How I Managed to Pack the Perfect Suitcase!

Packing for any kind of trip has always been a source of anxiety for me. I always forget something, some crucially important thing. In the past it's been my eyeglasses, my phone charger, pyjamas, socks, deodorant... you get the idea. The day after Christmas I was slated to go on a voyage across the Atlantic to visit London, Paris, and some of the English countryside, over the course of 10 days. It's a challenge for anybody to fit ten days' worth of clothing in a carry-on sized roller bag, and I was traveling during a particularly variable season, as far as the weather was concerned. By some strange stroke of genius though, I managed to pack the perfect suitcase. I utilized everything I had in there (as in, nothing was extra or unneeded), I never lacked appropriate outerwear or shoes, and I still had a bit of room to bring inevitable purchases back with me. 

Here's how I did it!

My suitcase is a standard carry-on size American Tourister bag that I got in Aqua blue because a) I hate how everyone has black suitcases and b) I knew it would be easier to pick out at baggage claim. For the rest of my junk I use my trusty, giant camo canvas tote from the defunct RL Rugby brand (RIP). It's large enough that I can fit my small purse in there, alongside all the other necessities that I won't be able to live without if my luggage gets lost. Awesome brimmed "Manon" hat from Anthropologie ($58), and giant fluffy infinity scarf that I can wrap over my face incase I pass out on the plane and enter fly-catching mode, tops on priority list. I got my neon X-ray yellow luggage tag from the folks at Flight 001, along with a matching Passport cover and 1-qt size bag for carry-on fluids. Very sadly, the subzero temps when I was flying out of NY during the Polar Vortex (or whatever they called it) must have weakened the plastic and my luggage tag came back to me snapped off, so I'm torn between replacing it or opting for a less weather-sensitive option.

As for the contents of my suitcase... here's where the real genius kicked in.

SHOES: 2 pairs
1 pair of waterproof leather boots, comfortable enough for walking all day and dope enough to wear with anything.
--> Dubarry of Ireland "Wicklow" boot in Walnut, $299
1 pair of black flats, not very comfortable but perfect enough for any circumstance that's a bit dressier (or where brown boots wouldn't work).
--> studded loafers from Call It Spring, $15 (on sale)
OUTERWEAR: 2 coats
1 warm, mid-thigh length down coat for chillier temps/venturing out at night.
--> Dubarry of Ireland "Salthill" coat in Black, $299.

1 lightweight, waterproof jacket for wet weather and layering.
--> Dubarry of Ireland "Behan" jacket in Raisin, $479.

Lucky for me, I work for a brand that makes phenomenal outerwear (take a stab at which that is...). Add in a scarf that you can do a lot with... I picked up my rust-colored one at Uniqlo for $12! A pair of beauteous handwarmers from Houndworthy also came in handy for all the mugs I ended up holding (see evidence below).
PANTS: 3 pairs
1 pair dark denim jeans that look good with ankle boots.
--> AG Jeans "Stevie" Straight from Anthropologie, ~$168.
1 pair black motorcycle jeans that still look cool with brown boots.
--> Free People moto jeans circa 3 years ago, ~$199.
1 pair black vegan leather leggings that can be used for a dressy dinner date, or just as easily dressed down.
--> Sanctuary Clothing Mixed Vegan Leather Leggings, $98 (but found on sale at Zappos for $65).

TOPS: the 2 most important things to bring anywhere...
1 chambray shirt. It will be your best friend. Goes over tank tops/tshirts, under sweaters, by itself, etc. I take one everywhere as part of my uniform.
--> JCrew is where I got mine a few years back, but they have new choices every spring for around $78.
1 black merino wool cardigan, on the longer side.
--> Brooks Brothers -- a bit pricier than I'm used to, but it's a wardrobe staple so you should be more willing to splurge. Warm but not bulky, and sharp enough to wear with dressy outfits if necessary.
Aside from that, throw in one warm sweater, a few t-shirts, a couple of tanks, a tunic-length dressier top (for use with black leather leggings), and a few more assorted tops for good measure.

DRESS:
1 black vegan leather bodycon dress, to wear with aforementioned flats and cardigan. Slick enough to go out to a club but elegant enough to wear to a fancy Parisian restaurant on New Years Eve (what I did). Also, folds very easily and doesn't take up much suitcase space. Procured mine from Free People a couple of years back but Sanctuary Clothing had some killer options this season as well.

Sanctuary Clothing Vegan Suede dress, $168.

The best choice I made was undoubtably with footwear. I wore those Wicklow boots every single day for ten days. We walked EVERYWHERE. Not once did I get blisters or tired feet, and on the days where it poured rain (there were quite a few), I didn't get held back. The weather in Europe is tricky to predict during the winter months, and I spent equal amounts of time in my down coat as I did in my rain shell. The waterproof jacket also came in extraordinarily handy, particularly the day we walked around Brighton, England in sopping wet conditions. I was never cold, or wet, or over dressed, or under dressed. In general, everything I own can be mixed and matched... I guess I'm stylistically pretty consistent, but in this situation it worked out for me really well.

great shopping in Brighton

chilly night on Waterloo Bridge

paid a visit to the new Dubarry flagship store in London!

fun fact: anywhere outside of New York, people think I'm Latina.

On a side note... Google is giving me a nightmare of a time regarding my blog domain. dappledwaistcoat.com is no longer working because they would never allow me to sign into Google Admin to renew it, and now that it's expired it seems I can't get it back. So for the time being, we'll be here at DAPPLEDWAISTCOAT.BLOGSPOT.COM until I can sort this out! Any advice on the matter would be appreciated!  xx A