Gail: Holiday Packing

Packing for a holiday is really quite simple. I can almost hear the groans as you read these words. But I promise you it is. I love the military precision required to fit everything into my suitcase. It’s also a seriously good exercise in editing your wardrobe down to the essentials that you love.

As a junior fashion editor I had to learn to pack a suitcase professionally and perfectly. There was only room for the outfits that were going to be photographed, and the better it was packed, the less ironing there would be the other end. The same strict guidelines should be used by all of us for our holiday packing. That way lies peace and an enjoyable break.

There are two schools of thought regarding successful packing. Firstly, take only things that can be rolled and never crease or alternatively pack where everything is carefully folded using tissue paper between layers. Many, many years of packing cases for photographic sessions, (sometimes as often as twice a week), has led me to favour the second option.

This week I have focused on two wildly different types of vacation: the British beach or countryside holiday where the weather is completely unpredictable and you are likely to experience four seasons in one day. Which makes packing light an even more challenging task.

North Face, J.Crew £250, J.Crew £35, J.Crew £45, J.Crew £100,J.Crew £60, MiH, DVF,J.Crew £100,Babanamoon, Hunter, Converse, J&M Davidson £99,Hunter, J&M Davidson,LKB

J.Crew,Seafolly £94.99, Seaspray £ 64.99,Seafolly £55.99,Seafolly £32.99,OAK,J.Crew,Overboard,Splendid,Ray-ban, Kindle,Fresh Laundry,Tucker,L.K.Bennett,Havaianas,OverBoard,J&M Davidson
The other holiday wardrobe featured here is the city-break, cultural holiday. It could be a long weekend in Rome, Prague, Paris or New York. What you need will be determined by the climate, but I have tried to cover most options.
The British holiday wardrobe is based on my own experience. Every summer I spend a week in Norfolk with two girlfriends and our five children. It’s a true “Swallows and Amazons” holiday. We rent kayaks and paddle to a beach that becomes completely cut-off at high tide and munch sandwiches that taste like a Michelin-star meal; go crabbing and get covered in mud; relax while the girls go strawberry picking and sunbathe when the weather allows us to nestled in amongst the dunes. Fashion is almost irrelevant – comfort and function come first. It’s possibly the holiday I look forward to the most each year. I learnt fast what you need and what is completely unnecessary. My choices are probably still a little stylish, but old habits die hard. I always throw in a pair of jeans, a sloppy pair of sweatpants and fleece, but I admit I haven’t included them on the page, as I’m sure most of you already possess them in your wardrobe.
A city mini break requires a totally different wardrobe. This is where you can be smarter, chicer and more elegant. But again if you are spending your days sightseeing you need to dress in layers that can be added or removed as required and, it goes without saying, wear comfortable shoes. If your hotel has a pool, sneak one of the swimsuits from the British Beach holiday page into your suitcase. In fact, you might want to add quite a few items and mix-and-match to fit your style of holiday.
A holiday is a rest and the last thing you want to be worrying about is clothes. So, enjoy!

Astley Clarke,Jaeger,Chan Luu,Jaegar,Manhattan Pearls,Jaeger £199,Jaeger £99,Gucci,J&M Davidson, Piazza Sempione,A.L.C.,Lucy Choi,J&M Davidson,Tod’s,Jil Sander

Jaeger £149,Jaeger £25,Astley Clarke ,Jaegar £160,Monica Vinader,J.Brand, Salvatore Ferragamo,Haute Hippie,Crumpet,Maxmara,Hobbs,J.Crew,Jimmy Choo,Jaeger £50,Jaeger £40,Jaeger £60,