Two Weeks Away, One Cabin Bag : Summer in the City

A long time ago I shared some tips about packing, the most important being that you don't need to travel with as much stuff as you think you do. Trust me - there is absolutely nothing to love about hauling a large and unruly suitcase from place to place. All those ankle bruises and shoulder injuries and outright frustration, especially when it's peak hour in a Tokyo train station? Not fun. And then you get to the end of your trip, bruised and battered, and half the stuff in your suitcase is still folded neatly, untouched? Not fun at all.

Years of travel, years of packing, have shown me that you can travel light. Scratch that - it's shown me you have to travel light. And the good news is you don't have to look like a backpacker doing it. If you pack smart, you can look smart. You can travel with a cabin bag and still look like your normal, stylish self. 

To prove it I'm taking you inside my suitcase, showing you what I pack for different climates and different holiday types. I'm basing these posts on what I'd pack for two weeks away. For a shorter trip just subtract a frock or two, for a longer one just add more underwear!

Packing for a winter holiday is pretty advanced stuff, so we'll kick off with an easy one - summer in the city. Basically this is what I took to Hong Kong last month. Note that my wardrobe is very much frock based (it makes packing so much easier!) but if you are a pants and jeans kind of girl then just switch out 'fancy frock' for 'fancy pants and top'. 

Some general principles: 

- Pick a colour scheme, so that everything in your bag will basically work with everything else.

- Pack early and then edit, edit and edit some more. 

- A few belts, some jewellery and a scarf will mean you can pull countless different outfits out of three frocks and a pair of heels. Well chosen accessories will help you avoid TWF*. 

(*Travel Wardrobe Fatigue: when you feel like you've worn everything in your suitcase a hundred times and you're completely bored and uninspired by it all.) 

- Only pack tried and tested items. I learnt this the hard way when I had to bin a brand new pair of shoes because they made my feet bleed. Oh the pain! Never again. Think wardrobe staples; the things you love and turn to day in, day out. Think comfort and style. 

- Don't forget the basics. Underwear, a good range of bras (matched to your outfits), socks and something to sleep in (I pack singlets which double as pjs). And I always travel with at least one pair of black leggings.

In the end the key to good packing is having a good wardrobe to begin with. Edit your wardrobe, hang on to what you love, buy what suits you, take your time to build it piece by piece. If you're happy with your home wardrobe,  then packing for your next holiday will be a breeze!

Casual Dress x 2 - Think something you can throw on without thinking. Something you can spend a whole day sightseeing, shopping, sipping and eating in without having to worry about anything. Light weight for summer, non-iron fabric, with pockets. Casual dress one from Petit Bateau, casual dress two from Obus. 

Super Comfy Dress - When I fly I tend to wear a stretchy cotton tunic over leggings. This outfit gets washed when I land and then doubles as 'loungewear' for lazy mornings in the hotel room. This stripey number is from Japan. It's wonderfully soft and has big pockets - exactly what you need for passports, pens and documents as you're rushing through the airport. 

Dress Up, Dress Down - This is possibly my favourite dress ever and I will most definitely cry when it dies. It's from Top Shop. Yes, it has pockets (see a theme here?). It's perfect with flats for daytime strolling, or with heels for nighttime bar hopping. 

Go With Anything Jacket - Something that you can throw on over everything in your suitcase. For me, it's a light blue denim jacket from Uniqlo. 

Lightweight Scarf - I always take a scarf on the flight, sometimes those flying sardine cans cabins can be cold. Also handy in places like Hong Kong where the air con is almost always set to deep freeze. 

Bright Belt - For adding a bit of fun to all your frocks. This happy orange suede belt from Gorman almost always travels with me.

Fancy Frock - For dinners at nice restaurants, classy corporate cocktails, long luxurious lunches...that kind of thing. This one is from Marimekko, and it's ridiculously comfortable (no pockets though - its only drawback). Nights getting a bit chilly? Just add leggings!

Clutch, Bracelets - A simple frock can look pretty special once you add a great clutch. I scored this one in Tokyo; it's vintage Italian leather and it's freaking gorgeous. When I pack, whatever clutch I'm taking doubles as storage for my bling - something shiny and cheery and not too precious. Your bling might be a beautiful brooch, a nice necklace, ome elegant earrings. My bling is always bracelets. Whilst I'm a big fan of the mix and match enamel bracelets from Kate Spade, my current favourites are stackable resin ones from Sly Pony.  

