Stylin' Sunday; Packing Edition

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So I've decided to add a little bit of a practical twist to this week's Stylin' Saturday/Sunday, because I struggle with this issue every single time I pack for a trip away from home. I'm here to provide some insight on what to put into your suitcase in order to avoid overpacking or under-packing for vacation.

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Let's get down to business (to defeat the Huns....) and figure out what basics we need. Obviously you need to pack undergarments, in fact that should be your first rule of order when packing, so get that over with so that you don't need to stress about it later. Now let's take a peek at a quick list to keep your head in the game:

• Shirts: either plan these with whatever bottoms you're packing, or pack basic colours and styles that will go with anything. Shirts get dirty easier, so if you're gone for 7 days, pack 7 shirts (or 4-5 if you plan on doing some shopping).
• Bottoms: denim or darker colours is the way to go. A single denim item can be worn several days in a row without the need to wash it, same goes for darker colours (depending on the material). This will save up a lot of space in your suitcase. If you're gone for 7 days, you will only need 3 bottoms.
• One-pieces: always pack one dress/romper with a fancier flare in case of a special occasion.
• Footwear: what you wear on your feet depends on the type of trip you're going on. The safest bet for footwear however is to pack up to 3 items at the absolute most. One pair for casual wear (that'll go with every outfit), one pair for dressing up, and one pair of flip-flops/sandals for the pool/beach/etc. 
• Other: if you need to, pack one "active wear" outfit for exercise purposes, and one outfit that contradicts the weather pattern of your trip (it's always comforting to be prepared).

Extra Tips: Try and stick to neutral colours for your basic pieces, as they can be easily interchangeable, but don't forget to keep something with more colour/fancier style in case of any type of dress code or event. Also, you can add a few accessories to your suitcase to add a little extra flair to each outfit. (don't forget to pack other non-clothing essentials like toiletries, electronics, etc).

Remember, you can make several outfits out of very few items, so less will always always be more. And you also have an excuse to buy clothes while you're away with all that extra space in your suitcase ;)