Note to Self: “Over-Packing is Unnecessary.”

Oh yes, I remember the days that I took my XL suitcase with me. When I was totally over-packed. To go home afterwards with more unused than used stuff. It's a waste of time on your holiday to be moping around and not knowing what to wear. It's hard for me not to be over-packed. I want to take my whole wardrobe with me, but when I do, I try to remember this post.

My golden rule for holiday packing is to just pack your favorites. By that I don't mean the statement pieces you would love to wear for that one opportunity. No, just the pieces that you may think are boring because you wore them so much. You didn't wear them so much for no reason. These are the key pieces to your own working formula so start embracing them.
The destination is Austria this year, I´ll be visiting my aunt, nephews and nieces, whom live there. I look forward to go shopping in Italy for a day. When I go on my holiday this summer this outfit is one of the sets I'm sure to take with me. Some careless shoes, my casual ripped white shorts and a silk black blouse and a basic hemp underneath. Don't forget to bring a careless bag in a usable size that you can wear on your back or across the body. Next to this set I bring a dress, a pair of heels and a pair of walking shoes, my ballet flats, my thousand ways scarf, some basic tops to wear, a jacket or sweater, an extra shorts and long pants with me. I also bring some sunglasses and one piece of jewelry. My bikini is essential, as well the ordinary everyday stuff like underwear, socks, something to sleep in and personal care products. I take some laundry soap with me in a travel sized bottle, so I can do a hand wash when I really have too. Lastly I pack my small sewing kit for emergencies. This is everything you need for a basic vacation. Remember, you need one clean top for everyday nothing more and nothing less. You can wear pants more than once. All the items together make at least five complete sets. To sum it up: The set from this post, a set with the other shorts, a set with the dress, a set with the long pants and a set with the thousand ways scarf.
By mixing all the pieces I got my options are more diverse enough for one to two weeks. Some Gellac on the nails (so you don't have to take that with you either) just before leaving and a lash refill and I'm ready to go.

Just do it. You won't regret it and especially not when you realize you have some extra space in your suitcase to bring back home any new findings. Is packing you suitcase also hard for you?

Black Blouse: Zara // Buy here
White top: Steps // Buy here

White Short: Tommy Hilfiger + DIY

Sandals: Dune // Buy here

Bag: Georgers Rech // Buy here

Watch: Davis

Seen a Lot

Black over the knee pencil dress or skirt, made of a careless fabric with careless shoes. You can wear the dress like me with simple sandals, or wear it differently. I have seen it with running shoes or slip-on's. Personally I don't like the last two ways of wearing the black dress, but it´s an easy way to wear an outfit!
What do you think of this way of wearing a simple black over knee dress?

Dress: Topshop // Buy here

Sandals: Dune // Buy here

Necklace: Cos // Buy here

Bag: Georges Rech // Buy here

Thousand Ways Scarf

A few weeks ago I posted a minimalistic outfit, where I used a scarf as a jacket/shawl.

I wrote: ''The scarf is one of the pieces I can´t go without. It´s convenient in a lot of ways, that I will show you later.'' As promised I will show you what you can do with it!

It might sound crazy but this piece of rectangular fabric is one of the favorites in my wardrobe. I don't leave my house without it. When I'm not wearing it as a scarf or shawl, I have it with me in my bag. Maybe it has something to do with my background. You may not see it, because I'm a natural blond, but my grandmother comes from Indonesia. My mother taught me how to wear a sarong when I was a child. From that point on I found several ways on my own to wear such a piece of fabric. Nowadays I use a more modern fabric in a modern way.

The scarf is perfect for unpredictable weather. When it gets colder it's handy to hide in the shawl. When my shirt, dress, pants or skirt are ruined by, for example, food (I'm a messy eater) or something else, this scarf is useful to replace the dirty or ruined clothes. When you go on vacation and your baggage is late (let's hope not) you always have your scarf with you that you can wear in a lot of ways. It also is a perfect piece to take with you to a festival. When you are a bit creative you will be astonished by all the options this scarf offers. You don't need much more to take with you as far as clothing. Just some simple basic things.

This scarf comes from Perfectly Basics and is made of micro modal. This fabric makes it drape perfectly around you. This scarf is out of stock, but I can recommend to buy something similar or a piece of quality fabric at a fabric store, to make your own scarf from.

