Guest Post - Rebecca from Delicious Bliss

I love a linky party, and Helen at Eat.Enjoy.Live is doing some great ones this summer!

This time its a guest blogger party, and I was paired with the lovely Bliss Diva (aka Rebecca) from Delicious Bliss, who is currently travelling the world in pursuit of her Delicious Bliss.

Rebcca is going to share with you (and me) her tips for being fashionable whilst travelling!

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One of the only things that suck about traveling lightly - and on a budget - is the predicament of fashion. If you're anything like me, clothing plays a big part in your day-to-day life. Some people can just throw something on and be done with it, but for me, I need to wear clothes that make me feel both comfortable and beautiful - and have variety. However, when traveling with only a backpack, having variety in fashion can be a teensy bit difficult. My first few months backpacking, I had quite the time figuring out how to balance fashion with lightness - but I finally figured it out, and I'm here to share my discoveries with you wonderful people!

 

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Clothing The first thing I want you to do is think about where it is you're going. Are you heading to a colder Northern climate, such as somewhere in Europe? Or are you heading south, where it's warmer? Inevitably, the further you go south, the less clothing you need - those cute skinny jeans or the pretty patchwork vest aren't going to be of much use in the hotter areas than they will be in the northern areas. Next, think about what the people in the country wear. Do a bit of research on it - what the locals wear in the cold or the heat will be an immense indicator of what you should bring with you. Wearing what the locals wear is especially useful for your finances - if you look like a local, chances are you'll get local prices - you won't be overcharged for being a tourist. Some big indicators of tourist-dom? Fanny packs, white and/or colorful sneakers. print t-shirts and souvenir t-shirts, visors, passport holders...need I go on? (Keep in mind that what they consider cold and what you consider cold might differ. Growing up in Alaska, I thought it was funny that tourists coming in the summer months would wear parkas and sweaters, while me and my friends wore skirts and spaghetti straps - until I realized that they were from places like the southern hemisphere, where they weren't used to the temperatures I was used to.)

1. Northern Destinations

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If you're going to a Northern country, the temperature will depend greatly on when you're going. Obviously the summer months will be the best - but even then, the weather can be rather unpredictable, especially if you're going to be on the coast. In Alaska, during the summer, if you're on the coast, it can be beautiful and hot one moment, but cold and windy the next, thanks to the cold Pacific air blowing in. Thus, bring items accordingly. A couple of pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts, and a sweater or two. As for tops, bring about seven - preferably tank tops or spaghetti straps, since they pack easily. Something I must stress here - and it applies to the rest of this article as well - always bring more tops than pants. NO ONE cares if you've worn the same jeans for the past three days - they don't stink (unless you've been wading through mud), and honestly, pants are just way hard to pack - especially jeans. They take up the same amount of room as three tank tops do. Bring the absolute minimal amount of bottoms, and pack up on a variety of easily packed tops. If you're planning on going to a more formal occasion, or just planning on going out on the town, pack a dress that doesn't easily wrinkle - or is naturally wrinkled as part of the style - and bring a pair of tights or stockings to go with it, for warmth in the cold night air. Shoes? Flip-flops aren't the best idea, but a pair of fashionable boots will do well, along with a pair of cute flats.          

2. Southern Destinations 

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The sun! The sand! The heat! Packing for tropical paradise is so much easier - and lighter - than packing for Northern areas. All I can say here is: two pairs of shorts. Several tank tops. (TWO) bikinis. Sun dress. Sandals/flip-flops. And something a bit fancier for the night clubs. (If you're going in the wet season, rain gear will also be needed - for the dry season, the wind can get a bit chilly at night, so maybe bring only one sweater.) Also, there is much to be said for sarongs. Sarongs. Sarongs. Sarongs! Some travelers say that towels are the item that every backpacker needs...I heartily disagree. Towels are bulky, hard to pack, and can't be used for much. However, a sarong can do everything a towel can do - and it's super cute to wear, and it can turn into a bag, and it can be a blanket, and it dries super quickly in the sun after you wash it. Steer clear of the tropical-designed, tie-dye ones, and opt for sarongs that can be more easily converted into clothing.

