Traveling and experiencing the world is a passion of ours, and I love sharing new destinations and travel tips with you. I know vacation time and dollars don’t come easy, so I’m thrilled when I hear my Trip Reports help you make the most of your trips!
One of my most-asked travel questions though, is in regards to packing! And I totally get it! Planning a trip and clearing your life’s schedule to get away is stressful enough, and somehow what and how to pack always seems to happen at the last minute. Or maybe that’s just me!
But over the years I’ve learned what I really need to take with me, found pieces that always pack and wear well, and learned some tricks for making it all fit without crossing your fingers it passes weight restrictions! Okay, sometimes I’m still anxiously watching that scale!
So this year, in addition to sharing our trip recaps (including where we stayed and ate, and best travel tips for what to do), I’m also following up with a dedicated What I Packed & Wore post! Hopefully these will become good resources for your own trips…starting with our recent trip to Maroma, Mexico.
Off-the-Shoulder Sweatshirt | Cut-Offs (50% off!) | Earrings | Hat | Sunglasses | Flip-Flops
It was a quick four-night trip to a relatively casual locale, but a girl still wants to look cute…especially when it’s a romantic getaway! #amiright?! And even though we had room in the suitcase, I still packed smart and chose items that could play double duty and be worn for different occasions that might arise.
This embroidered dress is lightweight and breezy, ideal for warm days, and the colorful pattern was perfect for Mexico. I wore it with wedges to dinner, with sandals for breakfast, and even over my swimsuit by the pool and beach.
Sugarplum Travel Tip: When planning what to pack, I create entire outfits (shoes, bag and accessories), and lay them out (using this foldable garment rack) so I can see them all in one place. This allows me to double-check I’m not bringing too-similar pieces, along with my options to easily mix-and-match.
Embroidered Dress | Plunge Neck Swimsuit | Flat Sandals in ‘Makeup’ | Wedges (44% off!) | Tassel Earrings
This palm-print romper is darling with both wedges and flat sandals, and even though I only wore it once, it packs so small it was worth bringing along. It’s easier to pack more for warm-weather trips, obviously! Cold-weather trips is when you have to be much more selective on what makes the cut!
Tie-Back Romper | Wedges (44% off!) | Pom Bag | Sunglasses | Tassel Earrings
This crepe shirtdress (my favorite under $50 find!) comes with me on virtually every trip…it packs like a dream and works for so many occasions. I wore it with flat sandals to breakfast, and jazzed up with accessories for dinner.
Sugarplum Travel Tip: Statement jewelry is the easiest way to transform an outfit, and takes up very little space in your bag.
Crepe Shirtdress (available in 9 colors!) | Earrings | Pom Bag | Sandals in ‘Makeup’
This jersey knit maxi dress is incredibly versatile, and so soft and comfortable! I wore it with cute sandals and jewels, and over swimsuits with flip flops. The black makes it seem dressier than it is, too. Add a cardigan and it makes a great travel outfit!
Fit Tip: Comes in petite, so no alterations needed for me! I wore a petite small.
Jersey Maxi Dress | Flat Sandals in ‘Makeup’ | Earrings | Striped Tote | Flip-Flops | Bikini
Once I decided on a few dedicated ‘cute’ outfits, it’s time for casual wear. I brought a short-sleeve tee and a sweatshirt, along with cut-off shorts in neutral colors. The shorts doubled as cover-ups when paired with a one-piece swimsuit, too.
Sugarplum Travel Tip: I always pack a short-sleeve white tee…it always works with jeans, skirts, shorts, and easily dresses up if you’re in a wardrobe pinch. Throw it on over a swim suit, wear it as pajamas, layer it with another shirt if it’s unexpectedly chilly, or even if you decide to go for a run.
Scoop neck Tee | Off-the-Shoulder Sweatshirt | Cut-Offs (50% off!) | Similar White Shorts | Sunglass Case | Sunglasses | Flip Flops
| Plunge Neck Swimsuit | Similar White Shorts | Flip Flops | Hat | Sunglasses
I brought a single pair of pajamas, but even wore the top with shorts one morning to breakfast (with gold hoop earrings and a popped collar #obviously).
Pajama Set (also here)
Swimsuits take up practically no space in your luggage, but I still chose options that paired well with the clothes I packed. The bikini top doubled as a bra with the maxi dress, and the one-piece made a chic top when worn with the shorts.
Sugarplum Style Tip: Hats and sunglasses are my secret weapon for looking chic on beach vacation! Add some lipstick, and no one knows you just rolled in from the beach, or out of bed! This hat holds up well to wind and water, and these sunnies are a steal at $14!
Similar White Tunic | Hat | Sunglasses | Striped Bag | Flip Flops | Bikini | Plunge Neck Swimsuit
Sugarplum Style Tip: I buy linen tunics or popover tops several sizes up, and wear them as cover-ups. They’re so much cheaper, and easily pair with shorts or a skirt when knotted at the waist.
Plunge Neck Swimsuit | Hat | Sunglasses
French-Tie Top | Full Coverage Bottoms | Striped Tote | Hat | Hoop Earrings | Sunglasses
Once my outfits were decided (laying them out allows me pare down the final selection!), it’s time for my trusty eBags! I have an assortment of sizes, and usually group items by category. For this trip, I grouped things as follows, and folded them so they fit the dimensions of the bag exactly:
- Medium eBag: Dresses, romper, tee, sweatshirt
- Medium eBag: Pajamas, tunic cover-up, shorts, flat sandals
- Small eBag: Undies, bra, swimsuits
All jewelry and accessories went in a single flat pouch, and toiletries in another bag. I eliminated hair tools and most make-up, since it was a beach trip (thank goodness for this stuff!). Along with my striped tote, which served as my carry-on bag and beach/pool tote, this is everything I brought!
eBags | Wedges | Toiletry Case | Accessories Roll
The brilliance of the eBags (aside from keeping your clothes neat and organized, and extending the space in your bag!), they pack like Tetris cubes in your suitcase, so everything is tidy when you arrive!
Mr. SP and I actually shared this single suitcase (a hardcase we found at HomeGoods last year)! If we’d wanted to carry-on, we would have divided everything between two smaller suitcases. My credit card membership allows for free checked bags, so unless the trip requires a lot of moving around (like multiple cities by train), I prefer the ease of checked bags.
And of course we can’t forget the travel outfit home! I actually wore this to and from Mexico…the cardigan was warm and soft for the plane (and the freezing cold at home), and easily stashed in my tote when we arrived in the warm climate.
Cardigan | Tank | White Jeans (love these, too) | Hat | Sunglasses | Sneakers | Tote
So tell me, is it helpful to see the outfits and packing tips in a dedicated post like this? Is there anything else you’d like to see included in these? Are you headed somewhere warm soon? Happy adventuring, lovebugs!
You can see similar posts in my Packing Tips category under the Travel tab. And the full Trip Report on Maroma, Mexico here.
{Shop My Beach Style}
