How I Travel Light + Minimal

Last week I went to Austin, TX and like usual, made it my goal to pack as light as possible. And yes, a lot of people like to pack minimally when they travel, or they have a travel capsule wardrobe, but how many of those people are also going to a fashion conference?!

My goal was to pack minimal while also having lots of outfit options that could be used for many different purposes (long walks through Austin, a nice dinner, a dance party, and lots of sitting at a conference.) All while being styled and feeling good about what I was wearing.

But mostly, I didn’t want to lug 3 bags through the airport, to my Uber, down the street, and up a ton of stairs.

So I followed a few simple rules I’ve developed over the years of packing light, and here’s what I’ve come up with as noteworthy tips to share with others trying to travel lighter:

1. Choose pieces that mix and match easily: whether it’s a coordinating color palette, a ‘uniform’ of sorts, or separates that easily pair with others, having versatile pieces creates endless options. If this feels too predictable for you, pack fun jewelry or small accessories to change up the outfit more!
2. Balance heavier fabrics with light ones: for every pair of denim I pack, I try to include a thin/sheer/viscose piece that folds to almost nothing. Same goes for shoes. If I need more than one pair, I make sure one is very small and light weight.
3. Try things on before you go: this can be time consuming and quite frankly, it’s annoying. But trying things on and making outfit combinations is a gift you’re giving to Future Traveling You. You’ll inevitably decide not to pack certain things, and you’ll have a catalog of outfits you can easily put together once you’re on the trip. Front load the work; then enjoy less decision fatigue during the trip.
4. Wear the bulkiest pieces on the travel days: this can be tricky depending on weather, but I like to wear all of my biggest, heaviest items to save space and weight in my bag.

Some of my outfits from the week:

One thing that makes traveling even easier is having a bag or bags that are functional (and of course, stylish at the same time because we can do both!) These are my go-to travel bags, both of which I’ve had for 3+ years and highly recommend: Handmade Leather Duffle Bag | White Luggage Roller