When you master the art of layering, you'll find creating outfits you love to wear super easy...and fun! Packing to go away will be a breeze. As for wearing them, you won't have to think, just do. When you're traversing temperatures as you travel, what will save your sanity and your suitcase space is Layering. Smart layering. As with anything in life, the more you practice, the better you get at it. The art of layering is no different.
The Art Of Layering Smart has a few guiding principals to consider to make it easy:
1. Versatile Pieces - your 'Play' pieces - that you can wear day and night with just a few tweaks.
2. Tight Colour Palette - cohesion is key when layering. A tight colour palette helps to do that so easily.
3. Line & Length - hemline overlaps - 'little peeps'; how pieces sit together to feel and look in balance.
4. Fabric Choice - layers that are fine and pliable; able to be added without too much bulk (uugh...unnecessary bulk is physically and psychologically heavy)
Let's Layer Up - Let's Play!
Time to have some fun. Layering will help you to create multiple outfits you love not only with less suitcase load, but with less mental load too. No need to think, just throw together and go.
We layer so we can shed and add with ease. When I think about my outfits for travel, I think Overs and Unders and how I can wear them in different ways, day and night. Layering up and layering down.
The Overs are the Versatile 'play pieces'. They add the extra colour and life to an outfit while Basics are the Unders.
There are a couple of formulas I use when thinking layering to create outfits:
1. Basic + Basic
2. Basic + Versatile 'Over' layer.
Then I play with them to see how they work in together. How they look and feel from a Line & Length and Neckline point of view.
Line & Length Tip:
Layers look better when they play nicely. Not one piece dominating the other. Hemline focus. Tops and Bottoms. Where a long sleeve peeps out underneath the sleeve of the jacket or jumper over. The same goes for dress and skirt hemlines.
For example, I would belt a maxi dress (under) and bring the hemline up just below that of the jacket/long cardigan I wear over. Too much difference in length and I think the outfit will feel too much and overwhelm. Then add boots. Long boots where the top of the boots are above the hemline of the dress. This will add visual length to your look. Really handy if you're vertically challenged like me.
The long T sleeves I would wear peeping out from the sleeve of the jacket over. That might mean rolling the jacket sleeve up or pushing it up slightly.
Not mandatory, but I do think it just gives that little bit of polish to the finish :)
Outfit Example:
Basic + Basic + Versatile Piece = Jeans (your go-to pant option) + Button Through Shirt + Sleeveless Vest (long or short).
For those times when you need a little extra warmth but not too much. A vest is THE best for that. So easy to shed and roll up when done.
Outfit Example #4
Outfit above + Versatile Piece = Jeans (your go-to pant option) + Button Through Shirt + Sleeveless Vest (long or short) + Shirt Dress (maxi length).
Layering outfit variation - add a bit of additional warmth, wear a shirt dress unbuttoned over the top as a light long jacket. Like you can see in the Khaki Shirt Dress below.
For yet another variation - swap out the Jeans/Pants for a Maxi Skirt!
I love a linen maxi shirt dress for this option. Enough weight to layer for warmth over but with the coolness to wear on its own at the warmer destination for day and night.
So easy to shed and instantly feel cool when you arrive at your warmer destination. Reverse it by carrying the over layers in your carry-on and add them on the plane before landing or when you arrive.
Tip: Instead of always adding a layer over, think how can I layer under for extra warmth. Don't be afraid to shed an 'Under' piece or two. In fact, that is the #1 tip for 'shedding' that I have when you're going from a cold climate to a warmer one.
Having your stash of Unders and Overs is the key. Below is what I hope you find to be a handy Cheat Sheet, to give you a leg up. Not a definitive list. Rather a helpful head start :)
Happy layering ladies!
Anita xx
Founder & Owner - Sequins and Sand
File download:
Download File: How-To's & Versatile Pieces-1.pdf (PDF 180.5 kb)
