My Mexico Wardrobe Postmortem
Happy Sunday ladies. We’re home from Mexico and back to house hunting, between loads of laundry. As I fold each load I do an inventory of whether things should have come on this trip or not.
I find a wardrobe postmortem helpful after a holiday. It helps me understand how to pack differently next time.
Here’s how it went down:
- Everything I brought got worn once and many were styled in the exact same way to wear another day.
- All my pants had stretchĀ waistbands which allowed me to eat my body weight in tortilla chips and way more than my fair share of guacamole without reservation. Now that I’m home and struggling to snap my jeans, I feel the error of my ways. #mistake
- My bathing suit was never worn because itĀ just wasn’tĀ warm enough.
- Two pair of sandals could have stayed home.
- I brought three hats and only wore two.
- I brought three scarves, one of which blew away in the wind, so mostly wore myĀ pink leopard oblong. I wore it looped around my neck, over a jacket and tied it to cover my hat hair. I shared how I tied it over my hair in this video on my Facebook pageĀ here.
- I broughtĀ no cotton maxi skirts and could have used them.
- I needed more short sleeve tees and fewer tank tops.
- I got bored with my accessories early on as I shared here and was very grateful to have brought this colorful wrap.
- This crossbodyĀ was perfect to travel with and use each day.
In the end, I was covered for each occasion but missed many things I’d left home. I had no control over the cool temperatures and the shopping was not conducive to what I needed but we had a fabulousĀ time.
I got bored with my clothes early on because I didn’tĀ bring enough accessories. They’re what add the variety and interest which allow you to stretch a wardrobe. Next time I’ll stay with a predominantly neutral color scheme but bring more layering pieces and colorful accessories.
Do you go over what clothes hit and missed in your vacation wardrobes?
Thanks for reading and have a great day.
When we travelled to Italy we were expecting it to be chilly as they had just had snow! I took a pair of flip flops that I planned to use for back and forth to the shower and ended up wearing them half the time! It is so hard travelling this time of year you never know what to bring!
Jennifer,
Todayās post is perfect timing for me this morning. I am heading to the Dominican Republic for spring break and have been pulling outfits out of my closet over the weekend.
I like to stick with a neutral color palate, but it gets tricky when we add bright tropical prints.
I always overpack. Every single time. And I end up shopping so even less I bring gets worn. I need to perfect the art of packing and stop spending.
I live by the post mortem list, which includes place, month and temp range. I list what I wore first and what I brought but didnāt wear. It has saved me hours of reinventing the wheel. I have a dupe set of makeup and toiletries packed… and travel meds. It is till wrenching. Trench coat,walking shoes and scarf go every time. Then whatever mix and match, smart casual basics I can cram in my carry on. Table top dressing, so the bottoms are all boring and the tops have some variety. One walkable āgo to dinner shoeā. Layers have saved the day more than once.
My husband and I don’t travel all that much but I always take much too much! My husband says we’ll never be able to fly anywhere because I would break him paying for all my luggage:) We do hope to begin to travel more so I desperately need to learn how to pack without taking half of what I own!!! I love clothes, I love color, not too wild about neutrals other than black and white, and my BIG problem is SHOES!!!! I have many pairs and like to match shoes to outfit. But if we fly, I’ll have to pare down my pairs!!!! Good idea though with the jewelry & accessories.
Thanks Susan! Good tip about patterned tops! I was starting to think I was the only one who felt this way!
I live south of Guadalajara and it’s been unseasonably hot for the past 3 weeks. Interesting to hear it was cool where you were.
You bring back memories for me from Loreto. I loved the mission. And the glorious bougainvillea everywhere. I’m leaving for the Western Caribbean next week, so I’m thankful for the advise here.
A travel wardrobe postmortem! So smart, Jennifer. Thank you, because I learned from what you did right and wrong. I love linen, but don’t like the wrinkles that quickly set in. I’m going to a beach wedding in Mexico this summer and still haven’t found a dress that’s not meant for a 16-year-old. So sad…. Thanks again for this post! B
I would like to get some ideas for t-shirts also. I am always looking for longer, thick fabric and slightly fitted.
In Canada, we don’t have access to Target and a lot of other stores which are suggested.
Hard to find, isn’t it? I buy at Northern Reflections, Chicos and Winners.
There is not much I dislike more than packing for a trip. I find it to be an exercise in pure frustration and confusion.
You did a good job esp not knowing what the weather would be. I always pack too much and end up wanting to give most of it to Goodwill when I get home because it proved to be so non functional. What does tend to work are the neutral classic pieces and something with fun color to add a little excitement to the mix. I always regret not packing something essential with the idea that āIāll buy it when I get thereā. Usually turns out to be a mistake.
