BlogHer - One dress, many looks - I'm packing SMART - Comments

Love your ideas

midnightbliss — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:29:25 -0500

I love your idea of mixing and matching different accessories to have different looks.

If I planned for that

sassymonkey — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:00:18 -0500

I guarantee you I'd spill coffee all over myself before I even got through airport security.

Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.

Glad you all liked it!

kgseymour — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:37:26 -0500

Thanks, everybody -- I'm so glad everyone found this so helpful. I've had a few people outside of here ask me some other questions about packing light, and wanted to mention that shoes take up a lot of room -- if you can keep the shoe count down, you'll have a much better chance of avoiding checked luggage. And don't forget to put toiletries in small containers. Anybody have any other advice?

Kristen

www.jeez-o-petes.com

All my favorite things in one post...

miguelina — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:58:14 -0500

Scarves, pearls, yellow shoes AND a dress? Tell me it's machine washable and I just might steal your suitcase! (Lucky for you I'm not going to BlogHer)

Great ideas!

Little black dresses

Vered — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:23:03 -0500

I LOVE little black dresses. It's one of the most versatile items in my closet. It's so easy to dress them up or down and make them look appropriate for almost any occasion, except for the most formal or the most informal (I wouldn't wear one on a hike!)

I mostly change my makeup, shoes and jewelry to dress them up or down.

Black pants are just as versatile, as are tailored, dark blue jeans.

----

Need to hire a blogger? I’m a mommy blogger and a blogger for hire.

Great dress

tjstaab — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:00:47 -0500

That is a great dress for changing the look to suit the different events. What a fabulous idea. I tend to overpack. You never know, it might snow, I may melt in the heat, I may stay in, or go out. Good grief. I need to take a leaf out of your book.

And now that I know what you will be wearing, I'm sure I'll be able to find you in the BlogHer crowd :)

Great idea!

extremecommute — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:57:06 -0500

This is fantastic--like the "wear it 20 ways" magazine spreads, but more doable! I'm heading to South America for a few months, where it's winter--and because I'll be joining my old choir's tour, I'll need nicer clothes in addition to backpacking clothes. Now I'll be on the lookout for the cold-weather equivalent of your little blue dress...

One dress, many looks - I'm packing SMART

kgseymour — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0500

I'm not normally what you'd call a light packer. I always start with the best intentions, but at the last minute, I always decide I have to bring that extra pair of jeans/sweater/four pairs of shoes, and before you know it, my suitcase is stuffed. But in a little over a week, I'm going to this little conference in Chicago (anybody else going? Find me -- let's chat!), and I'm determined not to overpack. And I have a plan.

I purchased this dress at Old Navy (it's no longer available online, but it's at my local store in both short, which is shown, and long, which I also bought). It was $24.50, and I can make it work for just about anything with the proper accessories. Seriously.

For example, for the plane ride, I'll wear it with a cute (but functional) cardigan, flats, and probably pearls. Because, really, I'm willing to do just about whatever I can to keep security from treating me like a suspect, and who suspects the blonde in pearls and a cardigan? (FYI, I'm not planning to be guilty of anything -- I'm just paranoid about getting frisked.)

Then, for sessions/impromptu chats/cocktails, I'll be bringing my favorite bright scarf (it's wide enough to go over my shoulders for a bit of warmth, too). Worn with stylish, funky, but totally comfortable gladiator sandals and interesting earrings, I like to think I'll look interesting without seeming like I tried too hard. Because, guess what? This outfit is EASY!

Then, should I decide to tone it down a bit without giving up all my style, I'll pair it with some bold silver jewelry, a cute little clutch, and bright yellow heels. At least, for as long as I can walk in them. And I'm aware that this outfit won't work for something truly formal, but I very rarely go anywhere that requires me to be dressier than this.

Moral of the story -- whether it's a little black dress, your favorite jeans/sweater combo, or something else, if it makes you feel good, spend a little time trying out different accessories with that outfit to see if you can get some different looks out of it. And try it on. You never know -- two prints might really complement each other, and that belt might give your outfit a whole new appeal.

What kind of accessories do you use to get the most use out of your favorite clothes? Leave a comment, or if you're in Chicago, come and tell me all about it. I'll be the one at the bar trying to figure out how to make the cocktail swords into some unique jewelry so I can wear the same dress yet again. Oh, yeah. And I'll probably be wearing a navy dress.

In the meantime, you can read more from Kristen at jeez-o-petes.com.