Top Tips to Making Sure You Have Everything You Need to Feel Cute & Be Prepared for Your Next Vacation!
If you're anything like me, then you know that half the fun of planning for a vacation is planning all of the cute outfits you are going to wear! And if you're not like me, then the thought of having to meticulously plan an outfit for each day of your vacation probably seems pointless or like the most stress-inducing activity you can imagine.
Regardless of which category you fall into, this post can hopefully help you out! In this post I am going to be going over the questions that you should ask yourself before you start planning your outfits for your next trip. Use these questions as a guide to help you plan the most efficient, and hopefully cutest, outfits that will have you ready for any situation you may encounter. Let's get into it!
Climate:
Okay, let's start with the basics. You need to be aware of the climate of the place you are traveling to in order to best plan your outfits. Some questions you may want to ask yourself:
What is the weather like where we are going?
Do the day temperatures differ dramatically from the evening temperatures?
What is the season in the place I am traveling to?
If you are travelling multiple places, do the climates differ?
Are there any weather elements you should be aware of & protect yourself from (i.e. sun, wind, rain etc.)
These questions should help you out dramatically. For example, when we traveled to Mexico, it was summer and I knew the climate was hot. Even though we traveled to a few different parts of Mexico, they were all close enough that I knew the climate was the same. So I knew I needed light and airy clothing that I would be comfortable in all day outside.
I also knew I would be in the sun a lot, so I needed to wear clothing that helped protect me from the sun; that is where my big hats came into play! In addition, this is where you can start thinking about potential scenarios; for example, I know that I burn easy. I also know that when I do have sunburn I get cold really easily and I have super sensitive skin. I thought ahead and packed really soft, smooth, long sleeve clothes to lounge around in just in case I got burned.
This is different from when we traveled to Bolivia. We traveled to Bolivia in the summer as well, but the region that we visited had different climates during the day and night. During the day it was warm and sunny, during the night it was cool and breezy. So layers here were my best friend. Also some regions we went to like Uyuni, got very cold at certain points. So I had to know when to have the winter jacket packed vs. when to have my camis packed. I also knew that the salt flats were very bright (painfully so) and very windy. So sunglasses and chapstick were a part of my outfits there.
These questions should get you off to a great start when planning your outfits because you want to be prepared for all types of weather and climate, being uncomfortable is never fun, but especially on vacation.
Activities:
The next thing you want to think about is "what will I be doing when I am there?" If you are going to an all inclusive resort and just lounging by the pool all day then a ton of bathing suits, a cover up or two, and some cute dinner outfits has got you covered. But if you are going on a more solo planned adventure with a variety of activities you're going to want to be a bit more prepared. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get you started:
What specific activities will I be doing? Are any of them really physical?
Should comfort be prioritized over cuteness?
Will there be any water activities?
Will I be doing multiple, different activities in one day?
I ask myself these questions before every trip, and I am so thankful that I do. Usually I have a night and a day outfit planned per day. Now while that may seem excessive it has saved me so many times! For example, in Mexico we did a day tour of ATV riding through the jungle, and then we went to a nice dinner at night. Well when I was ATVing through the jungle I prioritized comfort and safety over cuteness. I was covered from head to toe to protect against bugs, and jungle brush! But that is not what I wanted to wear to our nice dinner that night, the cute strapless dress and heels I had was more appropriate for that.
If you're someone who is struggling with thinking of what activities would prioritize comfort over cuteness, let me give you some examples of when I prioritized comfort and it worked out for me.
Mexico: ATVing through the jungle - I was protected from bugs and jungle brush! While my full on workout attire from head to toe wasn't the cutest I was one of the only people who did not get bit up, scratched up, or care when we got a little dirty! I got to spend all of my energy on focusing on driving rather than my outfit.
Bolivia: Visiting Incachaca - we had a long day of hiking and jungle exploration this day, and while I wanted to be cute because I knew there were going to be photos, I knew my booty wasn't going to make it if I was uncomfortable. Similar to the ATV experience, I was bundled from head to toe to protect against bugs and jungle plants, also from the sun. And you know what, the pictures still turned out great and no one is looking at me in the pictures anyway! My choice of comfortable walking shoes was perfect here too.
So in short here are some activities where comfort may take the win:
Hiking or anything involving a lot of walking
Activities in the jungle or an area where there may be a lot of bugs
Activities that have you more exposed to the elements than usual ( like the salt flats in Bolivia, or maybe a really cold climate)
Activities where clothes could get in the way- i.e. ATVs, or something very physically demanding like rock climbing
If an activity is really physical you also want to be in an outfit that you don't care if it gets covered in sweat and dirt, and you want something that you are going to feel comfortable in when you get sweaty and dirty. Ladies, I know you feel me with this one. You have that super cute shirt or dress which is perfect...until....you get hot and then it gets super itchy and uncomfortable so yea plan ahead for that.
