Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Packing for Europe - Wardrobe Hysteria

Packing for Europe is not to be taken lightly. I leave for Europe in 18 days. I can visualize myself sitting in a café sipping coffee and eating a croissant wearing a beret. But, how many berets should a girl pack is the question.

Packing has always been a challenge for me. Especially since I am naturally an organizer, I like to be prepared for every possible situation. This state of wardrobe hysteria has led me to over pack on my last 3 trips to Europe. I absolutely refuse to allow this to happen again. I have limited myself to a rolling duffle bag and a maximum weight of 30 pounds.

The last time we traveled we were slammed with fees because our luggage weighed too much. Our luggage of course was filled with wine bottles, perfume bottles and other things that we had acquired while traveling around in Europe. But this time, I am determined to get the upper hand on the new airline weight restrictions.

I have told my friends that before I pay another luggage fee, I will wear all my clothes on the plane and tie my shoes around my neck as a scarf. I am reminded of Joey from “Friends” who wanted to get even with Chandler so he wore all of Chandler’s clothes. As Joey so nicely stated "Could I be wearing any more clothes"? Joey was not wearing clothing to avoid a luggage weight fee (though that does seem like something Joey would do) it's a great idea all the same.

Using my strength of being prepared and organized, I created a spreadsheet of clothing and made sure that the items I am taking allow me several uses. I have my items narrowed down to

3 dresses
3 skirts
2 pairs of pants
7 sweaters and blouses, how else can I “mix and match”?
3 pairs of shoes
3 berets

Packing for a nearly 5 week trip is no easy task. I’d like to hear your ideas on how you pack for extended trips.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

You could always take the clothes you like the least and chuck them as you go. That way you will have an empty suitcase by the time you come home which you can fill with souvenirs!

Diana Chlebowski said...

I always like to pack at least 5 more lightweight blouses or T's more than the amount of sweaters that I'm bringing. That way I can layer and mix and match so that I have more flexibility and creativity to create fun ensembles when pairing with my black skirt and black pant. I also like to make sure that my skirts are comfy enough to be day wear and play wear.