Travel Wear: For Comfort & Style + Discounts!

Ahhhh Travel Wear! The bane of everyone's existence. No, not you? Lies! What to pack when traveling is the greatest conundrum. What if it's hot? What if it's cold? What if we go somewhere nice? How many pairs of underwear do you need exactly? But I want to be comfortable, but not look like a slob in photos. Decisions, decisions!I think I may have cracked the code, but trust me I still ask myself every. single. one of those questions approximately 1 million times every time I pack. And I go on about 15 international trips a year + many more in country ones...so yeah I don't actually think this will ever go away, but it does get quicker every time, the more you do it.Anyway, I have found a website that is now about 90% of my everyday wardrobe and the same for my travel one. I'm going to share all my best travel packing tips and how to get the best deals for you!

Where To Shop

Enter: Poppy and Dot. If you know me in real life, you likely have either unfriended me or now also own 3-10 pieces of clothing from P&D. It's amazing. Here is how it works.

Update!! You can now shop ALL Poppy & Dot clothes on their website! They will now double list all clothes on instagram and their website so that you can use the discount code on EVERY item! So no more worrying about instagram vs website. Read on for more info. 

Opt 1: Shop via Instagram.

When P&D started they only released items via instagram. They carry a limited supply, you register here, then you comment on their post with your size, color preference, etc and an invoice gets emailed to you. You have 1 hour to pay. No discounts and things sell out fast. But! It is an incredible way to shop via instagram and addictive...

Opt 2 : Shop via website.

P&D has these AMAZING sales where everything is crazy discounted + you get to use additional discount codes, shipping is free, etc, etc, amazingness ensues. They are also releasing daily items (similar to their instagram program) but you get to use discount codes. You can use my discount code: LAURENLIKES10 on any online purchase or you can shop through this link and the code will automatically be applied for you!

Opt 3: Best of Both Worlds

Poppy & Dot is now releasing all the clothes on the website and instagram simultaneously. So, I suggest following on instagram and when you see an item you love, pop over onto the website and find the item there and purchase it using the discount code LaurenLikes10 This way you don't have to wait on sales or have to choose if you want to pay full price! Best option for everyone!!

So here is what I do:

I wait until they have a sale, then I load up my cart, pop in the discount LAURENLIKES10 and boom! I have a whole new spring or fall or summer wardrobe for a GREAT price. Bonus: it ships super fast, all over the world, PLUS there is candy in every order. Sometimes I secretly joke that I order just to get good American candy delivered to me overseas ;)

Why I love Poppy & Dot:

1. You do see the photos right?! Their clothing is just absolutely gorgeous. Great material, such unique designs, fits well, flattering, comfy, so easy to take care of and at a great price. I get SO many compliments, people constantly ask where I get my clothes and I love to share. I sleep in most of the dresses while we travel on the plane, etc so comfort is one of my favorite parts about them.
2. They are an amazing small biz. It's two lovely ladies running an amazing bizness. Sound familiar?
3. Sizing is very accurate and very forgiving. I generally wear a small-medium in real life. 99% of my P&D clothes are smalls and they are very clear to say if you need to size up or down. Most of the clothing is stretchy or flowy, so things tend to fit really easily and they have a wide range.
4. It's very easy to shop. Hello, living overseas and trying to shop. INSERT ALL THE EYE ROLL EMOJIS HERE. Like I said, it's as simple as an instagram comment when you find something you love. The website is also super easy to navigate. I've never had any problems and their customer service is SO gracious and helpful when I constantly enter my overseas address wrong...
5. The clothing is so easy to accessorize. Most of the clothes tend to have a fun POP to them. Like a great pattern or mixing of patterns, fun sleeves, etc. So I do very little accessorizing and when I do, its super easy to match a fun belt to add more of a waistline to their swing dresses (they do a lot of these, but again - add a belt and they look great) or a long necklace and you are set and they look great with tights! The dresses are that perfect midway in fancy/casual, that I can still wear tennis shoes with them and that is a must for travel wear. And again you guys, I'm only talking about my travel clothes, I have a whole other wardrobe for nice, day to day, work clothes from them!
6. The clothes are unique and have a lot of personality. They don't have that mass-produced, everyone got that shirt at Target quality.
7. Don't be afraid of altering! Sometimes you can get stuff for like 10$! It is amazing deal, but might not be the perfect outfit for you-yet! Youll see below that I simply used a seam ripper to pop off a pocket that I didnt like off a dress. I have also bought a dress I loved, that was super on sale, a size too big and had it altered. You can make items even more unique this way and it can be really simple!

Ok, now you see how fantastic they are, let me give you a few packing tips and my go to outfits for traveling!

