Holiday Travels??

Hello Everyone,

Since the Holidays are fast approaching, I thought for the next few days I would write about packing and some travel tips and tricks.  Many of you will be traveling to spend the holidays with family and friends, and I thought you could use some advice on doing it effortlessly and in style.

Today we will focus on what you should pack.  First of all, let me just say, it's best to stick to the basics, especially when packing for traveling to a cold destination, otherwise you risk your suitcase bulking up quickly.  This includes colour - black, brown and cream are best.  You can add a few pieces of colour, after all the holiday season is about being merry and bight!  Just make sure that you can wear them with mulitple looks - this is the key to packing successfully. 

For cold destinations, you should pack:

A turtleneck, a v-neck sweater (or whichever shape accentuates your body type) as well as a cardigan.  Then pack some tank tops and lacy camisoles for layering underneath.

Two pairs of jeans, one dark and one light, as well as a pair of trousers, black is best, but dark grey or pinstripe will work as well. 

A party dress, or two is always needed for this time of year, but you could also pack a nice black or dark grey skirt and pair it with one of your sweaters for a fancy dinner or get together. 

Pack some hosiery, in black to go with your dresses or skirt.  And here's a little tip from the north - you can wear tights under your pants while out in the cold to keep you warm, trust me, it works.

Accessories are a traveler's best friend because they are easy to pack and are a great way to change up your looks - belts are great to cinch bulky sweaters in at the hips or waist, you can dress up a simple black dress with some great sparkly jewelry (and yes, it can be costume!), and scarves are perfect to add some colour to your outfit, as well as double as a wrap to keep you warm on the plane, in a chilly restaurant, or even while sleeping if your a bit chilly in the night.

For coats, you should pack two if there is room.  One dressy and one more casual (this is if you're not wearing your casual one on the plane or in the car). 

a nice pair of dress shoes that can go with all your dressy outfits is great, as well a a pair of warm boots for those walks in the snow.

You will also need a pair of gloves (black leather ones are always great) and mittens if you want (I love me a good pair of adorable coloured knitted mitts!), a hat or two - a beanie, newsboy, wool beret, or an ear-flap hat - whatever works for you.  And even though it's not summer, you HAVE to have a cute pair of sunnies - from my opinion, the bigger the better!

For hot destinations (for those of you lucky enough to escape the snow and cold) you should pack:

Bikinis - yes multiples - you will be in them for the majority of your trip, so you should have enough cute ones to rotate.  I would suggest wearing them in place of underwear and a bra most of the time, because you never know when the moment for a swim will arise!

Tunics, caftans and cute sundresses are perfect for throwing on over your suit for a quick lunch or trip into town.  Tunics look especially nice worn with white shorts or white pants.

A sarong for wearing over your bikini at the beach, as well as a belt (raffia, chain or leather) which you can use to turn that sarong into a dress.

A couple pairs of shorts (white, linen, or jean) and a nice pair of dress pants - white is perfect, but a natural coloured linen works too.

For colours, you should go with anything bright and light - white is especially great because it looks fabulous against a nice tan.

For shoes you pretty much only need a couple pairs of flip-flips (dressy and non) and if you feel the inclination (or have trouble walking in flats and just do  much better in heels, like me) you can pack a cute pair of strappy heels for dressing things up a bit.  These are especially nice when going out for dinner.  Espadrilles and open-toe wedges work as well.

Also, if going to a resort, you should remember that most of them have a dress code for dinner, so make sure you have something that is dressy as well as appropriate (read-not too revealing) for when dining.

For accesssories - hoop earrings (gold looks great against tanned skin), anything ethnic and bangles are great - just make sure that it's ok to wear such things where you are going, some places tell you not to wear too much jewelry because it makes you a target for muggings.  I wouldn't wear anything of real value either, incase it gets stolen or ruined while at the pool or beach.  This is the best time to break out your costume jewelry!  And of course you need a great pair or two of sunnies (yes, I will say it again - the bigger the better) as well as a cute sun hat (the bigger the better here as well).  A nice scarf that you can tie around your neck, in your hair or even for belt is great, and if you can swing it, bring a couple different ones.  (By the way, nothing works better to conceal hair that's a bit messed up from the beach, as a nice scarf tied around it). 

And most important for either destination, make sure you leave some extra room for those presents you'll want to be bringing back with you, and if you can't make extra room, pack a nice fold-up bag to use to carry home your treasures.  :-)

I hope that this has helped you, and tomorrow I will be back with some tips for packing your bags! 

-SB