Monday, December 23, 2013

Packing for 5 months in England

I have 18 days till i leave for England for serious Tomily time :) :) :)
Which translates to... 
I have 18 days to figure out what the heck i'm going to pack for a 5 month trip

I should be given an award for being the worst
packer in the history of packing.

I always wait till last minute and then pack
tons of clothes that i don't even wear.

And if that wasn't bad enough i just throw
my clothes/shoes/accessories in there like they
mean absolutely nothing to me, and well
that's just not the case...

So since i'll be gone for so long
I really really need to do a good job with this packing thing.

So i'm really trying to become a professional packer 
in 18 short days, it could really go either way...

I know the first step is categorizing.
Outerwear/tops/bottoms/dresses.
The four essentials to any wardrobe.

I also know that while color is good it's best
to pack a lot of neutral items that you can mix and match.
Then add pops of color with accessories.



Here is my current packing list.
Outerwear - One nice coat/neutral sweater/green comfy jacket.
Tops - Neutral sweaters/denim top/white blouse/striped shirt.
Dresses - one short solid color dress/one maxi colorful dress.
Bottoms - Black jeans/one black skirt.

Obviously i'll add to this, and probably pack multiples of each item.
Since i'm staying for so long it's important to have enough clothing.
But at the same time there is some serious shopping that could
be done at the drop of a hat if i happen to forget anything.

I feel like the key to packing long term is to pack
the essentials in neutral colors.

Bring comfy/casual/dressy so you'll always be ready for any occasion.

I'm hoping that when i actually start packing 
these tips will help me to stay on point
and not overpack.

Do you have any packing tips
that could help me out?
I'd love to hear them.

Have a wonderful day, It's almost CHRISTMAS!!! :)
-Emily

9 comments:

  1. ummm.....give me all those sweaters. where did you find them?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They're all over at Sheinside. :) That online shop i was telling you and Sam about. :)

      Delete
    2. done and done. merry christmas to me :)

      Delete
  2. roll your clothes when you pack. makes a WORLD of difference. I also bought a cheap hair straightener from Boots in London, but only because my hair hates me and never looks good on its own. Oh yea, and bring GLOVES- this Floridian never had to own a pair and by the end of my trip out their my hands were so chapped and dry :(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahhh the rolling haha i'll be doing that for sure!! :) And i just bought some steve madden gloves the other day, they won't be leaving my hands haha :)

      Delete
  3. My advice would be to not really bring any American spring/summer clothes because in may it will still be chilly! I've sold almost all of mine since moving to England and I've only worn sandals maybe a dozen times... in 4 years! Also maybe have Tom send you a letter stating that you will be staying with him (signed) plus a print out of your most recent back statements. As someone who visited her Brit many times before making the move overseas, for over a month trips the UKBA will sometimes ask for proof that you are planning on returning to the US at the end of your trip and not stay illegally and that you have the funds to fly home. (Especially if you don't have a return ticket yet) You'll love it here ;) x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was wondering if i should even bother packing for spring but your tips just helped me so much haha :) Plus if it does warm up i can just do some cheap primark shopping ;) My flight has a return date thankfully!!!! And I plan on having all kinds of statements haha I don't want them turning me down ;)

      Delete
  4. I recenlty started using vacuum bags to squeeze all the air out of my clothes. it make a HUGE difference. Also... yeah you won't really need summer clothes :) I made that mistake when I spent a summer in dublin!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm liking this idea, lots of people swear by it, so that's enough evidence for me haha ;) Leaving spring/summer clothes at home, i'll buy some if they become a need which means more shopping...can't go wrong there ;)

      Delete