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Tina, here.

Are you one of the lucky ones who's planned a girls' trip this fall? Maybe NYC or Santa Fe? Why don't you come to Nashville! We were recently named by USA Today one of the 5 best girls’ trips, writing, “Nashville has great entertainment, world-class shopping, gorgeous gardens and fun attractions...Nashville earns high marks for its foodie city, and shopping.” Sooooo, hello, it's high time you came to our fair city. (And you can even have the glamorous, and yet totally fun, experience of letting us be your shopping guide in Nashville! It's Your Style Vault, live and in person!)

I'm heading a couple places in the next few weeks. I'll take my annual NYC trip to see my niece who lives there, and I'm taking my niece who lives here in Nashville on her 18th birthday trip! And here's what I'm packing* (probably the same stuff for both trips, because why not).

(*These are items I’ve had in my closet for years…I don’t go shopping before a trip and buy clothes just for that trip. I don’t like “travel clothes.” I wear out of town what I wear in town. If you need to pick up a few items to make packing for your next trip easier, you can shop similar styles in an extra collection for Complete Insiders).

 

Outfit Number 1

For the plane, to and fro: wear your bulkiest shoes so you don't have to pack them, and wear all the jewelry you're taking with you. Lost luggage happens.

I've got one carry-on (for more ideas, check out Francie's packing tips), and one large tote. Hang with me, you can do this.

SUPER important that the tote you keep with you (i.e. not stored overhead during flight), has a zipper closure. How many times have you realized the contents of your bag have rolled forward towards the loud bachelorette party sitting 5 rows up? Not fun.

Next point I'd like to make is that I take 2 pairs of shoes, and I always carry a pashmina, 12 months out of the year, on the plane. You're still hung up on that 2 pairs of shoes comment, aren't you? I can explain. I need room in my suitcase to bring home the fabulous finds I purchase. And shoes are heavy. And I have shoes that can be worn with multiple outfits, dressed up or down. And you do, too, if you've shopped with us in Nashville or inside the Vault.

Outfit Number 2

For tops, the general rule of thumb is have twice as many tops as bottoms. The key is to pack enough camisoles for every day so what touches your skin is fresh. See how brill that is? So I've got a long-sleeve, dressy tee (it's dressy because it's not 100% cotton and has some man-made fabric that gives it a different hand). And now I'm showing you my white button down, which is even dressier than the tee.

This is my go-to outfit I've worn some rendition of every single time I travel.

Blazer + White Button-down + Non-Denim Pant + Ankle Boot + Pashmina

Jenifer Aniston stole it from me. Not even kidding. You can see I've layered with not only a pashmina, but the blazer as well. And the blouse goes with the chinos above, and the pants here go with the tee above. See how I did that?

My two pairs of pants are comfy chinos that stretch and a suede kick flare that's a bit more "night out." The reason I may not take denim is because everyone who travels wears jeans. And everyone who walks around a city is in jeans. And I like to think I'm harkening back to the good ole days when women "dressed" everywhere they went. So while I may wear jeans, I'll dress them up, you can be sure.

What if you need more than just a blazer and a pashmina? Solution: a lined all-weather jacket/coat. Extra credit if your lining can be removed during warmer months.

Did you notice, everything goes with everything. Mixing and matching all weekend long. Let's recap. So I've got 4 outfits with two tops (casual yet dressy tee + chic white button down), 2 pants (casual chinos + fab suede kick flares), 2 pairs of shoes (both ankle boots in this case, but I usually pack a pair of dressy heels or flats), and 2 layering pieces (a blazer and an all-weather jacket).

I can't not remind you to pack a pair of socks for the plane because you may want to take off your bulky shoes in flight.

I know I’m a chronic underpacker, but it is for a reason. I like to travel light without requiring the help of anyone, plus I like to have room to shop. Duh. I hope wherever you are this weekend, you are loving some fall weather. And please know if we pack you for any trip, we will let you take more than two pairs of pants and two shirts. Promise.

Thanks for reading and be sure to shop my fall weekend girls trip outfits!

All the best,

Tina