When I travel I wear the same four pants and six to eight tops over and over again and just wash them. I don’t get bored with them as comfort is my main objective. I do wear earrings all the time even at home and also take along a couple of necklaces and a scarf. I also take a long cardigan and light rain coat for ‘just in case’ and often end up wearing them every day.
What a timely post! It looks like you packed pretty well – you’re right about those elastic waistbands!!! It’s often hard to anticipate all the events. When we went to the Caymans, I thought we’d be going out to dinner more than we did, so I packed more resort clothes than I needed. We were lucky to have laundry facilities in our condos so the pieces I did wear I could wear again after laundry. The weather is such a factor – I find it hard to think about warm weather clothes when it’s freezing outside & vice versa. I’ve come a long way from my first trip to Britain, when I stuffed a huge suitcase (the monster, as my husband calls it) with clothes I never wore. I wore the same sweater and jeans almost everyday for 3 weeks since I packed a lot of summer clothes. Warm weather in England??? What was I thinking?
Loved all your outfits. And the elastic waist pants were absolutely not a mistake…..life is to be enjoyed so you need to eat the chips and guacamole on vacation. You can eat carrot sticks while you do laundry!
Yes, I actually have different list for items to bring on my trips in various areas. Hawaii, the mid-west, cruises and Europe. I hate the cold but I have a packable coat and a beanie if I anticipate cold weather. I include jewelry, scarves and hats on the list. I do like to buy accessories when I travel.
Your outfits were perfect for this trip….and no one can wear hats as well as you do!!
I usually take stock once Iām home from a trip. In the past I always had pieces that were never worn. I wanted to cover all possibilities when packing and being fearful of being caught short, I habitually overpacked. A year ago, I packed more judiciously for a cruise on the Danube. I wore everything I packed but wished I had taken one more pair of cropped pants. All in all, I was quite pleased. Then this fall, I hit it on the nail. As Goldi Locks once said, ā It was Just Right!ā.
How were you to know the temps would be cool in Mexico? I would have packed for hot temps and been cold the whole time.
Boredom with my travel clothes? Yes! We have taken our motorhome up to Alaska twice and I fought against throwing everything I brought in the trash when I got home! My wardrobe for Alaska travel is jeans, long-sleeve T-shirts and fleece vests (I own 3 of them). Plus socks and comfy clogs and tennis shoes. NO ONE dresses up there. I mean no one (maybe in a few Anchorage restaurants, but we pretty much stay out of Anchorage). Thank goodness for scarves and a few simple necklaces. It’s the same every time.
Barbara, that would drive me nuts! I have to have something of interest to wear every day or I feel ill.
You hit on something that I struggle with: boredom with my clothes. Since I dress according to my mood, packing for any trip/vacation is tough for me. If I follow all the lists I see recommended, I am bored out of my mind. I wear strong colours like blue, teal, purple, pink, patterns. I haven’t quite figured out what the accessories are that will alleviate the boredom if I wear solid nuetrals. It can’t be just jewelry and scarves are too hot for me to wear in very warm weather. I end up taking more clothes so I have enough choice. Am I the only one who struggles with this?
Youāre not alone, Janet! Boredom is a key reason I can never take a long trip with just carryon luggage. The solution that works for me is to add in a healthy dose of patterned tops. They look finished without any accessories except earrings, and are much more fun to look forward to rather than one more plain tee. Others may differ, but Iāve found that a month with only solid neutrals makes me want to empty my suitcase straight into the trash instead of the washing machine!
Thanks Susan! Good tip about patterned tops! I was starting to think I was the only one who felt this way!
Loved your look! Scenery! And humor! š As for myself, I have given away some things I have taken on a trip after I seeing myself in photos….you need not do that. I am also a sucker for turquoise jewelry and would have shopped for some in a village (not jewelry store). I had bought a few pieces from licensed artisans in Santa Fe….yea! Loved your colorful wrap! And thanks for the scarf video!
I am looking to replenish my supply of tees for the summer. I prefer cotton heavy enough to not have to worry about see through. Tanks and short sleeve with v necks are my favorites. They have to be durrible as I am. Floral dessigner. Looking for suggestions as to the best brands for the money. Thank you.
I live on Lake Erie and we dress very casually, I’ve found ANA tees from JCPENNEY to be perfect. They’re v neck and priced to be disposable at the end of the season.
Hello,
If you want just a plain tee with short sleeves, you can try the Universal Thread brand of Target. Itās soft and the sleeves are not too short. I just got the white and orange for $5 each as they are on sale. I also like the linen soft tees of Madewell. And Loft usually has a variety all year long.
Jennifer,
I really enjoyed this timely post since I’m leaving for Barcelona this week!
I try to pack smart but just like you there are items never worn on a trip.
Love all your outfits and so happy you shared your thoughts!
I can’t wait to wear linen again!
Hugs,
Robin