Simplify Packing by Going Monochromatic

I hate packing for trips. It’s one of my least favorite things. I used to end up just grabbing all my favorite pieces and throwing them in a suitcase. Then I’d up at my destination only to find that I hadn’t brought any complete outfits; just a bunch of printed shorts and printed shirts. Or I’d end up with twelve sweaters and nothing to layer them over. It was always a mess. So I started packing with monochromatic color themes in mind for shorter weekend trips (you know, the ones you don’t want to have to devote time to packing for) and it’s significantly reduced me showing up unprepared.

For a recent weekend getaway I started by picking a monochromatic color palette. During the summer I always end up with tons of white and tons of blue. So I chose blue as my color and packed all shades of blue and mixed in some whites and grays in order to break it up a bit. The result? A suitcase full of possibilities. Literally every piece worked with at least three others. Plus, I was worry-free. If I spilled on a pair of shorts (I’m clumsy so it’s a very real possibility) I would have other options for the rest of the weekend.

Packing with a monochromatic theme makes it so that you can enjoy your time at your destination rather than shoveling through your bag trying to find that one shirt that goes with the shorts you want to wear. You’ll be able to just grab any bottom, any top and get to where you need to be. Obviously for longer trips or vacations that require different looks for day and night you may need to adapt the monochromatic principle a bit. But ultimately if you center around a color theme you’ll have a much more relaxing getaway.