Neutral Summer Heels - I'm a certified shoe junkie, so it has taken years of heartache and intensive ridicule training from the husband to get the shoe side of packing right. You don't need fancy heels and daytime heels and shiny flats and boring flats and shoes for that dress and shoes for this dress. You do need one pair of heels that go with everything. Neutral leather strappy heels always work for me when I'm on a warm weather trip. 

Trench Coat - More stylish than the Go With Anything Jacket, a trench takes up minimal room in your case and pretty much works with everything. I adore this quirky polkadot one (another Tokyo find), but a classic light tan or plain black is also ace. 

Slightly Fancy Frock  - Casual enough to wear to brunch, but with heels, bright belt and clutch it looks lovely at dinner too. (Notice how almost all of these clothes do double or triple duty?). This frock is from the now defunct Kate Spade Saturday. RIP. And yes, it has pockets. Of course it has pockets.

Ribbon Belt - A wide grosgrain ribbon, tied in a little bow at the side or back, makes a super cute and/or elegant belt and takes up virtually no room in your case. They are the best travel thing ever! Pack three if you want! 

Swimsuit - For the hotel pool, of course. This one piece is from Jets, and it's a super flattering fit (like this one). 

Underwear - I pack my underwear in zip mesh bags from Muji. There's one for briefs, one for bras, one for socks and stockings. Keeps everything neat and tidy, especially if you're hopping from hotel to hotel. 

Sneakers - For those days when you know you're just going to walk and walk and walk. As a bonus if you pack them you can also pretend you'll use the hotel gym at some point during your holiday. Sure you will.

Jeans, Shorts, Belt - More basic, everyday stuff. One pair of my most favourite jeans ever, one pair of shorts and one more belt (this one works with jeans and looks cute with dresses too). 

Tees - Two tees, too easy. 

Then just add a few pairs of hard working shoes (flats, heels, flip flops - stop), minimal toiletries (more on that later) and a backpack with all your gadgets (laptop, camera, chargers) and you are good to go! Happy travels!

Come fly with me...a postscript on what to wear

Plane Outfit C by ejorpin featuring a double breasted coat

Clearly I'm no fashion-guru-type-person. I like frocks and I like shoes but that's about where it ends. On the rare occasion that I do put up a 'what I wore' post it's generally because I'm ridiculously overexcited by the fact that a) I managed to put an outfit together, and b) it looks okay on me.

But if you read my post on Saturday you would have discovered I have fairly strong opinions on what's acceptable plane attire. To recap - no shorts, no thongs, possibly no singlets, no leggings as pants, no pyjamas, and nothing ridiculously impractical or uncomfortable.

Plane outfits can be a bit difficult. Aside from walking that fine line between something you're okay to sleep in and something that is suitable for public consumption, there's the added trickiness of possibly changing seasons, dealing with airplane air conditioning (or the lack of it, sometimes), and having to wear/carry whatever isn't going to fit in your suitcase.

So, here's a few outfits that I'd consider plane perfect. Some are based on outfits I've worn on real life long haul flights, like the bottom one which is basically head-to-toe Uniqlo! The top one is pretty stylish, I think (and I'm a bit in love with that houndstooth dress from ModCloth...). The bottom two are a little more casual - one for cooler weather (knit + boots + scarf) and one with a more Summery feel (crop pants + peep toes + pops of yellow).

Plane Outfit B by ejorpin featuring fringe scarves

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Plane outfit A by ejorpin featuring a cotton tunic

What do you think? Do you have a plane outfit you swear by? I'd love you to share it  if you do! And if you're on Polyvore come find me!

ps. I'm new to all this Polyvore embedding stuff, so if the links for the products etc don't work I apologise. I'm currently on a big boat in the Mediterranean somewhere, but I'll fix it as soon as I can!

Come fly with me... (or How to Survive 14 hours in a Flying Sardine Can)

[Airplane photo art print by CharlenePrecious]

Hands up if you think flying is fun? 