Packing Tips

1. Pack light.  Take things that are not bulky or awkward to fit into your bag. Think about how things will roll and can fit inside other items. P&D clothes are a great example of this. All very thin and not stiff or needing to be packed in a special way.
2. Roll your clothes. This saves so much space! It's amazing how small you can get things!
3. Use divider bins or pouches. This helps when you are taking a larger bag or a backpack type bag. I love that I can pack all of my beach outfits in one pouch and all my socks in one, etc. Then you can pull things out and not have to completely unpack. I will also pack per our itinerary. Like week 1 clothes in a pouch, etc. These ones are similar to ours and we love them.
4. Mix and match. Take clothing pieces that you can mix and match. This helps cut down on space, helps you rewear and takes away the problem of having a special outfit that never really gets worn or you need to take a ton of extra items to just suite it.
5. Pack less. Less is always more. I promised you would rather rewear an outfit a few times rather than have to drag around a giant suitcase.
6. Pack layers. You never know when its going to get cold or the culture will be more modest. Think about simple ways to layer, like adding cardigans, scarfs or kimonos are a great way to warm up without packing large jackets.
7. Pack variety. Think about the different places you will go. Some dressy, some colorful and fun, some outdoors. Pack a variety so you can choose to dress how you feel each day and don't feel like all you brought were blue tshirts...

Travel Outfit Tips

1. Think versatility. Could you wear this outfit hiking and to dinner? Could you wear it in the city and on the beach? Can you wear it with tennis shoes or nice shoes? Remember, you can always dress nicer than needed, but being under dressed will make you very aware of yourself very fast. I will wear a cute (again not fancy) cotton dress 3-4 times and., let's be honest, after that the I've-been-traveling-in-the-sun-all-day smell really sets in. So I then turn the dress into a bathing suit cover and wear it to the beach and all is well that doesn't smell terribly well.
2. Think mix and match. Take items that you can mix and match. I normally take 1 pair of shorts/pants and a mix of tops. Find a staple where you can save on space, like bottoms, then have a few choices for tops.
3. Think comfort. Comfort is king. If I can't sleep in it, then I can't take it. I like to adventure travel. So we are on the move always, always in unexpected places. Never do I take heels or fancy things. Those kinds of trips have their places, but that is not what I am talking about here. If you missed your flight/bus/train and had to sit down where you are, in what you have on, are you ok for the next 12-36 hours? That is the question to ask when packing each item...
4. Think clean. White might not be the best color to wear when hiking....So darker colors or patterns hide stains better. And be mindful of fabrics that you can wash and air dry in the sink easily.
5. Think wrinkle free. After packing and after a few wears. Think about fabrics that aren't going to show stains, look wrinkled or worn out.
6. Think cute but not ridiculous. I mean come on. All those adorable fashion bloggers are looking like 1 million bucks in the same travel spot where everyone else looks like (because they have) slept on a train and not showered for 4 days and then hiked a mountion in 115 degree weather. I do not understand how they do it. But also, that feels like a lot of hassle to me. So I like to stick with what will make me not look slobby, but not like I just stepped off the runway. Find a middle ground and this is different for everyone! I am WAY more comfy in dresses, so that's what I go for, some people it will be nicer shorts than running shorts or running shorts and a decent looking tank top. It's all up to you and what makes you feel comfortable. I have found that making a few small adjustments, having decent hair (not a pony tail fan) and wearing a cute-but-comfy dress makes all the difference in how I feel and how I feel about how I look in photos.

Some of my favorite travel outfits:

I'm pretty sure 3 of us are wearing P&D in this photo! This pink dress is pretty dressy, but it was perfect for flying 16 hours and then going to a wedding shower. No wrinkles, very flattering.This summer we did a lot of very diverse traveling and thankfully I had brought warm items for Canada, because Georgia decided to be crazy cold! This long sleeve top is one of my all time favorites. Warm and comfy like a sweater, but without the bulk. And those suede patches add SO much character. Again, layers are always your friend! PS I am SO sad you cannot see the elbow patches in the photos! By far, cutest part of the shirt!Thin cotton dresses like this are my bread and butter when traveling. Comfortable and stylish. You can dress them up with cute shoes, accessories, etc and you can throw on a pair of cute tennis shoes and go hiking. Literally. Also, this dress came with a front hoodie type pocket that I didn't love. I simply used a seam ripper and popped off the pocket and it looks brand new! Do not be afraid to alter clothes! A nice top that is light and wrinkle free goes such a long way when you need to dress up really quick!P&D is famous for their swing dresses. They are SO comfortable, they feel like pajamas but still look so nice. I wear this on overnight flights to sleep in and will toss a pair of tights in my backpack if I'm worried about being cold. They look great with nice shoes, flip-flops and tennis shoes.Another swing dress here that is comfy enough to ride my bike in. I dress these up with thin belts around my ribs often to give them more shape. Comfy enough to eat large amounts of Hungarian food in!Here are a few of my favorite other travel clothes shown here: Toms Tennis shoes, Vans Tennis Shoes, BirkenstocksOk! Now go grab yourself some beautiful items from Poppy and Dot! I cannot wait to see what you get and would love to hear what you think!Note: Links are affiliate. You save 10% and I receive a 10% commission. Win-Win!