Summer Cruise 2015: Daytime Outfit Planning

Perhaps the most difficult part of going on a long vacation is figuring out what to wear. As an avid overpacker, my goal for this trip is to pack as light as possible. I've been trying to figure out a system these past few weeks that will work in my favor, but I am still worried that I will take too much. In this post, we're going to explore the ways in which we can avoid overpacking, and how to successfully plan out what to wear for each occasion, starting with daytime activities. 

The first thing I've done in order to start daytime outfit planning is what you saw in my Introduction to Cruise Series + How I Plan for Long Vacations post (if you read it). I opened my weekly planner to the week of my vacation, and started brainstorming what would work well during "At Sea" days and "Port" days. Obviously, it helps to know what you'll be doing each day, so I looked over at my itinerary, and put green sticky flags to denote port days. The rest of the days are at sea, the first day is boarding day, and the last is disembarkation day.  

The easiest thing for me personally to do is pack my favorite dresses and rompers, and see how far that gets me. Since they are both one-piece outfits, I don't have to do much thinking and analyzing. This will be particularly nice because I'll be waking up super early every morning (around 8-8:30 A.M.). They're also easy to throw over a bathing suit, as well as throw off. Additionally, they are flattering and fun pieces for me to wear, and I honestly just feel the most like myself as well as comfortable when I'm wearing them. Since my trip is seven nights and eight days long, I will need at minimum, eight days worth of dresses and rompers. Let's see what I've got so far for the daytime:

 Great! It looks like I have at least 6 outfits already. As you can see, these will be super easy to pack. And now, I'm only really lacking two outfits. Obviously, I will want to bring some jean shorts, because they are my next staple aside from dresses and rompers. Surely I have some loose tank tops and tees I can work with, so, let's see what else I can come up with:

Okay - I know what you're thinking. I have 8 tops here for 2 pairs of shorts, when I only need 3 tops max (because extras are always good). To clarify, I'm not necessarily going to take all of these tops, but I will say they all serve an individual purpose. For instance, the last 2 on the top row and the first 2 on the bottom row are comfy tees for lounging around in after I had my shower or if I want to change after dinner to just hang out in. The first 2 on the top row as well as the last 2 on the bottom row would be options for what serve as my actual outfits that I wear all day. The only way to determine which will actually be packed is to try them on with possible bathing suits I will be wearing that day.

So far, the only potential overpacking will come from the consideration above. Otherwise, I think I'm heading in the right direction. Now, it's time to ponder what shoes and accessories will coordinate with the dresses and rompers, as well as the other two potential outfits:

I believe this is the perfect amount of shoes & accessories for daytime, and I'll tell you why:

• Purses - For daytime purposes, the bag depends on an at sea day or a port day. I have my small crossbody from Vans for the at sea days, and my larger O'neill purse to stick in some other essentials I won't have access to all day when I'm gone longer off the ship on port days. This is especially important because I will be going to the beach or will be at least in water all three days we're in port. 
• Jewelry - I'm not a huge jewelry wearer to begin with, but I love layering necklaces with dresses and rompers to give them a little style. Both of the long necklaces pictured above are from American Eagle. The bracelet is one of those pieces I wear almost everyday and feel practically naked or like something is missing when I'm not. I most likely won't be taking that bracelet/bangle off (it's by Alex and Ani). 
• Shoes - They are probably my most difficult task when planning and packing. Not only are shoes bulky in my opinion, but I'm really not a shoe person so I don't know why I always get trapped into taking a bunch of different shoes. These 3 pairs shown above are just for daytime, too. If I could, I'd get rid of the Nikes but my mom firmly believes I'll need them for physical activities on the boat, and insists that I bring them or she will forbid me to participate in things like the rock wall and rope course (which I've been DYING to do). The Sperrys I'll be wearing both on and off board, as well as most of the trip, so I'm obviously not worried about them. Also, they will never even be packed in my suitcase. Lastly, the black flats are like my version of a pool or beach shoe. I don't really like strappy sandals or flip-flops, so they are a must. They are fairly flat and compact, though, so they shouldn't be much of a problem. The Nikes are really the bulkiest and I'm afraid of how much room they will take up in my suitcase.

So there you have it - the jist of my daytime outfit planning and most likely what I'll be packing up for my trip. I hope this gave you a few ideas on what to plan to wear for your upcoming (or next) summer beach type trip. Stay tuned for tomorrow's post which will be a part two of outfit planning. Thanks for reading!

Until next time,

~Alexa~