what I wore 004
feat. the pair of pants approved by Peruvian Gen Alpha
This will be less of a packing 'guide' than a packing 'glimpse' (i.e. less prescriptive, more descriptive.) I always love a detailed account of the way others pack and plan for trips—and how those plans pan out in reality—and hope this scratches that particular itch for those of you who also enjoy this type of gentle voyeurism.
I’m an overpacker by nature, and have been greatly reined in by the structure and forced precision of Stylebook. Like, I really use it. Especially the Packing Lists feature (see below.)
All in all, this is what I ended up packing for a six-ish day multi-city/climate trip to Peru (contained in a carry-on size suitcase):
This is what I ended up actually wearing:
And in outfit form:
I did a relatively decent job packing this time. Here’s the day-to-day breakdown—reflections to follow at the end!
DAY ZERO:
Occasion: Redeye from NYC to Lima!
Details: Rented Tibi jacket (*hate* the word shacket but I believe this is a prime example of one), similar options below; Agolde tapered baggy jeans purchased after renting, secondhand here; Hoka hiking sneakers, same model in different colors here here here; Madewell shirt, secondhand here but a trove available on Poshmark with the search “madewell softfade vintage tee.”
Notes: In full transparency, I did not want to share this outfit. It’s bad and clunky—it doesn’t feel intentional, and I think the color of the shirt and the style of the shoes are the two things throwing it off. I usually wear my bulkiest shoes on the flight (oldest trick in the book, obvi), but these hiking sneakers are not a Universal Sneaker in the same way that my Nike Blazers are. If I’d worn this shirt in a different color (which I own! and packed!) and a less ‘technical’ pair of sneakers it would have looked much better. Anyway, forget this outfit! These jeans will make an appearance in a later newsletter in a much cuter ensemble.
DAY ONE:
Occasion: Showered at a friend’s post-redeye and pre-Airbnb check-in, explored the city and had a fancy lunch date!
Details: COS dress, similar here here here; vintage silk scarf from free table at Brooklyn Quilters Guild meeting, similar here here here; rented Staud patent leather bag, similar Staud bag here; braided leather belt via Poshmark, similar here here; Carla Colour Warsaw sunglasses, cannot find secondhand but worth checking out; chunky Melissa sandals, exact style here here and in glittery nude here.
Notes: These shoes are so comfortable! Perfect walking shoes in warm weather. They’re all rubber, so they’re easy to rinse off if you need to dress them up/wear them somewhere nice.
QUESTION: How are we doing scarves, y’all? I tried. Many ways. I love the idea of a scarf to add another layer/dimension to a summer outfit that feels minimal or boring otherwise, but… help. In the picture above you can see it looped nerdily around the bag. At one point I had it braided through my hair? (see below)
DAY TWO:
Occasion: More city exploration (including a textile museum!)
Details: Everlane dress, exact style here here here here; silk scarf again; Carla Colour sunglasses again; Uniqlo bag, same color here, other colors here here (beware of overpricing!); Melissa shoes again; rented Missoma necklace. I’m tentatively branching out into necklaces this year (so crazy!) and have been renting to see what I like and enjoy. Taking a lot of information and inspiration from this post by
Notes: Okay, figured out one way to wear the scarf. Slight 00’s Ashlee Simpson vibes, I fear, but not terrible. Hot weather dressing is difficult for me (as you will come to hear about in more detail in a few months!)
DAY TWO:
Occasion: Wedding at a fancy restaurant on the end of a pier!
Details: Rented Cara Cara dress, exact style here ($125!), many similar patterns in this style on the RealReal; rented necklace again; Maryam Nassir Zadeh Sophie heels (the comfiest heels to dance in by far) via Poshmark, here here here here; rented Staud bag again.