If you put your hand up you're either a pilot, a newbie, or a crazy person. Sure, the hour and half from Melbourne to Sydney can be quite pleasant (provided you ignore those  'this whole tin-can-flying thing seems highly improbably' thoughts). But long haul flights? Being trapped like sweaty cattle in an aluminium can, faced with inedible mush, undrinkable wine and endless re-runs of Two and a Half Men? Not fun. 

As you've probably guessed from my recent posts, at the moment, I fly a lot. Even before this three months of madness the combination of being travel mad and married to a rather financially competent man with two sons a whole ocean away means that I take two to four international flights a month. And the vast majority of those are in economy.  As a result, I've developed a swag of coping mechanisms and some fairly um, 'strong', ideas on plane etiquette (and by strong I think they should be standard terms and conditions of every airline ticket sold...). 

So in the interests of sanity, and of keeping things nice en route, here's some of my travel tips for when you're in the air. (Like my first travel tips post - on packing your bags - this is text heavy. I've highlighted the critical bits in bold though, so you can skip all the filler and go straight to the killer if you like.) 

- Figure out the kind of traveller you are, and be honest about it. The husband is a casual, relaxed, laid back flyer. I am a nervous, twitchy, neurotic flyer. 

As much as I'd love to pretend that I'm all 'it's cool man' at the airport, I'm not 'cool' at all. And when I try to be it normally ends in tears - I'll be in the lounge repeatedly and pointedly telling my husband 'it says final call' while he tries to ignore me and pours another scotch. I'll then have a minor panic attack and drag the husband to the gate, where we wait in the boarding line for ten long minutes whilst he repeatedly and pointedly tells me he could have been relaxing with a scotch in the lounge all this time. In my emotionally fraught state I'll read this as the massive, wounding insult it obviously is and ask my husband why he ever married me in the first place. Things tend to go downhill from there. 

Long story short: these days I let my husband hang at the lounge while I get to the gate with plenty of time to spare. Makes for much happier times for all involved. 

- I'm not sure why but airports are emotionally fraught places. Maybe it's all the emotional goodbyes, the awkward hellos, the stress of wondering whether  you remembered to pack your passport/toothbrush/teddy bear. Or just being in an unfamiliar space with unfamiliar people and all those odd unfamiliar routines. Or the thought that you're about to put your life in the hands of a pilot who may or may not have been up all night doing tequila shots. Or worse, in the hands of an autopilot who may or may not be related to HAL 9000. 

Whatever it is, indulge in a bit of people watching at the airport and I guarantee you'll see flustered faces, heated words, rolled eyes and possibly tears. Everyone just seems to be a bit more emotionally fraught, a bit on edge. So, be gentle, with yourself and with others. 

- If you didn't get an upgrade, get over it. Please don't spend thirty minutes arguing with the poor check-in lady and making the rest of us in line wait, and wait, and wait.

- Get organised before the security screening. Please don't reach the xray machine, suddenly look surprised, and hold up the line for ten minutes as you faff about with zippers and bags and bottles of water. Start getting organised while you're waiting in line. Pull out your lap top or travel sized toiletries, unlace your shoes, take of your jacket - whatever you can do to make the line move a bit quicker.

If you're not sure what you need to do, observe the people around you and follow suit (unless the people around you are having some travel related meltdown which involves stripping down to their underwear and running around in circles yelling 'mum-ma'. Of course.) In short, don't be a donkey. 

- When you plan your plane outfit, think about the people that are going to be squished seated next to you. I don't care if you're flying from Dallol, Ethiopia (the hottest inhabited place on earth. Google it, people), short shorts really aren't acceptable. Shorts equals bare skin which equals my personal space being invaded by your legs. Be they silky smooth, hairy, supple, dry, freckled, tanned - I don't care, I just don't want them near me. Please. 

And yes, I am quite aware that this might just be some really weird pet peeve/cause for therapy of mine. But I stand by it. No shorts on planes. Ditto for thongs. And probably singlets too. 

- While we're...sorry, while I'm...getting all judge-y and talking clothes, a few other thoughts: tights are not pants, pyjamas are not an outfit, and having 'Juicy' scrawled across your butt may be something you might regret later in life. At the same time, your sky high heels and body con dress might make travel tricky (airports mean walking, carry on luggage means lifting and stretching). 

