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| All you need for a weekend at the beach |
Two weeks ago, I submitted my final paper (
paper is a strong word, it was more of a creative info-graphic, but it's the symbolism that counts, right?) and, just like that, my first year of grad school was done. Boom! As you might have guessed from the lack of posting around here, I'm still getting the hang of this whole school/life/work balance thing. The end of the semester was a pretty grueling few weeks as a gazillion group projects came to an end. Thankfully, I have a few fabulous weeks off to hang out with Mr. C before starting my summer internship (
not going to lie, school is great, but I'm pretty excited to be working again). We kicked it off this past weekend by heading to Montauk where we rented a beach house with my cousin, sister-in-law, and their significant others. As a southern California girl, I'm still getting used to east coast beaches (less sand, smaller waves, fewer tan people). But, it was amazing to get away from the city, hang out with amazing people, and eat fresh seafood by the water. And, of course, it was an chance for me to finally pull out all of my summer clothes.
A few years ago after lugging a 50 lb suitcase through Europe for two weeks (
let's be real, it was really Mr. C doing the lugging), I realized I needed to start taking a more strategic approach to packing. I've come up with a pretty simple formula that works for me 90% of the time:
(Number of Vacation Days - One travel day) x 2 = Number of outfits needed
This ensures that I have a day outfit and a night outfit for each day of the trip, plus one travel outfit for the beginning and end of the trip. Obviously, I adjust this depending on the type of trip. For this trip, I knew we were going to be a lot of grilling and hanging out on the beach, so I adjusted the total number of outfits down slightly, assuming there'd be at least one day where we'd just be chilling on the beach.*
Thinking in terms of outfits versus items of clothing does a couple of things. First, it forces me to plan ahead so that I don't end stuffing everything I own into a carry-on at the last minute. Second, it helps me figure out what I actually need rather than showing up with 20 items of clothing that I love, but that don't really go together.
The other thing I do, is I start with the three-five statement pieces that I know I want to bring (e.g. a colorful dress, printed pants). Then I add in basics, accessories, and shoes to help dress each item up or down. Except for rare occasions (
things like traveling to a friends wedding), I try not to bring outfits that can't be dual purposed in some way. Even shorts can be dressed up for a dinner with the right shoes and accessories.
This what ended up in my packing list for a five day :
1) One Beach Cover-Up: I love this one from H&M and, as a plus, it's under $10!
2) Two Swimsuits: I'm a big fan of
J.Crew's swim suits. They last forever (
seriously, I've had one for 7 yrs that still looks new and that I'm almost wishing would wear out so that I can get a new one). As a plus, you can mix and match a lot of their styles. And, if you're more of a one-piece type of gal, they have a lot of pretty cute offerings
3) One printed dress: I'm partial to longer summer dresses that have an un-even kerchief type hem. Since I'm on the petite side, finding a maxi dress that doesn't need to be hemmed or that doesn't drag on the ground can be a little . . . challenging. Plus, am I the only one that finds maxi dresses to be a bit of a heat trap in the middle of summer? My favorite dress to pack for beach weekends is a few years old from Anthropologie, but the one in the set is from H&M and is really adorable in person.
4) One casual day dress: It's hard to go wrong with stripes in the summer, especially by the beach. Plus, this dress is really easy to change-up with a belt or denim vest. This is usually my travel outfit of choice (paired with a hat and some sunglasses to hide the fact that I stayed up too late playing
heads-up)
5) One pair of shorts: I like to pack one pair of dressier pair of shorts (either with a fun, but subtle print or lace or crotchet) that can work just as well for grilling outdoors or strolling around town in search of coffee. I've had good luck with
Ann Taylor Loft for fun summer shorts.
6) One pair of printed pants: Even though it's finally summer, evenings at the beach can still be a little chilly and I knew a pair of pants would come in handy. I've been looking for a fun, printed pair like these and when I found them at H&M (can you tell I had a very successful H&M shopping trip recently?), I knew I had to snatch them up.
7) A couple of neutral tops: For me this means, a chambray shirt for chillier days or to throw over a dress, a silk top if I need to dress-up my pants or shorts, and two to three t-shirts. Despite my love of
Everlane, I have to admit, I keep going back to Gap's t-shirts. They fit me better and are the perfect weight.
8) A sweater: Beach nights get chilly! I have a different one but
this sweater from Gap is really adorable and complements everything else on the list.
9) Three pairs of shoes: One pair of heels (I got
these cute DV wedges and am in love. They're super comfortable and really sweet, the perfect summer shoe. I may even get them in black). One pair of flip flops (duh). And, one pair of leather sandals. Knowing me, there is a high likelihood that I'll sneak in another pair of shoes (maybe my boat shoes) at the last minute.
10) Accessories: For me, this means a hat, sunglasses, a couple of belts and my trusty jean vest.
* * *
This might still seem like a lot. But, considering what I used to pack, it's major progress! The biggest sign is that I can now carry my own suitcases and don't have to rely on Mr. C or the kindness of random strangers ;) Check back later to see how I mixed these up to get eight-plus outfits that lasted the whole trip!
*Of course this varies depending on the type of trip, for example, camping doesn't require any going-out outfits. (But, seriously, do I seem like the type of girl who goes camping?)