Packing the Clothes Only one thing to suggest here: ROLL IT ROLL IT! This is what enabled me to fit as much as possible into a smaller-than-average backpack, enabling me to take it as a carry-on on airplanes (goodbye, lost luggage!). It's super easy: buy a bunch of gallon - or more - ziploc baggies, roll your clothes and stick them in, and suck all the air out of the bags. Voila! Instant easy packing! This helps make it easy to organize clothes as well - let's pretend you're going on a seven-day trip. Beforehand, you could organize seven different outfits, roll them up, and put them in their own separate bags. Goodbye, trying to figure out an outfit on a hung over morning just before a sailing trip! As for shoes, room can be made by stuffing smaller clothing items like socks and underwear into the shoes. Speaking of shoes, I must point out here that whatever shoes you wear, make sure you can easily take them on and off at security in the airports. Some great shoes for this are flats, which slip on and off quite easily. Wear low-ankle socks with them to save yourself from the grime of the airport floor.

me, in a dress I bought in Darwin

Accessories are everything! I know that my suggestions so far haven't been the most interesting fashion-wise - but from a purely practical view, those were the best suggestions I could give. But...that's where accessories come in! They're small, light, easy to pack, and add so much glam to every outfit. Scarves - perfect for cold Northern climates. They work even better in Europe - when I took a trip in March a couple of years ago to Germany, it seemed like every other person was wearing a beautiful and ultra-fashionable scarf. Stock up on a few colorful and gorgeous ones for your trip. And they don't even have to be used just around your neck - they're an instant belt, hip scarf, and hair wrap. Bracelets, anklets, and jewelry galore - honestly, there's so much to be said for a bunch of colorful bangles reminiscent of Bali, Thailand, or India. Hats - especially useful for sunny places to shield your skin from the harsh sun (Australia, anyone? It can be overcast here, and you'll still get sun burnt!). There's as many different hats out there as countries - each one can perfect a different outfit. At this moment, my red striped fedora is going quite nicely with my tan-colored spaghetti strap. Many women here in tropical paradise wear gorgeous sun hats with long maxi dresses.

Buying Clothes Overseas Okay, who can resist the ultra-comfy silky pants of Thailand, or the gorgeously colored saris of India? This is another good reason to bring as little clothing as possible from your homeland with you. If you're planning on shopping at your destination, you want as much room in your backpack or suitcase as possible. A good thing to do before planning on shopping while there is to look at the normal prices of clothing as opposed to your budget. If you're heading to Bali, you can get a closet-worth of clothes for the price of two or three pairs of jeans in a mainstream American clothing store (there's a reason why it's such a popular vacation spot for Australians!), so leaving home with near-zero clothing to begin with is easy if you're planning on buying the day you get there. However, if you're heading somewhere more expensive, it might be a better idea to bring your own.



Comfort and Gorgeousness Bottom line, whatever minimal clothes you bring, make sure that they're clothes that: 1) Are easy to pack; 2) Are comfortable; and 3) Make you feel AMAZING! Comfort is the biggest issue - whatever feels uncomfortable at home is going to feel 10x more uncomfortable when you're walking through airports or traversing winding streets trying to find your hostel. This goes the most for shoes - if they feel pinched now, just think of what they'll feel like when you've been walking all over cities and climbing hills and dancing all night. Opt for items that look amazing, but are convenient and comfortable as well. And, of course, if you feel amazing, then you'll always look amazing.

What are your favorite travel outfits?

Rebecca Faythe is the Bliss Diva of the website Delicious Bliss. 19 and living in tropical paradise, Queensland, Australia, she has the dream of travelling and helping people all over the world become the Brilliant Bliss Cultivators they were born to be.





If you've enjoyed this post and though "hey I'd like to guest post!" then please send me an email! I'm looking for guest posters to look after my blog whilst I'm on holiday. All I ask is that you send me your post by 9pm on 19th June, you're post has something in common with my usual content, and that the post is representative of you're own content too!