Hi there superstar ⭐️

How was your week? Thanks for letting me know about all the amazing trips you're taking this year and next. A lot of you have some pretty awesome adventures to look forward to and it makes me so happy to hear all about them!

I appreciate that you take the time to reply to my emails and I really LOVE connecting with you all, so keep them coming ♥️

I have big dreams to grow this newsletter, and as it gets bigger I know it won't be possible for me to directly reply to every single email like I do now, so I don't take this stage for granted. I love my girls! That's how I refer to you when I tell G about all my crazy ideas...

'Do you think the girls will like this?' - that's how it goes when I talk about y'all :) (I'm working on my southern accent)

Anyway...

If you're getting ready to go on a trip this time of the year, but you're starting to feel anxious about packing light because you just don't know how you're going to dress for both summer-ish and fall, I've got you covered with today's email!

It's not easy to pack light when you're traveling to destinations that have different climates.

🧳 But today's tips are going to help you save some precious space inside your suitcase!

Last year, we spent 11 weeks in Italy from September to December. The weather was tricky. The packing was overwhelming. But it turned out to be just fine and I was very happy with all my outfits!

And one year later, I'm ready to share what I learned.

I know these tips are going to sound basic, but they're not. They actually work! So take note of the pieces I'm recommending below. These are the 3 things to think about when packing for a vacation where you'll have different climates:

1️⃣ Master layering!

No brainer right, but here's the deal. Layering is an art.

Ok, not really 😅 but this is a good way to layer during the colder days of your trip:

✅ Base layer: a plain long sleeve top (like these ones) that you will wear underneath your sweaters when needed - Don't forget you can also wear this layering piece without a sweater! You can style it with a denim jacket or whatever jacket you choose to bring. Treat it like a normal top, so make sure it's in good shape.

In this photo 👇🏼 I'm wearing my black long sleeve top with a printed midi skirt and white sneakers.​

✅ Middle layer: your actual sweater. I'm a huge fan of cashmere because it keeps me warm. (QUINCE has dreamy Mongolian cashmere sweaters for $50!)​. Stay away from bulky sweaters. If you are traveling with one of those (because they're so cute!), stick to just one and try to wear it on travel days so you don't have to pack it.

But in general, I recommend traveling with simple (but cute!) V-necks & crewnecks.​

For cute and affordable sweaters, I shop here. The quality is a hit or miss, but this sweater pictured below was $8 and I wore it non-stop for 3 months!

✅ Top layer: a jacket (this jacket will rarely be inside your suitcase, you'll wear it on most of your travel days). The one you pick depends on how cold it will be at your destination. And you might need 2.

Last year I traveled with a packable lightweight puffer jacket and a black denim jacket. I used both. Sometimes at the same time LOL. That's why I prefer a lightweight puffer instead of a bigger one. They're easy to layer and take little space.

⬇️ This screenshot is the best visual I have of my puffer jacket! 😆

You won't have to dress with 3 layers every day. But it's important that you can wear all these layers separately too and be able to combine them with other pieces inside your suitcase.

This means that you have to able to wear your base layer items on its own. Same for your middle and top layer.

Side note here: You know I always travel with these white sneakers​, and those are the ones I'm purchasing again soon. But for that Italy trip from last year I traveled with an old pair of white sneakers​ (which I also LOVE but they're more expensive than the Cariuma's). These sneakers were sitting in my closet, and I was thinking of getting rid of them because they were super old, BUT I took them for one last 11-week ride! (I got rid of them after the Italy trip).

2️⃣ Versatility is more important than ever!

Too many sweaters and pants can fill up your suitcase quickly, so you really have to think about versatility here and be super strict about what you decide to pack. Forget about anything that you can only wear once!

• Be careful about the colors you pack. Stick to mostly neutrals. You can always add one printed piece (just make sure it goes with most of your neutrals), and don't forget you can add pops of color and have fun with your accessories.

• Pack a button down shirt! Ha! You probably saw this one coming :) But seriously, these are so good! If you're traveling during early fall you can still get away with bringing your linen one, but also consider chambray or another fall-ish color. I traveled with a light green one last year and it was a great layering piece for both hot-ish and colder days.

