I was always a chronic overpacker. Before kids, I could pack for a weeklong trip and my suitcase would be overweight. I never wore half of what I brought. Maybe not even two thirds.

Enter, a trip 6 years ago where the kids and I were spending 6 weeks in France, and we had 1 suitcase to check total. Between a budget airline suitcase rates and the amount of popping around in country we were doing once we landed, we had a firm boundary of 1 suitcase and we had to stick with it.

If I had to pinpoint a moment that all my thoughts behind the Annual program / foundational closets / daily go-to’s / style intentionality came together – it’s that one. 3 kids, mama, and 1 suitcase. I have never been happier on a trip. My choices were vastly reduced, I brought pieces that I knew without a doubt I would wear, and I did.

It was incredible.

And from that point on, packing has been different. I still catch myself overpacking here and there, but my biggest stress is no longer – will I have the right thing to wear if I don’t bring this? It’s – I don’t want to pack things that I won’t wear. (Guys sometimes I stew over it on the way to the airport and end up taking out a piece or two to leave in the car.)

Unless I have to pack a suitcase for all 5 kids – that is still not fun.

A few weeks back, Guillaume and I were able to spend a week and a half in France sans kids, and I got a lot of questions over what I was packing. The trip include 2 weddings (a bridesmaid in one), plans to get a couple long runs in, a couple days in the mountains, a couple days at the beach, and some time at a hotel with fine dining options… There was a lot to think through, and while I don’t love bringing something on a trip that will only be used once, there was a bit of that this time. But, planning out where I could be intentional was a really fun challenge!

Linen is lightweight, travels really well, and doesn’t have to be washed as frequently, making it perfect for a trip where you don’t have access to laundry. In France we usually don’t have access to a dryer, so the fact that it dries so fast is a definite plus. This trip featured a pair of linen pants, a linen buttondown, and a linen dress, all which received significant wear.

Jeans take up way more room/weight in a suitcase than a pair of flowy pants, (which tend to be more more comfortable for travel anyways), so I rarely bring them unless I’m traveling for a work conference. I usually bring 2 pairs of high waisted flowy pants- this trip had a pair of silk noil pants from Ozma, and a pair of me-made Arthur pants (pattern – Sew Liberated): 2 of my all-time travel favorites.

Dresses and jumpsuits are great one-and-done pieces, but that can restrict your versatility for a longer trip, so you have to think that through. I packed a few more than usual this time because there were specific events on the trip that I needed some fancy dresses for – Doen for the win.

But when it came to casual dresses, I made sure they were pieces that were comfortable, easy to wear wandering, as well as appropriate for a restaurant, and black so that I could get a couple wears before washing. I picked a me-made wrap dress (Pattern – Common Stitch), and the utility dress by Noble.

Tops – try your tops on with your bottoms before you leave. There’s nothing worse than getting there and realizing that you don’t actually have any bottoms you like pairing the tops with. (For me personally, this isn’t an argument to bring another bottom, it’s an argument to ditch the top. I build looks from the bottom up.) I like to make sure the bottoms I bring are a similar cut so that any tops I bring will work with any of my choices. My most worn top this trip was a thrifted find that went with both bottoms.

I love versatility when it comes to packing – I need to know that I can get a couple wears out of something (barring it being for a fancy event or an athletic event), it has to be comfortable, it has to hold up to not needing a wash after 1 wear (barring me spilling something, which is very likely…), and I have to be able to move in it – lug a suitcase, hold a kid, walk for hours, etc… My most worn pieces this trip hands down, the Arthur pants, the white top, and a ribbed tank not pictured. The black Ozma pants were a close second!

*Not pictured, a pair of leggings, a sweatshirt, pjs, running clothes, and a ribbed tank. In general, this is more than I usually bring, but there were a lot of “events” that this trip was structured around, and since I wasn’t packing for kids as well, I had the space to play with some fun options. Had I needed to pack more minimalist, I would have dropped a couple dresses, and added in 1 silk top to pair with the black pants to have them as a casual and a dressy option.