Packing With Accessory “Beauty Bundles”
I’ve been following image consultant Brenda Kinsel for some time, and recently have been intrigued by her concept of “beauty bundles” (a grouping of coordinated accessories that creates a distinctive look)*. So when I was packing for my trip to New York yesterday, I decided to employ this technique to help select the accessories I’d bring. Some my own pieces are several years old, but I’ve created similar bundles above with items currently available.
Shoes: leopard | booties
Bundle 1: bracelet | bracelet | necklace | earrings
Bundle 2: bracelet | bracelet | bracelet | earrings
Bundle 3: necklace | ring (similar)
Bundle 4: necklace | earrings | bracelet
I packed each jewelry bundle into its own pouch so my “looks” are organized and ready to wear. Each of these bundles will work with multiple outfits, and organizing this way really helped simplify the process of creating a cohesive travel wardrobe.
Here’s a snap of my Beauty Bundles which I posted on Instagram yesterday.
(A note about the shoes…yes, I’ve also packed low heels and flats. I normally would not pack two pairs of heels, but have a wedding on the agenda, and am meeting some friends for cocktails, so wanted options.)
*Edited to add: Janice at The Vivienne Files has also created a version of this concept, which she refers to as “Accessory Families.” If you haven’t yet discovered Janice’s blog, she’s a fabulous resource for building cohesive wardrobes both for travel and every day.
Do you utilize beauty bundles when packing or planning outfits?
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Ah, I call them “accessory families,” and I absolutely exhaust the possibilities on The Vivienne Files. It’s so nice to see that someone does these things “in real life,” and that they look so lovely…
hugs,
Janice
Ha! I was going to say this reminds me of what Janice does on the Vivienne Files. Obviously if both Janice and Susan use the same method, it’s a winner.
Oh New York! The city? The lovely upstate? Great destination either way. Yes, I have little drawstring cloth pouches that I pack with my ‘travel’ jewelry and then I put that in a larger zip pouch. So they are bundled literally and figuratively. I like to work with shoes, scarf, jewelry as a grouping so they all relate to each other.
The thing I find most challenging about NYC is comfortable shoes I can walk 12 blocks in that don’t look like walking shoes. I usually carry my fancy shoes in a tote with my handbag and can often be found leaning on hubby as he braces me while I change my shoes behind a pillar at Lincoln Center! Walking shoes go in the tote, hand bag comes out and the tote and coat get checked.
That’s brilliant. I usually get so excited I just suffer. Thank you for this idea.
I love this idea and pairings, it also reminds me of Vivienne Files! I’ve been slow to learn to start with the shoes when packing. Thank to you both for helping me pack more efficiently.
What are the Vivienne Files? I love my iphone camera.. I actually put outfits together with jewelry, shoes, scarves, purses and take a photo of each. I then file them in a photo album marked for the trip.This way I can draw from the album for other trips. Sometimes I copy the outfits into a general file named summer, fall, etc. It really makes it so much easier to line up a wardrobe for a trip or to pick something out of the general album for something to wear for an event. I love my packing cubes and my Emme bag too. Wish I could find something for my jewelry. I like to be able to see it. Grouping is a good idea.
The Vivienne Files is a blog written by the lovely Janice Riggs. It has a HUGE following because of Janice’s wonderful creativity and her commitment to sensible but fun wardrobes. She’s a great teacher, as well, and her blog is always a courteous and happy place to visit.
I’m going to try this on our upcoming trip. I usually decide on the accessories but always just put them altogether in ziplocks – this is a much more organized approach. Thanks for the tip.
Love the bundles!!