Fashion Tingz: Agony Aunt #6
Summer holiday packing, wardrobe streamlining and plus-size dressing
Each month I’ll be tackling whatever unsolved fashion scenarios you send my way. These scenarios can be lighthearted and fun or deep and personal, the choice is entirely yours. Let’s tackle these things together. Remember to be kind in the comments, everyone’s experience of the world - and the way we view it - is different.
This month I'm making this post free for all subscribers so you can get some inspiration, see what we chat about and what fashionable dilemmas we solve, and hopefully get involved in the Fashion Tingz community.
Question one: It’s the summer holiday season and I’m looking forward to going away, but the travel chaos at airports is causing me some concern and I have no idea how to pack for a 2 week holiday abroad. What should I be packing to cover me for a range of activities and occasions, such as daytime city adventures, beach days and fancy dinners in the evenings?
Firstly, welcome to the first official season of revenge travel aka the summer of chaos and confusion aka airports, airlines and air passengers' worst nightmare. If the Instagram and TikTok videos are anything to go by, your baggage could well be sitting in a different city thousands of miles away from where it's supposed to be. And no one who is supposed to be running around in the sun having the time of their life wants that. I’m also currently packing for a summer break to Barcelona, so my advice to you is going to be based on how I’m approaching packing nine days' worth of outfits into a carry-on. To start I'll be taking two carry-ons, a decent-sized mini case and a roomy bag. And most importantly inside will be a range of items that I can mix and match across day and night, to suit a range of different occasions and settings - think of it as a mini capsule wardrobe for your holiday abroad. I've got shorts and lightweight trousers I can wear on rotation along with basic vests in a range of colours, a few slinky dress and skirt options to level up classic pieces, and a pair of sandals and trainers that can work with just about anything. And that's it, it is as easy as that. Just pack items you know you can wear a few times with a few different looks, and most importantly make sure they are breathable and that the material won't bother you in the heat. For a bonus tip, if you can't quite manage to streamline your packing I’d recommend investing in some vacuum-packed bags which should save you a ton of space in your carry-on. Yes, you heard it here first, pack your clothes in these bags and then use an accompanying device (or hoover) to suck the air out of the bags allowing you to pack more and pack precisely. You’re welcome.
Question two: I’m partial to buying into the latest trend and I love a bargain, but how do I streamline my wardrobe when all I want to do is buy whatever’s in right now?
This may not be easy to hear, but sometimes when streamlining your wardrobe you have to be brutal. And realistic. If you haven’t worn it in over a year - which is a chance for you to have worn it across all four seasons - chances are you're not going to wear it. So it may be time to get rid. Donate, swap with friends or sell what you don’t wear and anything that no longer fits your lifestyle or your body, then (hopefully) after you’ve done what may seem like the most basic step look at what you have left, and this is what you're going to be working with. It’s amazing how many more options you have when streamlining your wardrobe, as generally you're left with stuff you know how to style and wear rather than trying to create outfits for the imaginary scenarios that play out in your head sometimes (it can't just be me right?). But if you find after giving your wardrobe a good old purge that you’re left a little lacking, invest in some good quality basics you can mix and match to make dressing a whole lot easier. I’m a big fan of buying one item I love that works for me in multiple colour ways, which takes a lot of the unnecessary panic experienced when outfit planning out of the equation. Also when trying to streamline your wardrobe it's a good idea to organise by item style and section; think trousers, tops, jumpers, coats, jackets - you get my drift. That way you grab a piece from each section and you’re good to go. As for buying into trends and bargains, there's no harm in that, as long as you are sure you can wear your purchases in multiple ways. Cost per wear is key when streamlining your wardrobe.
Question three: I want to dress cute, sexy and a little glam for summer, but being on the plus size end of the scale I’m a little self-conscious of my body and I don’t know how to dress for hot weather in a way that feels like me. What should I do?
I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again, all bodies are summer bodies. Your weight, dress size or any other numerical figure shouldn’t stop you from dressing the way you want to, regardless of the season. You want to dress cute, sexy and glam this summertime? Then go ahead and do exactly that. First of all, accept your body and all of the wonderful things it does for you, this will do wonders for your confidence and sense of style. Societal beauty norms are incredibly outdated, stereotypical and fit one homogenous view of how we should look, and aren’t in any way shape or form truly reflective of the diverse set of people that are out there in the big wide world. I mean if we all looked the same, talked the same and dressed the same, the world would be a pretty boring place, right? Exactly. After you’ve tackled the hurdle of accepting your body for what it is (which is no mean feat and may take a lot of work on your part), embrace your size and shape, and wear whatever lifts your mood. Find content creators that more closely match your physique, and follow them for outfit inspiration. Better yet, create a mood board on Pinterest or Instagram that you can refer to easily when looking for summer outfit ideas. When in doubt some clever silhouettes and strategic accessorising could make a huge difference, but regardless… Wear the crop top! Embrace the mini skirt! There is space for you to wear what you want when you want.
Carry on commenting on this thread to get your fashion focused dilemmas and scenarios in, I can’t wait to hear what you want advice on.
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