Portugal has been at the top of my travel list for years now and I’m so happy we were able to cross it off our list! We lucked out with the weather; what was initially supposed to be mid-60s and partially rainy turned into 80º+ and sunny every day. I got to experience a little taste of summer and break out my warm weather pieces, which you know I live for.

Because it was so warm, I was able to pack extra light this trip. Love when I don’t need to account for rain-friendly shoes or bring any outerwear. I’m a light packer to begin with, but for this trip I challenged myself to take it a step further. My friends often ask how I do it so I thought I’d share how I’d break it down for a beginner. The easiest way to pack light is to pack exactly enough outfits for the number of days you’ll be gone. It’s more organized to do this when you have every outfit planned in advance, but if you thrive in chaos and like to put outfits together spontaneously, the general idea is still the same: if you’re gone for three days, pack three tops and three bottoms. Essentially, you have one outfit for each day that you have to commit to wearing no matter what — no luxury of giving yourself additional options in case you change your mind and would rather wear something else. You just have to make it work with exactly what you have.

This time though, I took my packing one step further and moved up to what I call the intermediate level. Rather than packing different pieces for each outfit (i.e. three tops for three days or what have you), I planned my outfits to intentionally repeat some key pieces (i.e. two tops for three days). For instance, I packed one cropped t-shirt that I wore with my maxi skirt as one look and then again with my trousers as another look. So now I’ve eliminated the luxury of having options and the luxury of getting to wear distinct items each day.

One grace I allowed myself with this intermediate packing technique was stepping up my accessories game. It might seem small, but you’d be surprised at how simply switching up your sunglasses and earrings can make the same t-shirt you’ve been wearing for two (or three) days feel entirely fresh. It’s all in the styling!

Packing aside, check out more scenes from our Portugal trip here, here, and here!