The week before vacation. You know how it goes: your suitcase is open on the bed, you're standing in front of it – and you feel like you have nothing to wear. Even though your closet is overflowing.
The problem isn't too few clothes. The problem is the wrong system.
At Princess Goes Hollywood, we believe a good travel wardrobe isn't a quantity of items, but a selection that works together seamlessly. Each piece must serve at least three purposes – daytime, evening, spontaneous. If you follow this, you'll travel with half a suitcase and twice as many outfits.
Here are our 11 essentials that should be on every packing list – plus our most honest styling tips.
1. The one pair of pants you'll wear everywhere
Not the prettiest pants. The most versatile. They fit well, still feel comfortable after the third day at the beach, and can be transformed into a different look in the evening with a silk top.
What works well: linen pants in a light neutral tone – sand, ecru, or white. Linen made a big comeback this summer – and for good reason. It's breathable, wrinkles romantically (not dramatically), and wears like nothing else in 30-degree weather.
Our combination formula: Linen pants + white tank top + sandals = day. The same pants + silk blouse + heels = evening. Done.
Packing tip: Roll pants before anything else and place them at the bottom of the suitcase as a base. They won't lose their shape and create space for everything else.
2. The blouse that lives two lives
A good vacation blouse isn't just a blouse. It's a transformer.
Open over your swimsuit on the way to the beach – first personality. Buttoned up with pants for dinner – second personality. This may sound trivial, but it's the difference between three blouses in your suitcase and one.
What we recommend: 100% silk or a high-quality viscose option. Not because of the price tag – but because of how they behave when traveling. Silk blouses barely wrinkle, dry quickly after hand washing in the hotel, and they have this quality of shimmering differently in daylight than in the evening. This makes outfits interesting without additional pieces.
Avoid this mistake: Pale blue or beige blouses that work with everything but truly with nothing. Choose either a true white or a shade that matches your basics – then the chemistry is right.
3. The maxi dress: a complete outfit in one piece
Anyone who has ever traveled with a maxi dress understands why it's so hard to pack differently afterward.
One dress = one complete outfit. No combination needed, no morning decision, no overthinking. Just put it on – and the day (or evening) is sorted.
What we look for when buying: Flowy fabric, no stretch material. Stretch dresses look great on the hanger and problematic at the beach. Flowy fabrics, on the other hand, conceal, flatter, and move with you.
For whom it's especially important: If you're only taking carry-on luggage, a good maxi dress isn't an option – it's a must.
4. A midi skirt as the secret star of the travel wardrobe
The midi skirt is the most underestimated item in the vacation suitcase. It's more casual than a dress, more feminine than pants, and it instantly turns a simple white blouse into an outfit with character.
What works particularly well: a statement skirt in a bold print or a striking color. Sounds daring for vacation – but it's not. Especially when traveling, you wear colors more freely because the context is right. A bright red midi skirt in the evening in Lisbon is perfectly natural. The same skirt on a Monday at the office requires more persuasion.
Combination idea: Midi skirt + solid silk top + flat sandals. Accessories determine whether it becomes a brunch look or an evening look.
5. The denim jacket you won't forget
Summer evenings on terraces, spontaneous restaurant reservations, outdoor concerts that turn out cooler than expected: The moment you miss a denim jacket always comes when you don't have it with you.
A denim jacket is the most democratic piece in a vacation suitcase – it works with dresses, skirts, linen pants, and beach outfits. Worn oversized, it looks casual and modern; fitted, it gives the look structure. Few other pieces can play so many roles.
Those who say denim jackets are too casual for evening haven't combined them with the right dress yet. Over a silk midi dress or a printed maxi dress, a denim jacket isn't a compromise – it's the style statement.
6. Two to three basic tops that hold everything together
The most inconspicuous items in a suitcase are often the most important. Basic tops – in white, pink, black, or one of your favorite shades – are the connecting pieces between everything else.
What you're looking for: Tops with an interesting detail. Not the plain round-neck shirt from the discount store, but something with a special shoulder, a beautiful neckline, a fine texture. This way, the basic doesn't remain basic once you look closer.
7. Flip-flops that can do more than just the beach
Flip-flops have an image problem – unfairly so. The right flip-flop isn't the tattered thing from your last Croatia vacation, but a conscious style statement.
