Swimming costume? Check. Sandals? Check. Sun cream? Check. 20 different t-shirts, 15 pairs of shorts, three jumpers, one waterproof jacket and some spare underwear? Check! Packing for a holiday when you can never be sure how the weather will turn out is something we're all familiar with. Plus, with the addition of day versus night outfits, excursions, beach days, city trips and more, trying to fit it all into one 20kg suitcase is quite the challenge.
SoGlos spoke to Cheltenham-based fashion designer, Beatrice von Tresckow, to get her top tips on packing your suitcase for a stylish summer holiday — including her ideal capsule wardrobe.
Whether you're an organised early packer, or a night before scrambler, one of the most Googled questions is what to pack for a week's holiday — and with lightweight luggage allowances to contend with on many of the more budget airlines, von Tresckow suggests going back to basics: 'First and foremost — pack light; with versatile pieces that can be easily restyled and worn again to create a variety of fabulous looks and outfits.'
For destinations where you might be at the beach by day and up in the cooler mountains by nightfall, her suggestion is to ensure you pack a smart lightweight jacket for the evenings. This also applies to the UK, but that jacket may well need to be waterproof, too!
When it comes to folding or rolling clothes, we all favour one method over the other, but with each method comes the issue of crumpled outfits — and let's face it, no one wants to be ironing on holiday.
Von Tresckow advises: 'Leave the iron at home and keep to fresh fabrics which are crinkle free and can be thrown on, straight from the suitcase.'
Rolling garments made from lightweight fabrics like silk can help to prevent some of those pesky creases, while choosing a viscose fabric rather than linen, which has a tendency to crease at a mere glance in its direction, is a great tip, too.
In terms of the essentials, these will depend mainly on what type of holiday you're going on.
On creating the ideal capsule wardrobe for summer, von Tresckow said: 'For a summer holiday somewhere warm, we suggest including a stretch dress that will work for both casual and formal; a colourful pair of flare pants with a loose white shirt; one jacket with plain trousers or jeans; and two pairs of shoes.'
And for those who tend to go heavy on overpacking, there are definitely some things worth leaving at home: 'Endless pairs of shoes as they are a pain to carry! Choose very few and choose carefully,' said von Tresckow.
