Packing Light for a Beach Vacation – How to Enjoy Your Trip More By Traveling with Less

No matter how excited you feel about your vacation, you're probably less thrilled about the prospect of packing for it. Keep your luggage light with versatile clothing, easy-care fabrics, thoughtful color choices, and the right accessories.

Clothes That Do Double Duty

Your walk-in closet at home supplies plenty of space for that pair of purple pumps that match exactly one sweater in the world. On your vacation, though, you'll want to consider clothing that serves more than one purpose. If you can wear an item with every other item in your suitcase, you have a winner.

A shirtdress that falls a couple of inches above the knee would be an excellent option to wear alone, as a cover-up on the beach, or over capri pants. Depending on the style and the fabric, you could even wear it as a blouse with a different skirt covering the lower portion. The ease and versatility of the shirtdress has kept the style in vogue for over half a century.

Another garment just as easy as the shirtdress and even more versatile is the sarong or pareo. This generous rectangle of fabric can go over a swimsuit as a cover-up, become a wraparound skirt, drape over the shoulders as a shawl on cool nights, or even transform itself into a dress. A few sarongs take up virtually no space in your suitcase, but add many options to your wardrobe.

Skip nightwear altogether and pack along a few tank tops and tees instead. If you're pressed for something to wear, you can easily slip into one of these under a lightweight jacket with a pair of slacks and look appropriate for almost any occasion. No one has to know it doubled as a nightshirt the evening before.

Choose the Right Fabrics

Jeans may go everywhere you want to go at home, but they're suffocating in sultry tropical air. Switch them out for lightweight cargo pants or capris in cotton or linen.

For clothes that stay stylish in any weather, look for natural fibers and natural blends. Linen and cotton get rumpled quickly, but adding Lycra to the mix can give these natural fabrics more body in the heat. High-quality woven acetate feels and looks as cool as cotton with less wrinkling.

Want to get away with only one carry-on bag for your vacation? Plan to do some laundry if you're staying for more than a weekend. Lightweight cottons, linens, and silks dry so quickly that you can easily wash them in the sink and hang them on the shower rod in the morning to wear that evening. Check with your hotel to ensure that your room has a steam iron if you'd like to give your hand-washed dress a quick touch-up before going out in it.

Keeping it Neutral

Picking two neutrals and building the rest of your wardrobe around them guarantees that you'll always look put together on your vacation. The classic combination is black and white, but feel free to go with chocolate brown and beige, gray and white, or any two colors that suit you.

Whichever colors you choose, the majority of the items in your suitcase should feature one or both of them prominently. Think of items of clothing like rooms in a house: to ensure that they flow well together, bring elements from the preceding room into the next one. If all the major items in your luggage pair well with each other, then the only decision you need to make each morning is which accessories you'll choose.

Accessories Make the Outfit

While you don't want to overload on accessories, you'll probably want to take a few special things with you. A bright scarf that can double as a shawl or cover-up adds spice to your mostly neutral vacation wardrobe. Consider buying some local items that catch your fancy; a set of carved bangles or a brilliant bead necklace is both a souvenir and a beautiful way to vary your look during your trip.

It's tempting to over-pack shoes. Resist temptation, though, and stick to three pairs at most: sandals for the beach, dressier heels or flats for going out to dinner or dancing, and sturdy athletic shoes if you intend to go hiking. You can probably get away with two pairs if you know you're not the dancing or hiking type.

A tropical vacation should be worry-free, so don't burden yourself with too many possessions. Loosen up, pack light, and save room in your suitcase for souvenirs.

Looking to update your wardrobe, including a new beach hat? Check out the vast selection and unique designs at FairWindsSarongs.com.