Be careful with choosing the fabric. Make sure it has several requirements like; it's stretchy, a bit heavy, so it can drape beautifully around you and very important the fabric has to be opaque. The size of this one is 200cm by 100cm. I'm 168cm and for me this is the perfect size.

Pictures by: Jelmer steenhuis

Here I show you my most used and favorite ways of wearing and using the scarf.

In my video I'll show you some how to's.

Which one is your favorite?

Scarf: Perfectly Basics // Website here

You can find my older post with this scarf here and here.

Absence of color

Pictures by: Jelmer Steenhuis

Black and white have it all. Some people think they are boring, but in fact they can be very interesting. Like when you play with your silhouette, by wearing the right design and, even more important, the right cut. It´s the base of my wardrobe and it makes every outfit work.

When choosing basics I´m always careful. There are so many options to go with out there, but most are made of bad fabrics. The basics that I´m wearing today are made of viscose. Personally I love this fabric. It breathes like cotton, it can be colored a much deeper shade and as a result of that it will retain it´s color very well. This is very important especially with black.

For some time I have been searching for a top like this. Without second thoughts I also bought it in black. The ones I found before had a low cut on the back and under the arms, which made it impossible to wear a bra underneath. This shirt has a higher cut and so makes it possible to wear a bra. Because we don´t all have that flat figure you see in the media. Most woman have a realistic figure with beautiful curves.

The scarf is one of the pieces I can´t go without. It´s convenient in a lot of ways, that I wil show you later...

Top: Mango // Buy here

Tregging: can´t remember // Buy similar here

Scarf: Perfectlybasics // Buy here

Shoes: Zara // Buy here

Bag: Georges Rech // Buy here

Earrings: Sacha // Buy here

Neoprenic

pictures by: Jelmer Steenhuis

Despite the fact that I like to wear many styles, I catch myself choosing more often simpler clothes or wear one color.

I always was obsessed by textures and the feminine lines in clothes. Luckely different textures are in fashion and there are a lot of surprising combinations or ways of using materials at the moment. I really like the feel of the material of this neopreen sweater and skirt. Normally you wil find a variation of neopreen in, by example, a diving suit.

Zara, made from a thin kind of neopreen a chic a line skirt and sweater.

Neopreen has it's own way of staying in form and how it drapes around you. This gives the sweater and skirt a special touch.

Sweater: Zara

Skirt: Zara

Overknee suede boots: Vintage

Leather bag: Georges Rech

Suitable

Pictures by: Jelmer Steenhuis

The shorts come with a white jacket, but I like to wear it like this too.

The black tailored jacket had pearl buttons. Though I liked black buttons better so I replaced them.

My new sunglases do make me think of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the glasses that Johnny Depp is wearing in the movie. I really like that crazy image. It has a beautiful retro style with an innovative curl on the side. It's inspired on sunglasses of Prada.

Tailored jacket: Claudia Sträter // Buy at: www.claudiastrater.com

Tailored shorts pants: Wolford // Buy at: www.wolfordshop.nl

White tank top: Mango // Buy at: www.mango.com

Shoes: Kennel en Schmenger // Buy at: www.dicapolavori.com

Bag: Georges Rech // Buy at: www.zalando.nl/

Pendants: Mi Moneda (silver necklace is not a moneda, my moneda necklacee is broken) // Buy at: www.mi-moneda.com

Sunglasses: So Retro // Buy at: www.topvintage.nl

Simple, Chic and Femenine

Pictures by: Jelmer Steenhuis

Black and white always works. I simply love it, and it never bores me out. Love to wear the colours together or seperated.

Feels like me...

Blouse: By Malene Birger // Buy at: http://www.bymalenebirger.com/

Basic top: Steps // Buy at: http://www.steps.nl/

White jeans: American Apparel // Buy at: http://store.americanapparel.net/

Hat: Frans Molenaar // Buy at: http://www.vd.nl/

Bag: Georges Rech // Buy at: http://www.zalando.nl/

Shoes: Zara // Buy at: http://www.zara.com/nl/

Bracelet: Supertrash // Buy at: http://www.supertrash.com/