The key is to strike a balance between comfort and chic. I find leggings with a tunic type top or shift dress make for a pretty great plane outfit. Plus by simply changing my shoes (say, from open toed to ankle boot) and adding long socks, a scarf and a jacket I can easily go from stinking hot Summer in Seoul to Winter in Sydney (and vice versa). 

Oh and insider travel tip - if you're limiting yourself to carry on luggage (as you should) wear your biggest/chunkiest pair of shoes, it'll save you a ton of suitcase space. 

Stay tuned for a plane outfit post going up in the next few days. Yes, ladies and gents, I've discovered Polyvore!

- Find your plane routine. Figure out whatever it is you need to do to make you sleep, because really that's the absolute best way to get through your flight. Some people are blessed with the ability to fall asleep anywhere, anytime. Others (like me) need to give their body/mind certain cues that say 'okay, time to sleep now'. 

I have a friend whose plane routine is to down three large scotches pre-flight, fall asleep as soon as he's seated, and snore (and possibly dribble) his way to his destination. No pillows, no pyjamas, no blankets, no fuss. On the other hand, I generally like to wash my face, brush my teeth, lower the eye mask, and plug in the iPod before I attempt to sleep (although I'm finding that the more I fly the less fussy I am about sticking to this routine). 

The one thing we both agree on is that not getting much sleep before a long flight, and hence getting on the plane feeling a little like a tired wreck, is a generally a good thing.

- Pack a plane kit. I put all the stuff I know I'll want to use during the flight in one, easy access bag. 

My plane kit includes: a fully charged iPhone + headphones; pencil + sharpener; blue pen for filling out customs/immigration forms (I once used a green pen and the immigration official made me redo it!); notebook; something to read; The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist; an eye mask and ear plugs; Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment; facial cleansing wipes; a light gel-type face moisturiser; pain killers + antacids; extra strength eye drops; a makeup compact; a change of underwear and sometimes a change of leggings/tights. 

- For some reason, people cry on planes. I used to think it was just me but apparently it's an actual thing. So if the person next to you is tearing up over the Unicef add or Ice Age 3, don't stare and don't worry. Too much. 

- Be nice. This is tougher than it sounds. I try really hard to be a considerate traveller, to think about the needs of my fellow passengers. I try not to move my seat back when they've got a tray full of fizzy drinks. But sometimes when I'm overtired and feeling a wee bit claustrophobic I do get a little cranky. Sorry. 

- The person sitting next to you may not always be in the mood to talk. Gauge the mood and don't force someone into a comversation. I am most definitely in the no talking camp. I like to hit play on my 'Plane' playlist, pull the eye mask down and pretend that I'm not trapped in a moving pinata. If you persist in talking to me I will probably not be nice (see above). 

And my number one tip for making flying fun? Flying is the ultimate in forced relaxation. Once you're in the air there's really nothing you can do. So - take a deep breath, pick a good-bad movie (anything involving comic book characters, Matt Damon or gladiators usually does the trick), sit back and try to enjoy. 

ps. And do let me know if I've missed anything - what are your pet airport/airplane peeves? How do you cope with long haul flights?

Pack your bags...

[Mrs Gotrocks by curioush]

In the past month or so I've traveled from Seoul to Melbourne to Sydney to Phuket and then back to Seoul.  I've spent a few days in Hong Kong and a weekend in Tokyo.  I've just found out that next month I'll be heading to Paris (yippee!), and a little while after that we'll be going back to Melbourne and Sydney. Yep, if you haven't already guessed it from my blog/twitter/facebook, I travel. A lot. I love it, and I'm eternally grateful for the opportunities it's given us - I've learnt a lot from it in so many ways.

So I thought it about time that I share some of the things I've discovered from the past years of planning, packing, security searches, immigration queues, long flights and short visits - beginning with that not-so-fun task of packing your bags.

Let me start with an absolute cop out and say that travel is a rather personal thing in the end, which means that packing really is to.  What may work for me may not work for you.  Having said that, here are my top packing tips learned from many a packed bag.  It's text heavy but I've highlighted the important bits in bold so you can skip all my waffle in between, if you like.

