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Packing Light and Looking Chic for Your Holiday Getaway
It’s that time of year when many of us are gearing up for the great holiday exodus. Whether you’re taking the train or contending with the ever-shrinking Ryanair hand luggage on a festive flight, looking chic while packing light is at the top of everyone's Christmas wish-list.
Below is a handy guide to help you to compress your wardrobe into a classy holiday capsule collection to see you through the festive season looking suitably merry and bright.
1. Back to Basics
Image credit: The Shirt Company
Basics don’t need to be boring and having a solid foundation of well-fitting, high quality garments will allow you to shine bright throughout the holiday season. We have listed some of the versatile must haves for your carry on below:
A Sleek Shirt Dress
You really can’t go wrong with your favourite shirt dress to see you through a whole wealth of holiday activities. Whether you are decking the halls at a family gathering or going on a boxing day dog walk to a rustic country pub, a long-sleeved shirt dress will keep you warm and cosy while maintaining a sophisticated silhouette.
Dark Jeans or Tailored TrousersWe all have a ride or die pair of jeans which are perfect for rocking around the Christmas tree, and a dark denim or black colour palette goes with pretty much everything. For a more formal look, we recommend bringing along your favourite pair of tailored trousers. Don’t be afraid of statement colour here, my favourite pair happen to be mustard yellow, but if you plan the rest of your pieces to clash or match appropriately, a bright pair of trousers can make you stand out from the crowd.
Your Favourite Shirts
Timeless, versatile and always classy — your favourite shirt will be working overtime during the holiday season. As well as a little white number, we recommend bringing along a statement shirt to dress up your jeans. Think pussy bows, big sleeves, deep rich colours or a splash of bold pattern.
2. Choose Travel Friendly Fabrics
Image credit: The Shirt Company
Nobody wants to whip out the iron before they crack open the champagne, so choose fabrics which travel well. We recommend trying out some of our new environmentally conscious Tencel pieces which are crease resistant and durable or our warm, cosy jersey fits. Both are soft on the skin, drape beautifully and will leave your case looking almost as good as they went in!
3. Keep Rollin’, Rollin’, Rollin’
I didn’t realise packing a travel bag was such an emotive topic until a particularly impassioned conversation with my family about the merits of rolling clothes. Grudgingly, I am going to have to say that my sister was right and that rolling clothes carefully does help to prevent deep creases and also allows you to cram a couple more items into a case. To multitask looking perfectly uncrumpled, hang your previously-rolled garments in the bathroom while having a luxurious hot shower to make the creases drop right out. It’s a Christmas miracle!
4. Tread Carefully
You don’t want to be lugging loads of unwieldy shoes about with you, so some versatile footwear is a must have. You can’t beat a pair of ankle or knee-high boots to go with pretty much everything while also looking seasonally appropriate. To really get into the party spirit, a pair of sparkly midi-heels will make any fit look more festive and will get more holiday mileage then Santa’s sleigh.
5. Layer for Travel
Image credit: The Shirt Company
Make sure to wear all of your bulkiest pieces to keep snug as a bug while travelling while simultaneously saving space in your bag. I always make sure to rock my fluffiest jumper, a huge scarf and a wooly hat to stay warm and optimise suitcase space. If you’re going to be staying away for a few nights, wearing sweats on the train, plane or automobile means you have your loungewear sorted and have a comfortable trip.
If you want to boldly travel with an oversize handbag and ditch any unnecessary mass, try our Thea trim sweatshirt which splices a jumper and a shirt so you get the best of both worlds.
6. Touches of Festive Glamour
Stock up on cute festive accessories and mix them with timeless jewellery pieces to add some touches of glitz and glamour to your outfit. There’s nothing wrong with pairing some Claire's Accessories silliness with some diamond earrings, especially over the festive season.
Other accessories with a wealth of Christmas holiday mileage are a glittery clutch bag, a statement belt, colourful silk scarves and detachable collars to add some extra whimsy to your shirts.
7. Beauty Bonuses
Indulging in a suitably holly jolly manicure and popping some gold eyeshadow and red lippy in your makeup bag spreads a bumper amount of festive cheer while only taking a few cubic centimetres of bag space. Bonus shoutout to velvet scrunchies and cute sparkly hair clips for a cheeky little up-do!
As you can see, traveling light doesn’t mean sacrificing style. By choosing versatile pieces and having fun with accessories, you can celebrate the holiday season looking fabulous without the extra baggage. Happy travels and happy holidays! ✨
Cover image credit: flickr.com/maureen_barlin
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