What are the ultimate 5 must-have accessories to achieve a perfect travel style?
I was sitting with my husband and a friend at a Bondi Beach cafe, in Australia. We couldn’t help but notice the woman sitting at the next table. She was stunning! So beautiful, we had trouble looking somewhere else. She had long brown hair, a glowing tanned skin, a gorgeous smile. She looked like a model or an actress. So beautiful. And she was wearing sunglasses. That gave her a dazzling look, mysterious. Seriously, I was so jealous of her! Until she took off her sunglasses. OMG! She didn’t have pretty eyes. In fact, she wasn’t beautiful at all without her sunglasses.
This is the perfect example of how simple accessories can change your whole look, even when you are traveling with only a carry-on.
It is not easy for a woman or a girl who is traveling to do it with style, especially if you are limited luggage wise. I know, the world has bigger problems than that, but traveling for a long period of time without feeling pretty not only doesn’t translate well in pictures (attitude is everything), but we might just want to go back home to feel good again with ourselves.
I know this because when I am traveling for a while, with only a carry-on size backpack, after a couple of weeks I cannot wait to straighten my hair and paint my nails again. And I am not bringing cargo pants that cutoff as shorts (hello, can I be uglier?!). I am bringing nice trendy clothes. And that’s the best thing to do when you travel over a long period. I can’t bring my whole wardrobe, all my shoes, and my hair straightener. Nope 🙁 My back isn’t strong enough to carry all of it!
Still, even if we only bring minimum clothing, we can still look like a fashionista! And here are the 5 must-have accessories to achieve a perfect travel style, and make you look like a fashionista!
Must-have travel style: Beach Kimonos
So far in my life, I’ve never met any woman who feels 100% confident walking everywhere in her bathing suit. If you are, good for you! But if you feel like me, and prefer to keep covered specific parts of your body that are moving, shaking, vibrating (like a butt full of cellulite, or else) when you are walking on the beach or on the street, then a beach kimono is the answer.
I discovered North Boheme‘s stylish beach kimonos before my trip to Mexico and Belize… and I was so impressed by the quality of the fabric, the gorgeous designs, and the many ways they are useful. Besides transforming any boring look into a fashion statement, a beach kimono will keep you warm when the AC is cranked up and will turn any attire into a fancy dinner outfit. And they dry fast. I will never travel again without a beach kimono.
Must-have travel style: Sunglasses
Sunglasses wonderfully transform your whole look. They hide tired (and wrinkled) eyes. The example in the first paragraph is a good one. Maybe your eyes are not your best attributes. But even if they are, wearing sunglasses give you a mysterious look. People are drawn to what they don’t have access and can’t see (that’s why lingerie is so sexy!). Wear sunglasses, and they will wonder who you really are.
Pairing a boring outfit with trendy, classy or minimalist sunglasses will give you a totally different look. So bringing different styles of sunglasses will allow you to get different kinds of looks, without taking much room in your backpack.
Must-have travel style: Headbands
Headbands are a must-have travel style for a lot of reason, and I just found the best headbands in the world (in my opinion!): the itFit Headbands. First, their designs are gorgeous. So even if I’m only dressed in black, my look will be completely different wearing one of their colorful headbands. And they’re so small, I can bring a couple different designs to fit my mood.
The itFit Headbands are perfect for another reason: they never slip! I had abandoned wearing headbands a while ago because they would never hold. It all changed with the itFit Headbands. I wore them on a lot of different occasions, and they really just don’t move. I can wear it in 7 different ways, they never lose their elasticity, they are machine washable.
Two other reasons headbands are smart: it can easily hide dirty or frizzy hair and oily skin. Yes, I have oily skin on my forehead, and the shining gets worse with tropical humidity. And since I don’t bring my hair straightener with me when I travel, my hair never looks good. Except with a headband.
Must-have travel style: Bright Lipstick
I am not a big fan of lipstick. My mom wears it all the time. I prefer bare lips or gloss. But I have to admit that nothing glamourize a look more than wearing bright lipstick. Even if you are wearing sweatpants, lipstick will make you look sexier and put together.
Photo credit: Styling my Life
Maybe you didn’t bring your LBD on your trip, and you have a date one night or just want to dress up, wearing a bright lipstick will give you that chic look you want.
Must-have travel style: Infinity Scarf
There are 1001 ways to wear an infinity scarf (well, maybe 20 ways)! So infinity scarfs are as useful as fashionable. It helps to stay comfortable when it’s chilly. It can prevent you from having to talk to the person sitting next to you on a plane or a train (if you wear it like a hoodie). It can even help you dress modestly when visiting a monastery.
Photo credit: Destination Femme
By picking a colorful or unique design, wearing an infinity scarf will give an edge to your look.
As you can see, accessorizing with the right item can completely change your look. You don’t need to bring a huge suitcase to look trendy and beautiful traveling.
What accessories are you must-have for your perfect travel style?
I want to thank itFit, North Boheme and SmartBuyGlasses for providing me samples of their must-have travel styles. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
