Low-Effort, High-Impact - but definitely pack wisely ✈️✨

CATCH FLIGHTS, NOT FEELINGS (But Maybe a Compliment or Two)

Jul 14, 2025

Packing my suitcase is a craft I haven’t perfected yet, but I’ll never stop trying.

After a few chaotic trips, many mini meltdowns, and one extremely painful Ryanair moment in my early twenties (where I had to pay £500 in overweight luggage… please don’t ask 😅), I finally understood the power of editing.

Back then, I used to pack as if I was moving countries or going on tour with Shakira. I wanted options. All of them. Looking back, it was chaos. My ex’s face at the check-in desk? Iconic. I still laugh about it.

But year after year, I’ve learned to travel lighter, pack smarter, and wear only what I truly love

Every summer, as soon as school ends, my boys and I head to Spain. It’s like flipping a switch, from routine to reset mode.

But truthfully? It takes real effort to find balance. Between the sun, the distractions, the heat (hello, 38°C at 10AM 😩), and the urge to do everything, I have to start my days early, ground myself (usually with a quiet beach meditation), and then dive into work from wherever I can find WiFi. This year, it’s mostly my dad’s office.

Still, this summer feels different. I’m showing up more intentionally, especially on LinkedIn. I’ve set myself a goal: 10K before the end of September. I’m posting daily, experimenting, connecting, even making real friends and clients along the way. It feels like the beginning of something.

And in between that? I’m levelling up my email marketing. Learning and implementing in real time. It’s a full chapter.

But still... the one thing that always gets me when travelling?

Packing.

Even now, I wish I could just snap my fingers and have it magically done.

🎒 The Ibiza Backpack Moment … or How I Get Dressed Based on Vibes, Not Trends

Some people plan their travels with spreadsheets. I plan mine with playlists.

Before I even start packing, I need to feel the mood of where I’m going. Not just the weather forecast, but the colours of the streets, the rhythm of the evenings, the kind of shoes people wear when they’re doing absolutely nothing at all. I want to hear the city before I land. I want to smell it. I want to wear it.

In a few weeks, I’m heading to Ibiza, my only real “holiday” of the summer. The rest of my four weeks in Spain will be full work mode. But Ibiza is different. It’s a pause. A reboot. A dress-up-for-no-reason kind of moment.

As I was getting ready to pack, I texted my friend (the one I’m visiting) something deeply practical and deeply silly:

“Do you think a backpack is enough for five days?”

He replied, deadpan and perfect:

“Honestly, just go full hippie. You’ll blend in better. Especially with me.”

I laughed. Because… he’s not wrong. And I am asking a Man, hahahaha, what was I expecting?

My friend Luiz, a lively Brazilian, has lived in Ibiza for years, and the island has transformed his style. He flows with it. He actually hates when I go full-on posh around him, the dissonance is too big. Especially because he knows, as a stylist, I know how to adapt.

I don’t get dressed to be the centre of attention. I get dressed to belong, without disappearing. I want to be me, fully me, but I don’t want to feel like a tourist in someone else’s culture. I want to play with the mood of the place. Blend in just enough to feel like I’m part of the scene, but with my own spin.

Because to me, clothes are how we connect.
How we say: I see you, and I feel this too.

What Would Carolina Pack? Start With These Two Prompts

Whenever my clients or friends feel stuck packing, I always suggest asking ChatGPT these two prompts, it seriously works.

1. “I want to wear a [insert item: e.g. a lemon-yellow linen midi dress], and I plan to wear it while [insert activity: walking the marina at sunset in Palma]. Does it match the vibe? Or will I feel out of sync, overdone, underdressed, or just… not myself?”

It’s not dressing for other people. But matching the energy.
Sometimes you want to wear the silk co-ord and oversized sunglasses.
Sometimes you want a wrinkled shirt and sea-tangled hair.
Both are style. But one might be right now, and one might be not today.

2. “Why did I feel strange wearing a [e.g. black synthetic mini dress] while doing [e.g. outdoor dining in a slow, sleepy village] in [e.g. Puglia]?”

We’ve all had that feeling. Where something just felt… off.
Not because we didn’t look good. But because it didn’t belong in the story we were in.

This kind of thinking, this emotional layering of style, is how I approach dressing. It’s also what I teach my clients inside their Ready-to-Wear Lookbooks: not just what goes together, but what feels right together. The mood. The movement. The why.

For me, travel dressing is never about impressing, but immersing.

I love the feeling of dreaming up another version of me in a new city.
Like: Who would I be if I lived here?
What would I wear to the corner café if I knew the barista’s name and the old lady’s dog next door?

That’s the magic.
That’s the joy of a well-packed backpack, (or suitcase) and a well-styled life.

✈️ The Packing List Edit I Swear By

🧳 5-4-3-2-1 Packing Formula
→ 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 3 dresses, 2 bags, 1 accessory of each group
Plus: 3 shoes, always 3. (trainers, kitten heel sandals, flat sandals or flip flops)

🎨 Pack Neutrals
A neutral base makes everything mix-and-matchable. Then:
→ Add one print to elevate
→ Choose one or two pops of colour (I usually go earthy or oceanic)
→ And always, always start with your shoes

🧥 Layers & Vests
Light layers are a game changer. A vest can take the same base outfit from minimal to full boho with one swap.

💫 Accessories > Quantity
Styling is everything. A belt, scarf, earring, or hat can transform a dress you’ve worn five times into something fresh. Sunglasses are always a vibe!

🌍 Memories > Things
Depending where I go, I love to pick up a piece from that country, something handmade or vintage, something with a story. It’s how I build my wardrobe with meaning.

💼 A Few More Travel Truths

I only pack one 20kg suitcase, for me and my two boys.
Carry-on bags are for tech, books, skincare, and one special item (mine: a Monaco Meraki journal, gifted and adored).
I always, always roll my clothes like Marie Kondo taught me. And if you do it with the suitcase like in the picture, you’re saving 25% of space. Try it and thank me later.
I get laundry done before flying back home, so everything’s clean, folded, and smelling fresh when I unpack. Little joys.
And yes, every destination has a playlist. Once I book, I start listening to music that matches the vibe. It helps me pack better and feel the place before I arrive.

Here’s Your Permission Slip

→ You don’t need to take your whole wardrobe
→ You can travel light and feel luxe
→ You deserve to move through the world with less weight and more joy

I created this post and infographic to inspire you.
It’s everything I wish I had years ago.

I hope it helps you pack lighter, travel easier, and love the journey a little more 🌍

Let me know where you’re heading this summer, maybe I’ve been there and I can help with the colour palette.

Carolina Marsoli

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