First up, take carry on whenever possible.  This might sound like madness to some, but with practice you'll realise it's actually quite easy.  My husband has turned me into a total carry on fan - I think it's that moment when you can walk swiftly past all the sorry souls waiting endlessly by the baggage carousel and head straight out of the airport into the fun of a new city, or back to the warmth of your own bed, that really sold it for me.  We really only take check in when we are doing a wintery ski holiday, and sometimes I might check in a bag on the way home if I've been shopping.  This post is really about the art of packing lightly.

If you don't take carry on, make sure your check in only holds stuff that you could deal with saying goodbye to.  Checked bags can and do get lost.  Also be aware that you may be forced to check in what you think is a perfectly acceptable carry on bag, some airports/airlines are quite strict on weight and size limits.

Insider travel tip - if your carry on bag gets weighed by an over zealous a dedicated airport employee (ie. not the check-in staff) and you're asked to check it in, head back to the check-in desk and ask for a tag from the airline - it'll let you carry on your bag regardless of weight.

When I was at uni and had to write an essay I would read everything relevant I could get my hands on and then wait a few days.  At some level my brain was working away on all that stuff I had read, and after a few days a theory or an angle or a structure would always reveal itself (this process was usually followed by one or two all-nighters, I was never very good at 'getting an early start').  My approach to packing is kind of the same.  A week or so before my trip I think about the climate, the activities, the social functions involved.  Then I start pulling together a bunch of things to match, first in my head and then in the real world.

Next, I hang or pile my planned clothes in a group somewhere.  That way I can stand back and see if everything kind of works with each other.  If so, it means that I should be able to mix and match to create different outfits.  It also means that the limited supply of shoes/jackets/scarves/jewelry I pack should work with everything.

Here's two examples:

The first group was for a trip to Melbourne/Sydney at the tail end of Winter.  It's all black, tan and blue, with a bright pop of green for good measure.  The second group was for a trip to hot and steamy Hong Kong - pinks, blues and purples ahoy!

A few other things:

- After I pack I do a quick run through of what I've packed to check it covers everything I need (Do I have something for that bush walk? That fancy dinner? Those chilly nights?).  If you get a bit of pre-travel anxiety (like me!) this is a good way to soothe your nerves.  At this stage I normally cull an item or two. Be ruthless.  Having said that...

- You can never have too many singlets.  They are great as stand-ins for PJs and for layering when it's cold.  They roll up nice and tight and can fit in all kinds of tiny crevices that you didn't even know your little carry on bag had!

- Pack half as many t-shirts, shorts, jeans, tops, etc as you think you need - and twice as many undies as you think you need...trust me.

- Pack your shoes first, then fit everything else around them.  Roll thin, small things.  Bulky knits work best when they are laid out flat-ish across everything else.

- Make you luggage do double duty!  If I'm packing some jewelry, I  keep it safe and sound by packing it in a small purse or clutch - storage and night-time accessory in one!

- No sharp stuff in your carry on, sorry.  That means no swiss army knives, no bottle openers, no nail scissors.  You might be able to get away with plastic knitting needles, or small sewing needles, but best to check with the airline first.

- With all the rules about liquids and gels you won't be able to pack your jumbo sized bottle of conditioner if you're aiming for carry on so beg, borrow and buy travel sized toiletries with abandon.  Having said that...

- You do not need as many toiletries as you think you do.  Seriously.  Just try and go one trip without your straightener/night cream/hair gel and you'll realise you can cope.  And people won't notice the difference.  You will still look pretty and cute.  And if not, it's just a few days/weeks/months anyhow!

- My husband follows a rule that I think is way easier for men than women, although I do try it sometimes.  He packs clothes that are at the end of their life span, and throws out as he goes.  This also means he has space to buy new stuff, if he wants to.

- Remember: you can always buy it there.  This applies especially to the basics - toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo.  The fun thing about this rule is that when it turns out you can't actually buy it there, you realise you don't really need it anyway!

And my absolute number one top tip for packing?  As you walk out the door check that you have your wallet, your passport and your mobile phone.  In the end, if you have those three things you will be fine no matter what else you've forgotten.