Packing for any trip can be a challenge! Suddenly you don’t have access to your entire lingerie drawer and all you have is what you managed to fit into your suitcase. This can either freeing or terrifying depending on how you like to get dressed!
Over the next few posts I am going to break down how I pack lingerie for vacation starting today with my overall packing strategy. Subsequent posts will cover how to determine how much you need to take with you, efficient packing and laundering your lingerie while traveling and finally, I will show you how I applied all of these elements to my upcoming two-week vacation!
To kick off the planning process, I use my list of packing questions:
1. What is the anticipated weather?
If it is going to be very cold, you may want to pack things like long underwear and tights. If it will be very hot, you may want to think about moisture wicking bras and underwear. Also, when it is really hot, any sort of foam bra may be too warm.
2. How long is the trip?
Longer trips mean balancing how much you want to take with you versus how much you actually need to take with you! Longer trips mean your pieces must work with more clothing items and launder easily. For shorter trips, you can add in a fun set and take along multiple options.
3. What activities are planned?
Clearly a business trip pack is going to look different than a vacation pack. For vacation, you can get more creative than you can for a conservative business trip. If you have any specialized physical activities like gym workouts, you will need to be sure to take along the necessary undergarments.
4. How many times can you do laundry? (Only necessary for longer trips.)
This factor is key for longer trips. The availability of laundry days is how I determine the minimum quantity of bras and underwear necessary, then I add from there. I will talk more about that in the next post.
5. What lingerie do I need for the clothes I am packing?
I am going to keep the discussion here focused primarily on bras and underwear however, you do need to make sure you are packing underwear that works underneath your clothing. This generally means developing your clothing packing plan first.
The choice of which lingerie to wear under your clothing really boils down to one key question: Do you want your lingerie to show or not?
When you are going for invisibility the degree of ease in your clothing makes a big difference. If your clothes are form fitting and body hugging, a foam bra and thong will help to give you a seamless look. If your clothes have more ease, a lace cut-and-sew bra and brief can work.
If you want your lingerie to show then you need to consider those pieces very carefully. Those pieces need to work together with your clothing so the effect looks intentional, not accidental. This means whatever part of the bra is showing, it should look like it is part of your overall look.
To get the visible lingerie look right, I strongly recommend trying on all the outfits you are packing along with the lingerie you wear so you know you are getting the effect you want.
Note: I won’t cover my clothing plan or makes here but you can always check out my personal Instagram account (@norma_ly) if you are interested in that part of the planning and packing equation!
6. Are there any local customs/standards to be aware of?
If you are going to a location that frowns upon visible lingerie or requires you to be all covered up, that should get factored into the packing process.
7. How much suitcase space is available?
I love the challenge of getting everything to fit into a single carry-on suitcase, regardless of how long I will be away. You may have more luggage space. Regardless, the struggle to take everything you want along with you is real!
These questions are just the first step in figuring out what to pack! In the next post, I will show you how I calculate the minimum quantity of bras and underwear needed for a trip.
Feel free to post your packing tips and tricks in the comments!
