Packing for Winter & Work Trips
Ladies, it’s not easy being us. We have accessories, jewelry, boots, shoes, jackets, skirts, pants, and dresses to consider based on the travel occasion, time of day, weather, destination vibe, and so forth. If we’re traveling for a special occasion or even blending in work, we want to make sure we pack the part. Personally, I like to dress up and look my best, so why leave my best digs at home? Baggage limits be damned! Sometimes you just have to check a bag - or two.
On my recent trip to France, I was traveling for two weeks - the first week for pleasure, the second week for work. We departed right after Thanksgiving and traversed the country to end in the south at a week-long luxury travel event. Sounds terrible, I know. However, I needed to have ample options and varying seasonal outfits. While it was chilly in Paris, it started to warm up as I hit the South of France.
What did I pack? Take something that dazzles and lights you up!
Footwear: Eight pairs of shoes including two boots. Don’t judge me. I wore them all. Based on the level of walking, I had to consider the shoe comfort level and dress level. The riding boots and over-the-knee black boots served me well in Paris for long days of walking. A wedge high heel and Vince Camuto shoes helped with the longer distances and standing at the event.
Jackets: Two long coats, a camel and royal blue one for versatility. I also brought a vintage long silk brown coat that I had a special dress planned for. It was thin so it was able to fold in the bag without taking up much space.
Accent Pieces: the vintage fur stole and fur collar from Vince Camuto dressed up every outfit and kept me cozy and warm. They interchanged so well with the color tones and layering with the coats, or just by themselves with a plain top. I always toss in a few scarves too.
Dress Up: Rent the Runway to the rescue. I ordered a few dresses and a skirt. My favorite was the short Marchesa dress. Each dress was pretty slim so the material didn’t take up too much space. I packed a fun sparkly green dress with feathers for our night out in Paris to Crazy Horse - cannot think of a more perfect place to wear such a dress!
Bottoms: Packed two pairs of pleather pants, and a few longer skirts to throw in some variety. Three pairs of jeans and another pair of pants to match a few tops.
Tops: I packed three sweaters. One was thin cashmere, one that could be dressed up or dressed down, and the other a thicker one to re-wear for the flight home when I needed the extra space. I packed turtlenecks and long-sleeved shirts.
Purses: Several clutch purses in a few colors and two larger bags (black and tan) to be able to carry my small MacBook with me at the event.
Jewelry: Pack the pieces you’ve always wanted to wear. Jazz up outfits with costume jewelry. I’m a sucker for eccentric items with an understated outfit. Get an organizer so you are not untangling necklaces and items the whole time.
I got that all in my Bric’s 28” rolling duffle bag that I checked with some overflow into my Bric’s 25” carry on spinner. My sustainable backpack is by Day Owl. When your luggage has to make many appearances and potentially other travel elites at an event, I had to pack my set and it looks great while being incredibly practical for expanding and fitting a lot. Check out my mention of Bric’s in the recent US New & World Report story here.
Make your wardrobe go further
Pack scarves, black, tan, and white long-sleeved shirts that can serve as a layer or basic for any time of day with a touch of style with the scarf. I always pack two Tahari black tops because they’re thin and can be casual or dress up an outfit with a scarf too. A pair of dark jeans can work for the day or evening as they look dressier.
Bring an essential jacket that can go with multiple outfits like my camel wool coat that’s knee-length. It can also be warmed up by wearing a thicker sweater or layers below with the fur accent that I wore most of the trip.
How to pack your luggage
Put your heaviest pieces in the checked bag to be able to wheel it around. Roll your clothing pieces to avoid wrinkling and takes up less space. Slip the socks into your shoes and tuck in the smaller items in tighter spots as you work your way up the bag. Find ways to tuck in smaller items among the larger ones to make every inch count.
In the carry-on, you want to keep all your valuables, laptop, at least one change of clothes, makeup, toothbrush, and charging cords. Any travel documents, visas, or items you will need to be printed, keep them on you.
On this trip, I used my carry-on spinner and slipped my computer backpack over the handles so it was easy to maneuver in the airport and plane. I packed all other purses so these two counted as my carry-on and personal item allotment.
If you’re planning to pick up souvenirs or want to section your dirty clothes off, bring a slim collapsable bag in the large one that you can start to fill along the way.
Happy packing and bon voyage!
