I’m going to be totally honest here. I am crap at packing! Well, that’s not quite true, I’m great at packing; packing everything and the kitchen sink! When I went travelling I had a massive backpack that I couldn’t actually carry. The longest distance I managed with it on my back was from a hostel in Hollywood to the Metro station half a mile away. I thought the shoulder straps were actually going to embed themselves into my shoulders.

Hubby and I are going away for the weekend for our first wedding anniversary in April. We’re hoping to go to Bristol, where neither of us have been before. I am determined to pack sensibly and want to pack one of those ‘capsule wardrobes’ I’ve read about for the past decade.

Weekend staple: skinny jeans

This is one item I won’t be going away without. I love my skinny jeans, and the great thing is you can wear them with Converse during the day and the switch up your outfit in the evening with a pair of heels. They go with everything! For exploring during the day, team your jeans and trainers with a cosy tee and a cute jumper. I love those with pretty collars because they stop you me looking scruffy.

Once you get back to the hotel you can simply pop on a pair of heels and re-do your make up for an evening look. Et voila, you’re ready to go out for dinner. Another great thing about jeans is that you can get away with wearing them for a few days.

Another bonus with skinny jeans, rather than other types of jeans, is that when it rains (and let’s face it that’s pretty likely in Blighty) they don’t drag in puddles so you don’t get that awful ‘rising damp’. Back in the 00’s, when baggy jeans were all the rage, sometimes my jeans would be soaked all the way up to my knees! Yuck!

I created this set on Polyvore (read – spent many hours creating outfits and browsing through shoes!) as inspiration for packing for a weekend away:

My plans for packing light:

• Choose just two pairs of shoes, one for the day, the other for the evening.
• Pick one handbag that can be used all weekend.
• Wear my skinnies all weekend long (and hope that I don’t spill anything!).
• Choose one colour palette so my accessories, nail colour, etc will match each outfit.
• Remember that I probably won’t need 4 pairs of emergency knickers and 10 pairs of socks, just in case!
• And last but not least, pick out a small weekend bag so I am actually forced to pack light! If it won’t fit in the bag, it’s not coming.

Do you have any tips for packing light for a weekend away? Is there anything I’ve forgotten?

Rachel x