left for everything else.

  • A good guideline is 5 tops, 3 bottoms, 2-3 outer layers, 2-3 pairs of shoes, and accessories like scarves, hats, and jewelry. The trick is to think of outfits in layers so you're prepared for multiple environments and with versatility in your looks. Jewelry is a simple and relatively lightweight way to dress something up, and scarves can work in a pinch to keep you warm, be a coverup indoors, or add a pop of color to a neutral palette. 


  • Speaking of a neutral palette: Keep everything to a simple color scheme, so if you're taking mostly blue and brown clothes, you can take the brown boots but don't need the black ones. However, an accent color like cream, apple green, or burgundy brings a lovely pop of bright against any color, so consider adding one of those in.

  • I often use a trip as an excuse to try on a different persona, which means taking clothes I don't wear very often. One very helpful tip: well before your trip, get out all the fancy or specialty clothes you're perhaps maybe considering taking and wear them. Get used to them now so that when you pack them, they're comfy and familiar. There's no need to find out when you're hiking the Atlas Mountains that the shoes you've packed are uncomfortable, or the dress for a 5-star restaurant is too revealing.

  • I like to use a portable clothing rail to stage pieces because it lets me see the collection as a whole. I seem to have a better sense of outfits when they're hanging up next to each other rather than laid out on a bed. A week or two before the trip, I'll start putting items on there that I like (or must absolutely take), and slowly edit to add or remove pieces as I think through my itinerary, the versatility of each piece, and my overall look. It also helps keep those pieces out of my general rotation so I don't forget about taking them.


3 WAYS TO WEAR IT: Cream Blouse

I love this blouse - it works for so many seasons and is quite easy to dress up or down. It's loose enough to be really comfortable but not so much that it swamps me. The pretty print is small so it doesn't compete with the pintucking or ties at the neck, plus the mandarin collar behaves and give some structure without being stiff and formal.


The lightness of the blouse is really set off by the black skirt and moto jacket, and the boots keep my legs warm on a cool evening.

I love pairing it with jeans and slides that match the cream of the blouse, and pop a cozy cropped sweater over it for warmth.

The brown flared jeans bring out the floral print, and pairing it with tonal brown booties make my legs look really long.


 
 
 

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