A Chic Overnight Bag

I think one of my ideals since I was young was to be able to travel in style. It's quite typical that even if you feel you have your style figured out while you're home with a whole closet at your disposal, said style falls apart once you have to pack it into a suitcase and hit the road. When packing we err too far on the side of sensible, travel clothes and end up feeling dowdy, or we pack for the trip of our dreams and end up in shoes that pinch and dresses we can't comfortably sit down in. Or you're merely a disastrous packer as I have been in the past and forgot key essentials--like a hair brush. I once had to go an entire summer camp experience sans hairbrush and it's not an experience I'd like to repeat. In college I tended to try to avoid the mistake of being too practical or too impractical by overpacking. I brought everything I could cram into my luggage allowance; practical tees to "mix and match" with skirts and jeans even though I almost never wore jeans and one or two tops would have sufficed to mix with everything. I always ended up coming home with loads of unworn garments that had just been a pain to lug around. While I still feel far from a packing expert I have been much more satisfied with my packing ventures in recent years. I have hit my packing stride with hopefully a little bit of grace and now can pack quite light without feeling that I'm missing anything. To me it's not about packing for "every" possible event, but knowing myself and what I feel best in. When it comes to little staycations or overnight trips I've got it down to a science and packing just enough to fit into a chic carryall like this one is a piece of cake. The only real bulk comes from my skincare products! I refuse to deviate from that routine for even a single night so that usually means an ungainly amount of bottles/liquids! But aside from that I like to be light; a few simple dresses and key accessories to bring a touch of elegance to each look. I think it's in the accessories that make a travel outfit feel more like your "home" style when you have your whole closet at your disposal. I still don't go crazy with the accessories but rather pack a few set pieces I plan on repeating with each outfit. A chic scarf is almost always a good call; a light layer for cooler moments to be worn as a wrap, something pretty to turn into a quick hair accessory, or even worn as originally intended--about the neck with your jacket on a day that isn't as bright as you hoped your trip would be! And for me the bag itself is nearly as important as the contents; I like to try to feel chic as I travel and why not invest in a good, pretty bag when you're going to use it over and over again and it's going to be seen as much as your most worn coat? I recently got this scarf and skyline bag from Squeak and they're definitely rounding off that dream travel style I've often aspired to. The bag is perfect for a night or two away, or as a carry-on for bigger adventures and I think it'll be used quite often around the house as well to tote about my camera and other essentials on little day trips. The fact the pretty watercolor-esque fabric works with summer whites, autumn navy, and my favorite leather flats cements its place in my closet!