Hello all you 2 Girls & a Bikini followers, “Other Girl” checking in for the very first time. Over the past few years, or should I say past few vacations, Angie has encouraged me to share my thoughts and experiences on our many adventures. But until now I didn’t feel I had anything to contribute, but our most recent trip to Dubai has inspired me, and now I have caught the writing bug also.
Packing for Dubai was the most challenging thing I’ve done in awhile. When trying to pick outfits, which adhere to a cultural standard, yet continue to represent my personal style, I ran into many a conundrum. These problems were only multiplied by the al la carte travel industry we seem to be living in these days, where you practically pay for everything but air on your flight. So, I got to thinking. How do I manage to pack “light”, dress comfortable for the weather, dress appropriate for an Islamic state, yet still be my Fabulous self?
Here are 5 ways I made it work, and all in one suitcase!
1. 5 outfits, just 1 pair of shoes!
If you are anything like me, I live for a pair of sexy high heels. Unfortunately six-inch stilettos are neither comfortable nor functional for exploring the streets of Dubai, Italy, Greece, or wherever your adventure takes you. While I miss the days of no baggage fees and multiple suitcase travel (a girl needs options), it’s just not the world we live in today. So, it’s time to get creative. Pick a pair of shoes that are both cute and comfortable, especially if you plan to do a lot of walking, then start building from there. Wedges and Espadrilles staples in my travel wardrobe. They are cute, go with multiple styles of dress and I can walk for hours in them before I have to sacrifice fashion for the sake of actually being able to walk. They also satisfy my need for a high heeled shoe. I also love that these shoes are appropriate for a day of sight seeing in jeans and a Tee, chilling at the beach in a romper, or heading out for a nice dinner in a sundress. Pretty much making them my all-purpose travel shoe.
Not into to heels? How about the ballerina slipper or the gladiator sandal? They are both cute and comfortable, especially ones with some rhinestone or stud embellishments.
2. Go from day to night!
To keep the luggage fees down and limit the shear amount of clothing you pack, pick items that easily transition from day to night. The maxi dress, harem pant, and pant jumper are all great options for this. You can easily transition any of these from day to night with a change of shoes, adding a jacket, or throwing on new accessories. Also, these items are typically pretty light weight so they don’t take up a lot of space in your suitcase. Besides, these items are usually made out of jersey cotton material so they can be hand washed and hung to dry in the event you need to recycle outfits.
3. Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize!
Belts, necklaces, and rings! Oh, My! Accessories are a great way to change up your outfit without adding a lot of bulk to your suitcase. And as I mentioned above, you can take any outfit from day to night with just a change in necklace or adding a belt.
4. Just buy it at the mall!
Shopping? Yes please! Sometimes I embark on a vacation knowing there will be lots of opportunities for shopping. In these events, why pack your old clothes? Use this as an opportunity to buy new ones. Instead of trying to project what mood you will be in to go to the club in 7 days, just buy an outfit on the day of that suits what you are feeling and won’t make you a spectacle at the club. Then you know you will feel confident in a foreign setting. Just be sure to leave space in that suitcase to get all your fabulous new purchases home.
5. Leggings are our friend!
Like many fashionistas, I did not consider plain leggings haute couture (unless they were literally haute couture). But I have learned that the legging is my travel friend, especially in Dubai. Leggings, like the maxi dress, are lightweight, comfortable, and very versatile. All while keeping everything covered. I found it super easy to continue to wear many of my normal vacation sun dresses, rompers, and wedges, by just adding a pair of plain leggings to match.
Hope you found some of these tips helpful. Here’s wishing you happy and fashionable travels.
To view all of our pictures from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman, please click here!
2 Girls & a Bikini
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