Notes: I felt good in this! I’m glad I had a chance to rent this dress (and I’d rent it again, too.) It’s a perfect warm-weather wedding guest dress—sweat doesn’t show and the silhouette is perfect for dancing. So why don’t I just buy it? I’m just not as certain or confident in my summer style in general. I like to play with femininity and flounciness on occasion, but sometimes I just need to throw on something black and shapeless and fade into the heat.
DAY THREE:
Occasion: Post-wedding lazy morning, seafood lunch, flight to Cusco
Details: Needles HD BDU cargo pants, as seen on Rose of @thecreativeclassicist on Instagram, which I searched for desperately before finding on final sale via Matches last summer, exact style here here (and here, if they’ll ship from Australia,) same style in black here here, similar here; By Malene Birger tank top, exact style here; Melissa shoes again; Uniqlo bag again; rented necklace again.
Notes: Added a denim jacket later for the plane ride. Not sure about the necklace here—doesn’t work as well with the higher neckline, maybe?
DAY FOUR:
Occasion: Acclimating to altitude, wandering churches and markets, admiring street dogs, and eating the best hotel breakfast I’ve had in a minute—dense almond pancakes with lavender whipped cream, excuse me??
Details: Needles cargo pants again; Uniqlo down layering jacket, a myriad of colors and sizes on Poshmark; GAP denim jacket via Buffalo Exchange, similar here; Hokas again; Uniqlo bag again; COS wool shirt (discussed at length in previous week of outfits post, just command+F ‘Bridget Jones’); COS cashmere beanie, similar here.
Notes: These pants elevate the Hokas to more of a Fashion Sneaker rather than the very casual and purely utilitarian vibe they give off with a longer pair of jeans. I feel very comfortable in all permutations of this outfit.
DAY FIVE:
Occasion: Bus → train → hike to Machu Picchu!!!
Details: REI Sahara pants via Poshmark (love these for hiking, I do think they run small… I’m a 4 or 27 in most pants and prefer the fit of the 6 in these—also, there are many variations on the style but my favorite are the ones with belt included, like these or these); navy COS wool shirt; Hokas again; Nike baseball cap passively absorbed into wardrobe from my parents’ hat pile, similar here here… and a Rains trench via Poshmark, many here. (Yes, I went for it!)
Notes: For those who are very diligent about barre class but not so much about cardio, I recommend: lots of water, Inca Kola, Sayon Margarita cookies, and a patient partner who doesn’t care if you throw off his Strava pace!
DAY SIX:
Occasion: Train → bus → flight → brief escape for dinner → overnight flight home
Details: Needles pants again, denim jacket again, Hokas again, black Madewell tee (same style as the one above, to be found secondhand in great variety here.)
Notes: Again, very comfortable in all permutations of this outfit, but was very pleased to drop all of this in the hamper upon arriving home after 24+ hours of travel!
REFLECTIONS & CONSIDERATIONS
Should have brought: A pair of cool sneakers!
Should have left: The fancy pair of wool pants and silk blouse (brought for potential nice dinner outside of Lima but didn’t really have the shoes to wear with them and I would have been too dressed up), the plaid jacket (only wore on the plane ride there, thought I needed for warmth upon return to NYC but the jean jacket and puff were fine), could have done with only one bathing suit as a “just in case,” seeing as I used neither.
The Needles cargo pants were the clear MVP of the trip, and proved more versatile weather-wise than I expected. (My traveling companion isn’t wild about the voluminous silhouette, but I did overhear a girl say to her mother, “Estos pantalones... me gustan!” which made me feel very smug. I dress for Peruvian Gen Alpha, not the male gaze.)
If I can find them in black, I might snag a pair for the summer (having considered
’s perspective on duplicates/when it makes sense to buy multiple colors, though I can’t find the exact post!)Do you consider yourself Good at Packing, or have any strategies for creating a travel wardrobe? Any upcoming trips you’re planning?
<3 E
Love your venture into accessorizing!! And the scarf in the hair!? Amazing
The image of what you packed, and then what you ended up not wearing is SO HELPFUL. I want to be this savvy. The cargo pants are fantastic.