This Writer Sticks to Black & Blue When She Packs For London
A glimpse inside her suitcase.
Few endeavors rival the plight of packing a suitcase, particularly for those hyper-concerned with personal presentation. In our new series Case by Case, we painstakingly investigate how stylish creatives pack for various locations. Sparing no detail, writer Erika Veurink gives us a peek inside her suitcase following her recent trip to London, England.
Destination: London, England
Duration: Five days
Season/Climate: Thanksgiving Week. High ‘40s and Cloudy
Travelling By: Air
Checking A Bag? No
Packing Medium: “I keep my packing streamlined with an ancient Away carry on (still in perfect condition, for what it’s worth) and my MZ Wallace tote. I used to travel with a black backpack, but after a particularly fashion-forward ex-boyfriend made fun of it, I've been stuck with tote bags. The Metro Tote is easy to keep clean and has tons of pockets. I slip in a Metro Clutch to stow my passport and other important items.”
Process: “I love packing cubes, particularly the ones from Paravel. I usually start rolling and end up sitting on my suitcase to force it closed. My packing style has improved since an infamous birthday trip where I packed only a wool cape for a snowy weekend.”
Extra Purchases: “Mostly small books and stationery, which packs quite nicely. Since we were in the UK, I loaded up on rolls of my favorite biscuits: Digestives.”
Laundry? We stayed at an apartment in Kensington for the second half, which was a perfect opportunity for a laundry load.
Plan Your Outfits Ahead? “Sticking to a color palette helps. Most of the time, it’s black, blue, and maybe some green. I’m resigned to the fact that traveling goes better for me when I leave my show-stopping looks at home. Now’s not the time for feathers—that sort of sentiment.”
Case by Case Breakdown
Carry On: “For tops, I packed a cashmere sweater lifted from my husband’s closet, a Banana Republic black cashmere turtleneck, a St. Agni blue button down, a white tee shirt, and my favorite Buck Mason fisherman sweater. Bottoms included a J. Crew black skirt, Levis 501s, and black Adidas track pants. Throw in a set of black silky pajamas from Daily Drills that could have doubled up as everyday clothes, if needed, a workout set, and some tights, and that’s it. The star of the show was a new dress from Trovata. I only packed my black Rothy’s Mary Janes and wore gray New Balance sneakers onto the flight.”
Toiletry Bag(s): “I love my Cuyana monogrammed totes for this. I limit myself to these two pouches because what’s the point of traveling if you’re spending an hour on a routine? I pack my bare minimum process and a few sheet masks. My Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Acid was a gamechanger and I’m recently obsessed with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream morning and night.”
Final Verdict: “Well, the pressure was on, since I knew I’d be reporting back. With that in mind, I think I’d give myself a 9/10 on this trip. I didn’t end up finding any vintage clothing to bring back, but I certainly packed with room in case. I traveled with my little sister, whose packing I could have borrowed from a little more liberally.”
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