Six Tips for Packing for a Summer City Holiday

Deciding what to pack when you’ve got a limit of 25kgs for three weeks in a new city can be really tough. I know, because there have been enough 2am arguments between my sweet boyfriend who just wants me to turn the light off, and a frantic me, about how many pairs of shoes are really necessary (three, for the record).

I’ve spent hours practicing the art of packing and I’m finally starting to master it. I’ve kind of got it down to three categories; city trip, beach trip and adventure trip. This post is about packing for a city break. The kind of break where you might need to dress up for a night out, or wear your best street wear look in case a famous style photographer stops you for their blog.

I’m heading to Melbourne, Australia over Christmas and Venus has asked me to share some posts about packing for a summer holiday in the city. For me, one of the most important things to think about when packing for a holiday is “am I going to look back on pictures of this outfit in 10 years and want to burn my entire photo library?”, so I always try to pack outfits that are classic, and not too trendy.

Here are a few tips for packing an essential summer in the city holiday wardrobe:

1. A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY

I like to pack as few items as possible, and mix and match them to create different looks. Mainly because I’m worried I might need to bring back loads of stuff. This might sound obvious but I know for a fact that there are people who pack “an outfit a day” but this would cripple me on day one. There’s no way of knowing today what I’ll feel like wearing tomorrow. This is why it’s important to pack clothing and accessories that you know can be dressed for all occasions. For me, one pair of jeans is enough if you can pair it with a stunning blouse and statement neck piece one day and a vest and kimono the next. You can spruce this pair of jeans up with a faux Gucci belt on a day when you want to spruce up your outfit; it’s amazing how this one pair of jeans can create so many different outfits for different occasions. This brings me to the next point.

2. THINK NEUTRAL THOUGHTS

I try to pack as many neutral items as possible. Black, white, grey, denim. This way you can mix items up, layer them and create new looks for every day. Make sure that everything you take fits and feels comfortable – I’m talking every item should be your favourite item. Like a great white t-shirt, a comfortable white button-up shirt, a pair of amazing jeans, a little black dress and a denim or leather jacket. You should also pack one white or cream coloured hat similar to those you can get at a classic Panamanian hat shop. The neutral colour will ensure it’s versatile and can be worn with anything, whilst it will also help to reflect the sun off your face so that you can avoid any holiday sunburn. There’s a lot you can do with all of these key items.

3. THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO WEAR A LITTLE BLACK DRESS

In my opinion, there can never be enough little black dresses in a wardrobe. I like to pack a casual LBD and a fancy LBD, then layer them with a leather jacket or blazer, denim jacket, leather sandals or a pair of heels. For this trip, I got a really stunning casual dress with mesh cutouts from Good Clothing and a fancy sequinned dress from Coppelia. I’ll pair the sequinned dress with heels and a clutch bag and the casual dress with leather sandals from Jane Sews and a fringed sling bag. While we’re on the subject of dresses, have you actually seen the tiny new Venus Snap razor? Holiday essential!

4. THREE PAIRS OF SHOES AND NO MORE

After several years of lugging around far too many pairs of shoes to need on one holiday, I’ve made a rule to only ever pack three pairs; sneakers for sightseeing in, a pair of good quality leather sandals and a pair of flip flops. I might take a pair of heels if I know there will be an opportunity to wear them.

5. BROWN AND BLACK

I’m taking one brown leather handbag and one black leather handbag. As I want them both to be in tip-top condition on my travels, using Leather Honey’s leather conditioner will be a must! They’re both quite big, but I have a lot of stuff to carry around. This black fringed bag is from Woolies and the brown bag is not pictured, but it’s the Lagos Tote from Rowdy. The good news is that they’ll both match my new Jane Sews sandals. I’m also taking my clutch bag from Jekyll & Hide, which doubles as a wallet.

6. WEAR THE HEAVY STUFF

I get super cold on flights, so I travel with all the warm stuff I think I’ll need on a trip. I’m talking comfy pants, sweater, extra-length cardigan, socks, sneakers. This leaves more space in my suitcase. On a related note, I never wear makeup when I fly because it ruins my skin. Instead, I do a facial the night before (or if I have time, go for a QMS treatment) and apply a leave-on mask before I get on the plane.

Of course, you’ll need your trusty little Venus Snap to keep you smooth all summer. It’s a tiny little razor that takes up hardly any space, with the power of five blades. Essential summer packing.

WIN WITH VENUS THIS SUMMER

Venus is celebrating the start of summer with their #VenusOnTheGo competition by giving one lucky reader a R20 000 shopping spree at Topshop!

All you have to do to enter is:

1. Buy one of their Venus Snap razors
2. Snap a flat lay image including your Venus Snap
3. Upload it to Instagram using #VenusOnTheGo.

PS. This was my first styled, “editorial-style” post. What do you think about all the photos of me? Do you hate it or are you ok with it? Let me know!

*This post is sponsored by Venus and will help pay for my trip to Australia. The contents of the post is my own opinion. The pictures were taken by my clever boyfriend Keenan Mulvaney.