• Consider a sweater vest - A sweater vest was one of the best pieces I packed last year for fall in Italy. I wore it as a normal top for hotter days, and layered it with either the button down shirt or the black denim jacket and a pashmina for the colder days.

• In general, stick to thicker (but not heavy) fabrics when it comes to your short sleeve tops and dresses. My black dress kept me warm on colder days too, and wearing sweater tops like the pink one below (and the white one above) with the black denim jacket was warm enough for certain days.

3️⃣ Multi purpose EVERYTHING!

Not everything lol but again, you do have to be more strict when packing for this kind of trip, and every little thing adds up. Here are some ways to succeed at this:

• Make sure the skirts and dresses you pack can be styled with tights and a sweater. I still have the dress pictured below. Earlier this year I styled it with tights, a black sweater and booties for a funeral (I don't have a photo). But this is the type of dress you want to pack! You can do so much with it!! The same styling tip applies to a skirt.

• This one depends on how cold it will be, but you don't always need booties. I've never traveled with booties. Consider slip on shoes instead! These go well with tights and pretty much any bottom piece. They are more comfortable and take less space than booties. I've had mine for years and they're from a brand called GREATS​, but they don't have them any more. Here are some similar options from Rothy's.​

• ​Your pashmina will be your best friend! You know how much I love to travel with one of these for many reasons, but when it comes to packing for different climates, you will use it as a scarf and as an extra layer when needed. Especially at night!

• If you won't be wearing tights or booties, white sneakers will be your go-to every day shoes. I wore mine almost every day last year! (slip-ons also work. Just don't bring both)
• ​Spanx leggings can double as workout leggings (if you're someone who works out on vacation of course). Think about this for all of your workout clothes too.
• Can you bring workout tops and bottoms that you can also style as an 'everyday' look? A good way of doing this is by adding a button down shirt! This is how I'm doing that right now ⬇️

• Last but not least... downsize your toiletries girl! You need to save space for those bulkier pieces. I switched to this brand a couple of months ago, and I don't think I'll ever switch beauty products again. I'm dead serious! My routine right now looks like this:

Step 1: cleanser​

Step 2: fancy face serum​

Step 3: every day balm (doubles up as eye cream)

At night: antioxidant balm (doubles up as eye cream)

🤑 If you shop for anything at Primally Pure, use code WAYSOFSTYLE10 for 10% off your entire order!

Good things about colder climate:

• Less sweat = more days of outfits before doing laundry.

This means that you will need less quantities! Estimate 1 top for every 2 days. Meaning that if your trip is 10 days long, you will only need 5 tops! Seriously. Remember you also have dresses and layering pieces! As for bottoms, one piece every 3-4 days. This depends on the length of your trip of course.

And important to remember, you have to be able to create your travel day looks with pieces that are already in your suitcase!

Last but not least...

👉🏻 Check the weather one week in advance. These things change all the time. This is important!

👉🏻 Consider your own tolerance with temperatures. I am a wimp. I was born in Venezuela and spent most of my life with the Caribbean as my backyard. My ideal temperature is 85 degrees. I'm cold any time it's below 78. What I'm trying to say is that I wear too many layers 😅 This probably looks very different for you, but that's a good thing! You'll need less things ;)

Ok, that's it from me today.

Have any questions? Hit reply! I'm happy to chat with you ♥️

Thanks for reading - hope you have a great weekend!

XO,

Aimara

PS: in the next couple of weeks, I'll share ALL my Fall in Italy outfits from last year and a full carry-on packing list for you to steal! Stay tuned 👀

3 Things I Can Help You With Today:

1. Thinking if you should invest in Spanx Leggings? The answer is yes, but read this review first!​
2. ​Click here to start receiving my second newsletter! I talk all about closet clean outs, capsule wardrobes and outfit formulas (everyday life related, NOT travel)
3. Peak inside my brain as I share my exact packing process in this 25 minute video! (packing list is linked here)​