Can you travel light and still be fashionable?

This is a guest post from founder of TravelFashionGirl.com, Alex

The answer is yes but it has less to do with fashion and more to do with refining your personal style.

I’ve spent years in search of the perfect trifecta between form, function, and fashion - the perfect combination to help my readers pack light stylishly.

What I’ve found is that in order to accomplish this you need to know your style personality. What makes you feel good?

In order to achieve the perfect packing trifecta, ask yourself the following questions:

What actually looks good on me?

How many times have you walked into your closet and found that you had nothing to wear? The truth is that you probably have a lot of things to wear but what you’re really feeling is that you don’t have anything to wear that makes you feel good at that moment.

Now imagine being on the trip of a lifetime and only have a small selection of clothes in your suitcase. It’s important that each and every single piece is perfect! Each item should make you feel amazing and confident!

What makes you feel confident?

Do you find that you always end up buying the exact same things over and over? You have three pairs of black skinny jeans, five blue long sleeve tops, seven little black dresses?

Pinpoint the things that you love to wear. You may not realize it but those items make up your personal style. People tend to always gravitate towards certain colors and clothing styles. Own it.

Make sure your signature pieces are absolutely perfect. Get them tailored to hug your body just right. Don’t buy ten of the same thing just because it was on sale. Invest a little money on that one single piece that’s perfectly amazing and you wouldn’t mind wearing it two weeks in a row.

Do you have a signature capsule wardrobe?

Take all those items that make you feel good and choose only 20 of them. If you could only wear a handful of pieces for the rest of your life, what would they be?

These will become your signature capsule wardrobe.

Now the way you pack light by using your signature capsule wardrobe is to make sure each and every piece can mix and match. That means all your tops can be paired with each of your bottoms and vice versa.

If you’re traveling to destinations with mixed weather then your long sleeve tops and short sleeve tops should also mix and match so you can layer them as the temperatures drop.

Think it’s impossible to travel with just fifteen pieces of clothing? What if I told you could travel for three weeks with just ten pieces of clothing and have a different travel outfit every single day?

You can! Just do some Travel Fashion Math: 7 Tops x 3 Bottoms = 21 Unique Outfits.

What do I actually need?

Many times travelers create a different reality about travel. They imagine they’ll be sitting glamorously in cafes in Paris and capturing that enviable Instagram shot to share with the world.

While this may in fact happen, many times you get so caught up in sightseeing, especially when you have limited time that all those pretty clothes and shoes go unworn because all you wanted was a comfortable outfit of jeans and sneakers.

The reality is that travel isn’t always as glamourous as it may seem. You spend full days sightseeing, you get cold, you get hot, and ultimately - you feel uncomfortable at times - especially when you end up choosing the wrong shoes!

Don’t plan your clothing based on what you think will happen. Choose your final capsule wardrobe items on what will really happen.

Look at your itinerary. If you’re on an outdoor adventure, will you really need a cocktail dress? Heading to see the Northern Lights? Plan for the weather first before you consider your epic Instagram shot.

How can I fit my capsule into a carryon?

My secret to traveling carry-on only for four weeks or four months is to use packing cubes! I swear by them and have even created videos showing how I’ve traveled luggage free using just one packing cube and my everyday purse. Watch it here.

As you start packing for your next trip, don’t forget to bring the ultimate travel essential: confidence. The better you feel the better you’ll look because there is nothing more fashionable than confidence.

Have a great trip!

Alex is the Blogger-in-Chief at TravelFashionGirl.com, the #1 blog for female travelers. She's a packing expert who helps style-conscious women plan and pack for their adventures around the globe. She's been to over 40 countries and is on a mission to scuba dive in the best destinations around the world!