Travel Packing Hack: The 333 Method

It’s summer travel season! While some of us may be heading on big, epic adventures, others will be taking closer-to-home weekend getaways. Either way, we need to pack. If you struggle with what to pack, the 333 method may just be for you. This is where you select 3 tops, 3 bottoms and 3 pairs of shoes from your wardrobe to pack. It’s incredible the amount of looks you can create from just 9 pieces. The key is to make sure you are mixing your textures and colours, while also selecting pieces that will all coordinate with one another. I feel like this method is perfect for a weekend getaway, a short girls trip or when you’re only bringing a backpack or carry on. A few other key things to note:

1. Accessories are small and so much easier to pack. A great variety of accessories can help you stretch your minimal wardrobe even further. Think jewelry, bags, scarves, sunglasses and hats. If you need some more inspiration for how to build an accessory kit for travel, see our previous article here.
2. Concentrate on a colour palette. Everything needs to work cohesively together. Accessories can help tie things together, too.
3. Pick clothes that are comfortable and that you will actually wear. Skip the aspirational pieces. You know what you feel best in. Pack that!
4. Have a good variety of top lengths, sleeve lengths, hem lengths, and clothing types.  While you can absolutely choose to bring 3 tank tops, 3 pairs of shorts and 3 pairs of flip flops, it may leave you feeling uninspired and like you’re wearing the same thing everyday.
5. Pack some detergent. If you plan on traveling with a minimal wardrobe, you may want to freshen up an item or two depending on the length of your trip. A little hand wash and hang to dry can be a great way to keep your items feeling fresh. 
6. Don’t get too hung up on the “rules” and adjust as needed. Going on a longer trip? Have one more piece you want to pack? Increase your numbers. Maybe you opt for 5 tops, 3 bottoms, and 2 pairs of shoes or 4 tops, 2 dresses, 2 bottoms and 2 shoes. You make the rules.

I stuck with the 333 and styled up 9 outfits. I feel like there were even more outfit combinations to be made, but this definitely gave me an idea of how far I can take just a small sample of my wardrobe. 

My three tops include: 

1. White Tank With Eyelet Detail
2. Blue Cotton Boho Top
3. Beige Linen Short Sleeved Button Up

My three bottoms include: 

1. Black + White Gingham Skirt
2. Flowy Wheat Coloured Linen Pants
3. Dark Blue/Grey Cotton Shorts

My three shoe picks are: 

1. Black leather sandals
2. Beige leather sandals
3. Blue lace up oxford

Happy travels, wherever the summer may lead you! —Jen Pistor