Going on vacation is wonderful, however finding what to pack is quite the journey. Most people I know are hell bent on having their cutest clothes with them to make sure they look their finest while trotting along a riviera or observing beautiful paintings at the Louvre. The thing is though fashion changes every three months just like the seasons. The combination of style changes and wanting to look our best has some of us (read: me) running to the shops to shop our fabulous vacation wardrobe, which can cost half a fortune, if you travel a lot like me. Naturally I solved this problem because my money is for traveling!
Want to know more about the beautiful paintings at the Louvre? I share all I know in this post.
It is obvious that every type of vacation needs it appropriate wardrobe, meaning that your closet has to have a little bit of everything for winter, summer, spring and autumn. I naturally need them as I live in Europe and seasons exist, having just lovely warm weather is not my reality yet but if we keep up with global warming it might be one day..(🤦🏽‍♀️). However with these vacation shopping tips I expanded to make sure I am covered for most weather and location situations on vacation.
Tip 1. Buy With A Plan In Mind
Stop buying things just because you like them on whim without a real plan in mind. Buy them because they are pretty, you like them but most importantly because they are functional. When buying with a plan in mind it means you can combine your new item with other items in your closet. It’s fine to want to buy something to build a complete new outfit but if you don’t find the rest of your outfit, you’re in trouble because the likelihood of that piece ending up at the back of your closet without ever seeing the light of day again is very high. In other words you wasted your money.
Tip 2. Functionality of Your Clothes
When buying your new wardrobe think about where you can see yourself wearing the clothes you are about to buy. It’s important to think about being able to wear your items on more locations thus also on vacation even when you are buying something for a special event. I find it easy to reference this to my last two trips and wonder whether I could wear the items there, of course make sure to match weather situations. Also think about clothing items being able to cross seasons. Granted from winter to summer and vice versa is harder but perhaps it can be used to layer?
Tip 3. Buy Quality Clothing
Before you fire shots at me no, I don’t mean buying expensive clothing. Buying things that are of good quality will save you lots of money as you will be able to get more wears out of the clothing. For me this is especially important with winter clothing such as a good coat, gloves and warm shoes. I do tend to spend a little more on those, I admit. It is easiest to buy flimsy summer/spring clothing however the more you refrain from this and choose quality stuff, the more money you can invest on vacations as you don’t have to buy new things every spring/summer. The quality also affects how many times you can wash an item, if washed correctly, before it starts showing signs of wear and tear.
Tip 4. Pay Attention To The Material
Paying attention to the material of your clothing can not only save you money but also time. I personally refrain from buying things I have to iron because I know my suitcase has every potential of ruining my efforts of having done that. Also if for some reason your bag gets searched your careful crease protection packing can be ruined as well.
The material of your clothing will also affect the way it behaves in different temperatures. For example I have these linen pants which I wear in summer all the time. I went to Dubai with them and nearly cooked my legs off. I checked the label and it wasn’t a 100% linen it was a blend, which caused my legs to be insulated. Lesson Learned!
Tip 5. Buy Your Vacation Wardrobe Items During A Sale
This tip is probably the best one I have to give, if you ask me. Shop during the SALE. I put it in capitals for you to not miss it. Literally the sale will save you so much money. Especially when you have to shop for specific items such as mountain shoes or something. Also when shopping during the sale, you obviously shouldn’t just focus on the season you are in right now. You should totally shop for all seasons. See a great winter coat on sale during midsummer? Buy it, IF it is of good quality and actually warm. Just don’t wear it out the shop..
Do be mindful of shopping during the sales as some shops will try to sell you damaged clothing so do a good check before buying. Also when doing your check be mindful of any smudges or stains. I usually tell a salesperson and most shops will give you a wash guarantee meaning that if you wash it at home and the stain doesn’t come out you can get a refund according to their refund policy without any fuss about the stain. Do make sure to have them write that on the receipt!
Tip 6. Have A Set Of Basics
Having a good set of basics will make packing your suitcase on the fly way easier and it can also save you when the weather changes suddenly, if you brought your items with you of course. Your basics should be items that you can combine with literally everything in your closet. Basics that you could think of are:
- Knit Sweater
- Jacket (Biker Jacket or Fluffy Jacket or Jean Jacket)
- Button-up shirt
- Black Pants
- Denim Jeans
- Black Jeans
- White / Black T-shirt
I know the little black dress is missing from this list but as I don’t always take it with me I didn’t include it in the list. These seven are the ones I almost always throw in.
Tip 7. Invest In Several Types Of Shoes
This tip kind of overlaps with tip 6 but as I wear different types of shoes when on vacation than I do in my daily life I decided to include it separately. Basically what you should stop doing is buying shoes you can only wear for a few hours before going crazy and deciding to continue barefoot. I don’t know if this is a common thing but in my circle it’s normal to buy shoes just to sit in? You ideally want to have sturdy shoes that make it easy to adjust to sudden changes in your day. Make sure all your shoes are comfortable to walk in and are made of materials than can handle different types of weather. For example a lot of flimsy summer sandals are not that comfortable anymore when taken to warmer climates, such as Dubai.
Random tip: For sandals the comfort increases when the sole is sturdier.
With the above tips my wardrobe is vacation ready year round. Yes, I’m pro stress-free living. Have fun shopping your vacation wardrobe!
Love,
DCPR.
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