Our flip-flops prove just that: The Snoopy Flip Flop with its tropical palm leaf print and Snoopy motif immediately turns any beach look into a look with character. The Wild Leo Flip Flop in leopard print is for everyone who doesn't do things by halves, even by the pool. The Jungle Flip Flop with its jungle print and green straps is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to approach their summer vacation a little wilder. And for those who prefer a wide strap, there's the Wild Leo Slide – the same leopard print, different silhouette, just as much attitude.
The beauty of it: Flip-flops take up hardly any space in your suitcase, weigh almost nothing – and still ensure that you don't look like you couldn't make a shoe choice at the beach.
8. A pareo – or a silk square
The most versatile item in your suitcase. Small, light, crucial.
A silk square or a fine scarf can become whatever is needed: sun protection for the shoulders, a belt alternative for a dress, an improvised towel as a beach accessory, an evening accessory that elevates a simple outfit.
Even more versatile: a pareo. Our pareos made from a cotton-silk blend are a cover-up at the beach, a wrap skirt by the pool, and in the evening – over a simple slip dress – a real eye-catcher. The Dolce Vita Pareo with its vintage-inspired print in blue, yellow, and orange is for those seeking Mediterranean flair. The Tropical Red Pareo brings bright flowers and tropical birds – perfect for those who don't want to be invisible at the beach. And the Safari Pareo with its palm leaf print is the calmer, but no less expressive alternative.
9. The right bag – for every moment of your vacation
When traveling, you need at least two bags: one for the beach, one for everything else. Ideally, both are so beautiful that you'll want to show them off.
A spacious cotton beach bag holds sunscreen, a towel, and a book without looking like a shopping basket – preferably with a print that puts you in a good mood on the way to the sea. For evenings, a small crossbody or shoulder bag is worthwhile: hands-free, phone easily accessible, yet the look is complete. And at the very bottom of the suitcase? Definitely pack a foldable shopper. It weighs almost nothing, takes up no space – and is indispensable on the last day of vacation when souvenirs need a place to go.
10. The Steamery travel steamer – for wrinkle-free looks
Good clothes deserve good care – even on the go. This is the one point most packing lists forget: What good is the most beautiful silk dress if it looks like a crumpled ball after two hours in a suitcase?
The STEAMERY Cirrus Lite Travel Steamer is the most elegant solution for this. Compact enough for hand luggage, powerful enough to smooth wrinkles from silk, linen, and cotton in seconds – without an ironing board, without a hotel iron. Simply heat it up, run it over the garment, and you're done. The steam gently relaxes the fibers, removes wrinkles, and refreshes the fabric at the same time. Especially for delicate materials like silk, this is gentler than any ironing.
Available in three colors – Sand, Sky & Terra, and Charcoal – it's also the only travel accessory you don't have to hide.
11. A going-out dress – for that moment that's worth everything
Not every evening. But one evening. The evening when the restaurant unexpectedly turns out great, or the place shows its most beautiful side, and you're glad you packed that dress.
A dress that truly means something to you – not the safe-choice dress you always have with you because it's practical, but the piece that makes you feel something. For these moments, you pack it, the vacation.
The golden rule for the travel wardrobe: Less, but better
A travel wardrobe doesn't work through quantity, but through compatibility. If every piece can be combined with at least three others, you travel with ten items and thirty possibilities.
Our system before packing:
- Lay all pieces side by side on the bed.
- Quickly mentally test three combinations per piece.
- What you can't spontaneously combine stays at home.
Sounds strict – and saves you the frustration of a full suitcase on vacation evenings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Travel Wardrobes
How many items do I need for a two-week vacation? Eight to twelve well-thought-out items are enough for two weeks. The key is that they can be combined versatilely, not that there are many of them.
Which materials are best for travel? Linen and silk are particularly suitable: both are breathable, wrinkle little (or elegantly), and dry quickly after washing. Synthetic materials, on the other hand, can become uncomfortable in heat.
What's best to wear on a long-haul flight? Comfort first – but not at the expense of style. Wide trousers made of Lyocell or linen, a soft top, and a light jacket or blazer for cold protection. This way, you'll still look presentable after twelve hours of flying.
How do I pack wrinkle-free? Roll instead of fold for most items. Wrap delicate blouses and dresses in tissue paper. Heavy items at the bottom, light ones at the top.
Find more styling inspiration for the summer season in our current collections – from vacation dresses to silk blouses to the must-have pants of the summer.
