What to Pack for a Winter Vacation

After another day of snowboarding in Vail, Colorado, Blake and I went through our usual routine of changing clothes and strolling the village. We like to people watch, check out the local shops, and take in our surroundings. Once the slopes close, the village comes alive with lights as the restaurants fill up with skiers and snowboarders fresh off the mountain, enjoying apres-ski food and drinks. The cold air is invigorating and we simply love the atmosphere of the mountain town!

One caveat of vacationing to cold-weather destinations, though, is the amount of stuff you have to pack. Winter clothes like sweaters and boots are thick, heavy, and bulky, so I’ve learned some tricks to navigate this over the years. One trick is that I try to reuse as many items as possible when I plan my outfits. These jeans, this jacket, and the black boots were all worn in previous outfits during this trip here and here. In fact, these jeans were the only pair I packed which saved plenty of room in the suitcase for other items. Because this jacket’s so warm, I didn’t need to layer underneath, so I was able to get away with packing a few less bulky pieces like this J. Crew mock neck top that I’m wearing.

Another secret that’s my favorite trick for dressing in the cold is to wear a pair of Hot Chillys base layer leggings underneath my jeans. I wear them under my snowboard pants when I’m on the mountain, and it’s perfect to just pull my jeans right over them when I’m changing. They keep you so warm and it’s the easiest way to layer up without looking like you’re layered. My final standby trick is to choose statement-making accessories which allows me to reuse large items, like I mentioned above, without looking too redundant with my outfits. In this outfit I used a pair of bright socks. Here I donned a silk neck scarf and another incredible piece of jewelry from Jenna of Tinker Company (if you didn’t see the first piece I featured, check this post!).

I once again felt so lucky to wear a piece of jewelry handmade by Jenna. The amount of detail and patience put into each piece is incredible! We were chatting about her sending a couple snow-themed pieces for Blake and I to photograph while in Vail, and she jokingly suggested making a new ski chalet necklace. We lol’d at the idea because she needed to get the pieces in the mail to me in under a week. Lo and behold, when the box arrived, this shining beauty was inside and I couldn’t believe my eyes! The quality is unmatchable and it’s amazing she hand-crafted this in such a short time. I truly didn’t want to send it back to her. I proudly wore it as the perfect finishing touch on my outfit.

Each time we visit Vail, it fuels our desire to one day spend a significant amount of our winters here, and to make a home away from home in the mountains. Do you have a favorite vacationing destination like that? Tell me in the comments below!

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Shop the post:

MOCK NECK TOP | SILK NECK SCARF-sold out, other prints below | LEVIS 501 (1, 2) | SHERPA COAT | BLACK BOOTS-old, similar below | SKI CHALET NECKLACE c/o Tinker Company