Summer is the time for travel and whether you’re renting a yacht in Ibiza, backpacking through Budapest, or venturing on a road trip with the entire family to Aunt Bertha’s farm in Minnesota, you need to travel smart. But I’m not going to remind you to pack your passport and warn you of the 100ml carry-on liquid restriction; instead I am going to unveil the secrets of traveling fashionably.
- Don’t pack three suitcases and a duffel bag for a week long vacation. Even if you were Victoria Beckham and Anna Wintour’s spawn fashion baby you could
not squeeze that many wardrobe changes into a day, so travel light. Bring only what you know you will wear and pack it into a stylish suitcase like this Croc Cabin Suitcase by Jasper Conran at Tripp, $107.63. Your luggage will be your traveling home while on vacation so shop for one that matches your personality. Find a suitcase that you really like such as this J.Crew Globe-Trotter Suitcase because for the amount of time you’ll be lugging it around in the airport and train station, you better love it!
- Wrap your pocket book around your body. And no readers, I am not suggesting a fanny pack or belly bag! I suggest while visiting any extremely touristic place like the Eiffel Tower or Disney Land, ditch the hobo bag and strap on a satchel bag similar to this Quilted Crossbody Bag by Express, $34.90. My recommendation comes from a lesson learned in the Roman metros of Italy. While riding the metro, some gypsy woman thought it was a good idea to try and pickpocket me and my zipper shut bag. Luckily I have the cat-like reflexes of Naomi Campbell and took care of my assailant (minus any phone throwing, I could never pelt a gypsy with my Blackberry). But I was shocked by how little protection a zipper can provide, so I bought myself a bag like Marc by Marc Jacobs Crossbody Bag, $268, and wore it backwards so the closure faced in on my body, and ever since, no Italian muggings!
- Wear comfortable shoes. You never know where you’re going to end up while traveling so a versatile, all-weather shoe comes in great handy. If you’re a girl like me who only wears sneakers to the gym, try on a pair of oxford flats like Giraudon’s Almond-Toe-Oxford. This kind of shoe is very walkable because of the slight heel which nixes any lower back or arch pain that you might feel from wearing flats for too long, and they can be worn with anything. Take this Urban Outfitters Classic Oxford Flat, $58, that can be styled with a shirt and jeans or a dress.
- Pack a pair of sunglasses. Rain or shine sunglasses are a necessity in any travel circumstance. Of course while tanning on the beaches of Mexico a pair of Vintage Emmanuelle Khanh Oversized Sunglasses, $183.44, are a no-brainer, but sunglasses are also functional accessories during a lay-over or a long train ride. Sunglasses can provide the allusion of haughty alertness while indoors if you’re asleep to ward off undesirables. As long as you keep the snoring and drooling to a minimum, sunglasses can be very useful.
-Jaimie Sanita
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