What to Pack: The Basics I Bring on Every Trip
And my tried-and-true airport uniform.
This newsletter was originally going to go over everything I packed for a trip to the Scottish Highlands in February—which you can read about in my Travel + Leisure guide to Cairngorms National Park—but time got away from me… Everything I packed was, obviously, geared toward colder weather and now shoved in the back of my closet.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been on a few quick, mid-week work trips. Three nights down in Sea Island, Georgia, then a couple cozy, relaxed days at the Horse Shoe Farm, and I’m writing this from Pine Cay in the Turks and Caicos (current view below).
While all three trips were decidedly different—Sea Island was a mix of fishing, clay shooting, and fine-dining; the Horse Shoe Farm was more rustic and relaxed, and Pine Cay is strictly island vibes—my suitcase honestly didn’t change all that much (aside from a few key pieces). I’ve been leaning heavily into the same outfit formula: a new pair of denim trousers that I’m obsessed with, a tank or t-shirt, loose linen or satin trousers, and a vintage men’s Ralph Lauren sweater that I found on eBay.
I’ll rotate the tank or t-shirt and switch out my sneakers or cowboy boots for my favorite pair of slingbacks (expensive, but the cost-per-wear is incredible) for a dressier dinner, but this combo continues to serve me well.
Travel-day uniform
These La Ligne wide-leg jeans are as comfortable as sweatpants (there’s even a drawstring). I have worn them on every single flight in the last two months—even when I had 3:30 am wakeup calls. I’ve been wearing them with either this white tank top or this bodysuit tank, then layering on the oversized Ralph Lauren sweater (or throwing it over my shoulders, depending on the weather).
For the most part, I’ve been wearing them with these Nike sneakers and some sort of dad-style baseball hat and Ray-Ban Wayfarers. I also like to keep a pair of sandals in my personal item bag; that way, when I arrive somewhere like the Turks and Caicos or Sea Island, I can do a quick change before getting off the plane and stepping into 80-plus degree weather.
Tops I have on rotation
This is the year that I’m going all in on quality staples. I don’t want decision paralysis when I’m packing; I travel too often to deal with that stress. Instead, I’m curating my wardrobe around a few simple pieces. This summer, it’s going to be a rotation of these: Leset Margo t-shirts, a Commando bodysuit, or a boxy Madewell t-shirt.
My favorite carry-on luggage
I know, it features in nearly every Substack or shopping article I write… but you won’t catch me going carry-on-only with any bag other than the Away Bigger Carry-On. I’ve been using it religiously (anywhere from two to four times a month) for over… six years now? One of the zippers on the inside snapped from an unsuccessful overpacking attempt, but I refuse to use anything else. It’s just the best on the market. And as far as packing cubes go, I’ll typically rotate between the ones I have on hand, but it’s usually some combination of these and these.
Love this. I'm totally the same on clothing. I wear the same overalls for 3 years. i recently switched to a very specific drawstring cargo pant and the same sweatshirt haha. Thanks for the tips.