Planning Travel Outfits with Excel

rarely tried on outfits before I packed. I had been successful for a while until the long trips started happening, and not just the long ones, the international ones. Then the international ones turned into cold winter visits and that just seemed liked I needed to really plan my outfits to avoid overpacking.

I discovered the excel technique on a POPSUGAR article right before my France trip. I immediately jumped to my Google Drive and plopped my laptop on my dresser and as I took photos of my outfits, I jotted them down in excel –

What to include in the excel sheet

• City you’ll be in
• Temperature low and high that day (look ahead on weather.com). Remember the high is just the high, it means you may be cold until that high temp.
• The activities you’ll be doing
• If it’s a travel day
• Number the items if you prefer instead of writing the actual item again (I did both)
• Top
• Bottoms
• Coat
• Shoes
• Accessories
• Any layering tops or bottoms

Also, packing cubes really do help with organization – under shirts, bottoms, tops, pajamas, it helps keep everything organized like a dresser. I recommend this pink leopard print cube set from Amazon.

^^ I left this pair of jeans, but it was planned. They were so tight and also low rise.

Consider packing/Packing tips

• Items that can be worn at least 2x, bonus if it’s worn 3x. Except undies and possibly layers, of course.
• Layers to keep an additional barrier if possible, ideal for colder months between sweaters.
• For minimal packing, pack 2-3 bottoms per week gone. I can’t adhere to this idea, but I try.
• Wear the same travel outfit to and from.
• Pack pajamas to leave behind, and other clothes if possible. I pack logo tees, pilled sweaters that look tired, and that outfit that would look good one more time in France, but not anywhere else. You can see where I note to leave white jeans behind (they were SNUG and also low rise which I didn’t want to bring back).

5 Favorite Travel Products

1. The Cosmetic Case by Beis
2. The Setback Organizer by Beis (I love it in light blue)
3. The Flat Iron Cover by Beis
4. Clear Washable Shoe Travel Bags via Amazon
5. Compression Cubes by Eagle Creek via Amazon (they SMASH your clothes together, not organize)
6. Garment Folder by Eagle Creek via Amazon (avoids your tops from shifting and wrinkling)

I believe in leaving things behind – the umbrella, the old clothes you bring to sleep in, it helps make room for the goods you’ll buy while on the trip. I know some people think I’m crazy but I honestly think it makes no difference if I had planned on donating the item anyway (I leave it for housekeeping) or not sure what to do with a logo tee for a company I don’t want to advertise for.

I hope this helps you with packing for longer trips. I also put the photos in an album on my phone so I can check it out. I change things up depending on weather too.

If you want to know how to pack stylishly and comfortable like I did in France, check out this blog post. Style is key for all the photos you’ll probably take, but comfort is what will keep you happy while you explore!

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Diana Elizabeth still wishes she studied French instead of Spanish.