A cruise is a unique kind of holiday as it can incorporate a whole range of experiences, from sophisticated dinners to hot and dusty on shore sightseeing trips. If you want to make sure that you’re ready for every occasion then you need to give some thought to your cruise wardrobe before you go. Here are a few tips on how to pack for a stylish and elegant cruise ship trip.
Don’t neglect that basics. It’s all very well packing lots of incredible accessories, over the top eveningwear and shoes to die for, but without the basics covered achieving any kind of stylish look can be a real challenge. Make sure you pack plenty of underwear – enough for the entire trip unless you want to be washing and rewashing – as well as socks, tights, a robe to wear in the cabin, nightshirt and special smalls for every occasion, from a backless evening dress to a bandeau sun dress. Remember also to take appropriate clothing for the activities you want to get involved in – trainers, a swimming costume and shorts and T-shirt will cover most bases.
Keep it simple. The key to achieving an elegant look on a cruise is to pack a suitcase where everything goes with everything else. Choose your staple colours – such as black, nude, white or navy blue – and then opt for two accents, such as yellow, orange or red and make sure that everything you pack stays within your colour scheme. That way you’re unlikely to have an off day as virtually everything in your case will work together with everything else.
Make a statement. When you don’t have a huge amount of room to take your entire wardrobe, the easiest way to make your outfits stand out is with accessories. Shoes and jewellery are by far the easiest to coordinate – take some statement gems for evening and something simple, such as strands of beads or a selection of cuffs or bangles, for daytime. Pack at least one pair of dressy shoes that you can use to take a plain outfit up a notch or finish off something more spectacular.
Be practical. There’s probably nothing less elegant then trying to hobble around in six-inch heels and then falling flat on your face! Remember that you’re going to be on a boat so make sure that most of your shoes have a small-mid heel or are flats (other than that statement pair) and take comfortable shoes for sightseeing. Include a hat in your packing so you don’t end up with sunstroke (not particularly elegant either) and don’t forget the sunglasses.
Get into the spirit. Think about where your cruise is taking you and try and take clothing selections that will work well for that destination. Bright tropical prints look great against a backdrop of the Caribbean and fur trimmed hoods and cosy parkas are ideal for the Arctic. You might even think about incorporating some nautical stripes into your outfits, given your method of travel…
Packing for a cruise is an exciting time and there can be a temptation to just throw everything into your case. However, with these tips you can make sure that you have the perfect capsule wardrobe ready to go, so you can sail into the sunset in style.
Post contributed by Amy, a fashion writer from Style in View – a UK fashion search engine and blog.
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