Ask Niki // Packing For Winter Holidays

I’ve written a few of posts  about what to pack for summer holidays (here, here and here) but as one reader, Nic pointed out I’ve not given much advice about packing for winter holidays.

Nic got in touch and asked if I could help her pack for her upcoming trip; she recently moved to Chicago but is heading back to the UK for Christmas and New Year.  It will be cold, she’ll be doing heaps of travelling in a bid to catch up with as many people as possible and there will be lots of festivities too.  She needs a wide variety of different outfits but doesn’t want to take much with her, which is just as well as jumpers and winter footwear take up a lot of space in the suitcase, so she’s unlikely to be able to fit much in!

The key here is to take items with you that are really versatile and layer up well for warmth…you’re going to need to put your mixing and matching head on for this.

 My ideal winter holiday wardrobe would consist of:

 

• 3 - 4 items for the bottom half - I always prefer to take slim leg or skinny style trousers with me as I can tuck them into boots easily for extra warmth.
• 5 - 6 tops that go with all of them - Long sleeve tops are a must for warm base layers, it’s also worth taking a thermal vest if you really feel the cold.  Topshop’s Sno collection has some attractive thermal pieces that are a far cry from the usual ugly options.  I also like to take a couple of shirts as they are the ultimate layering item.
• 1 dress - that can be dressed up and down
• 2 pieces of knitwear - I like to take a jumper and cardigan as it gives me more outfit options.
• 2 jackets - I like to take two so I’m covered for smart and casual, but they can be really bulky so my trick is to take 2 light weight jackets, one slightly smarter (like a leather jacket or maybe a jersey blazer) and one casual that’s big enough to fit the smarter one underneath if it gets really chilly.
• A selection of accessories – hats, scarves, gloves - I tend to take a couple of each and will often double up my scarves for extra snugness. Save space in your suitcase by packing scarves and wraps n your hand luggage – it’s always cold on aeroplanes so you’ll be glad of the extra layer.
• 3 - 4 pairs of shoes

It's not a huge packing list but these pieces enable me to create a ton of different outfits pretty easyly...

   

Perfecting your holiday wardrobe can take a while but it’s well worth investing the time in getting it right.  In Nic’s words: “I love the smugness you feel when you pack light but have plenty of outfits to wear!

I'd love to know your tips for packing for cold weather; join in the conversation and share them by commenting below!   And, don't forget - if you have a style question you'd like answering then tweet me @nikiwhittle!!