Another thing in the activity department to be aware of, does the activity you're doing involve water? Is this something you need to be wearing a bathing suit for all day? Or is it something you can pack in your bag and change into? Can you just wear your bathing suit under your clothes? Are you someone who likes to change out of their bathing suit when you are done in the water, or are you someone who just rocks the suit all day? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself when planning for a water activity. Also, is this activity with water a relaxing one where you can rock that cute, but maybe not so secure swimsuit? Or this is a full on swimming experience where you you want to be covered and secure? Also can we talk about tan lines! Whatever swimsuit you're rocking if you're in the sun and water all day that's going to be the tan you get so keep that in mind as well!
Here are a list of some water activities that you may be doing on vacation:
A boat tour
Snorkeling or scuba excursions
Horseback riding on the beach (they usually end up in the water at some point)
Waterfall excursions
Cenotes or swimming holes
Last tip, if you are someone like me and you have double booked or jam packed your days with adventure because you want to experience it all, be sure that the outfit you are wearing can handle all of the activities you have for that day. For example, on one of our days in Valladolid I knew that we would be exploring ruins and hitting some cenotes. So I had to plan an outfit that would work for both of those activities, because there were not a lot of opportunities to do an outfit swap.
I ended up wearing my bathing suit underneath, but I made it appear as my shirt so I didn't get too hot. So now I was ready for the cenotes. To also be ready for the ruins I put on some light, flowy pants, and paired it with a long sleeve, airy coverup. Now I was protected from the sun but also able to stay cool. The only area I may have re done was the shoes! I wore sandals because the thought of putting my wet feet into sneakers after the cenote grossed me out, but let me tell you those sneakers would have helped me on the ruins! LOL
Body:
I know what you're thinking...really Steph we are going to talk about body types? Yes...but no! I am not going to sit here and tell you to dress to your body type, I don't believe in that noise! But what I do believe in is listening to your body, and understanding what it needs. What do I mean by that? Well let's see if these questions can help paint the picture:
How do you react to the climate (i.e. do you burn easily-if so maybe bring soft clothes that feel good on your poor, burned skin)
How do you react to vacation changes? (i.e. do you bloat or swell on vacation- plan for that)
How do you react to activities? (I.e. do you chafe after walking a lot? How do your feet handle all the walking?)
Use what you know about your body to make informed decisions about your outfits! All the examples I gave directly above are things that I know my body needs. I do burn easily, so anywhere we go where I know I will be in the sun, not only do I plan for the sunblock and aloe vera, but I also plan my outfits. I plan the sun protectant outfits, like my big hats and my long cover ups; and I also plan my sun recovery outfits, soft, smooth, and loose clothes that won't hurt my poor damaged skin.
I don't know about you but somehow I always swell and or bloat on vacation. I don't know if it is because I usually travel to warm climates and I sweat, so I swell. Or maybe it's because I eat a lot more and the variety of food is different, causing me to bloat. Either way, I plan for that with my outfits. I pack a few less form fitting outfits for those days where I am feeling extra puffy.
Same goes for how my body reacts to certain activities. I don't know if this happens to you but your girl chafes! Big time! My poor thighs are never too happy after several days of walking in the heat. So besides the trusted baby powder (yes trust me this is a life saver) I plan for outfits that would prevent or limit that from happening. The white pants you see in the photo above were worn for several occasions matched with different tops because they did wonders at preventing the chafe! Same goes for my feet! I know they get sore without proper support so I brought a variety of shoes and switched them out depending on the location and activity.
Feeling(s):
Lastly the thing you need to ask yourself is:
What do I feel GOOD in?
It is vacation after all! So you should wear something that makes you feel DYNAMITE and like you're having a lot of fun. If that means rocking a neon pink jumpsuit you do you! Or maybe you're more a neutral colored floral pattern person? Heck maybe your all cargo shorts and denim! It doesn't matter what your style is as long as it is yours and you feel fantastic wearing it! Because you are the one who is going to look back on the pictures the most.
Well that is it for today folks! I hope you found value here today and that I either helped you destress or got you PUMPED UP to pack for your next vacation. Also one last minute tip!
You don't need a whole new wardrobe for a vacation! I am guilty of falling into that trap too but I swear you can mix and match with what you have a lot better than you think! Don't spend all of your hard earned cash before you even get on the trip! If you absolutely need to , then limit yourself maybe to 3 items? But if you want the whole wardrobe change you do you! Just my two cents.
Anyway, that's all on this topic! Happy packing!
Until next time,
Steph
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