On Trend: Stylish travel

This weekend, I will be escaping to New York: the city where the winter feels like winter, I never have to hide from acquaintances in grocery stores, and I can walk everywhere (or take public transportation!) if I so choose.

This time around, I’m determined to only bring a carry-on bag. Mostly because the airline is charging me for a checked bag, and do you know who is not about to pay for that? This girl.

Traveling light can be tricky, but it pays off. You can get dressed faster because you have fewer options, giving you more time in your city of choice. You are not the obnoxious tourist with a gazillion bags to schlep through the airport/in the taxi line/up flights of stairs.

So here are some of my tips to stay fashionable while packing light. I’m not finished packing though, so feel free to share your tips in the comments section below.

A good carry on. I’ve been obsessed with this Everlane Weekender since the minute it came out, and I haven’t regretted buying it once. It’s soft, so it’s easy to shove in the overhead compartment, but sturdy enough to be checked on the way home if I can’t live without a new purchase that won’t pass TSA standards (spoiler alert: It’ll be fancy vinegar).

Travel steamer. My incredibly thoughtful Gran bought me this one year, and it’s perfect. No one wants to look like a messy, disheveled tourist.

Hats. Give yourself an actual vacation and skip fixing your hair. In cold weather, it’s an added bonus of keeping the heat from escaping your body, or whatever nonsense your mom used to tell you when you were little. If you’re bringing a hat that is susceptible to smushing, shove a bulky scarf inside it—it’ll keep its shape best that way.

Layers. Tissue-thin tees. Lightweight flannel shirts. Non-bulky sweaters. Let your final thick, warm layer be a good coat. Wearing multiple layers allows you to get away with wearing things a few times, plus it’s a huge benefit when you inevitably step inside and the heat is set on tropical. The key is thin layers, though, or you risk looking like the Michelin man. I’ve done it, it’s not cute.

Comfortable shoes. I typically pack two pairs of my most comfortable, broken-in shoes that are versatile enough for any time of day. I’m also a big fan of insoles, regardless of how much I sound like an orthopedic shoe-wearing granny telling you that. Just consider it.

Product samples. Make the most of your Birchbox treats or Sephora trial-size goodies and save them for travel.

Most importantly, don’t panic and overpack. Odds are, you’re not traveling to a third-world country with only a carry on. So, if you forget something or just can’t fit it in your bag, it’s not the end of the world. They will have whatever it is you forgot wherever you are. And you might even like it better.