I didn’t think it was possible, but it happened. I spent over 6 months living out of this carry-on bag and it was the best decision ever!
Minimalist packing changed my life. Not only I don’t have to worry about what to wear every single morning, but my once stressful travel days are gone. I can now carry my own stuff on any plane, bus or train. And it’s liberating 💪🏼
And today, I am going to teach you how to master minimalist packing so you can do this too!
If you’re new around here, my name is Aimara and I travel the world full time with my husband. Crazy, I know! But what’s ever crazier is that I do this without buying *almost* anything and I create multiple cute travel outfits with only the pieces I have in my carry-on bag.
This post was originally shared in January 2024 and it was updated on January 10th 2025.
Ready To Learn About Minimalist Packing? Let’s Do This!
*This post contains affiliate links. Which means I receive a small commission if you shop for anything at no extra cost to you if you shop for anything using the links in this page. Thanks in advance for supporting Ways of Style!
Side note:
The photos you are about to see are from my real, day to day life. They were mostly taken with my old iPhone so they’re not the best quality but they illustrate the point.
I didn’t plan a photo shoot or bought stuff just to take photos. These photos are from my real life! They were taken when we were traveling for 6 months around Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Rome, Amsterdam, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kansas City.
⭐️ Pro tip: Pack black tops! You can eat whatever you want ;)
First Things First… What Is This Minimalist Packing Thing?
Minimalist packing is the art of traveling with the least amount of things possible. It’s packing exactly what you need to pack.
Minimalist packing is also a mindset in my opinion. It’s understanding the difference between actual needs and ‘what ifs’.
Today you are going to learn exactly how I’m able to travel with just a 20′ carry-on bag and a small backpack for extended periods of time, what my thought process looks like when I’m selecting the pieces I decide to bring with me, and of course, outfit ideas to inspire your own travel looks!
By the time you finish reading this post, I hope you get to say: Hi, I’m a packing minimalist 👋🏼
⚠️ Important context: We travel in 6 months stretches. I’m not a US citizen, so this means I have to go back to the US every 6 months. I have a different version of my favorite staples back “home” in Florida, so I do have to sit down and pack my carry-on bag every 6 months or so.
Where To Start With Minimalistic Packing – How To Decide Which Pieces To Bring With You?
These are things I ask myself before each trip:
🌡️ What is the temperature? Seriously look into this. Average temperatures are important, but also at what time the lowest and highest temperatures happen.
For example, we’ve been to places where the low temps are 40 degrees, but at 2 am. We know we’re not going to be out at that time. This really helps you determine what type and the quantity of layering pieces you’ll need.
🤷🏻♀️ What type of activities will we be doing? Hikes, going out, museums, religious sites, beach, etc. Try to picture how your days will look like with as much detail as possible! This way you’ll know which pieces to prioritize, and exactly how many pieces you will need to pack depending on the occasion.
👟 How walkable are the cities? Not only how walkable, but are they hilly? Cobblestone? This will help you decide if you’ll have to ditch the heels and pack more comfortable shoes like white sneakers. (usually you have to ditch the heels)
🌍 Which countries will we visit? What are their customs/religion, etc? This matters to me a lot and you should consider it too. If you’re going somewhere conservative, then dress appropriately. Cover your knees and shoulders.
Trust me, it’s very uncomfortable to draw attention to yourself because of what you’re wearing. It’s important to respect the culture of the places we visit.
👉🏻 Also read: how to calculate the right quantities when packing for a trip!
You may noticed that I didn’t ask myself how long the trip is… this is because it doesn’t matter!
I pack for 2.5/3 weeks no matter how long the trip is. *this only makes sense when your trips are actually longer than that*
The Best 5 Pieces I Packed For 6 Months + Minimalist Outfit Ideas For Travel
Looking at all my photos from the past 6 months, there are some obvious winners! With this packing list you can create over 30 different looks. Even more if you change shoes and tops and mix & match in every possible way. Seriously!
So, without further ado, these were the 5 winners from this trip:
1. Wide Leg Pants (A Minimalistic Packing Must-Have!)
Wide leg pants are great. They are flattering, comfortable and versatile. You can dress them up or down and they go with pretty much any type of shoe. I’ve used mine for easy hikes, to explore new cities, to go inside religious sites and to go out on nice dinners.
These are some of my most repeated outfits with green wide leg pants for this 6 month trip:
I bought these green pants in a small boutique in Mexico, so I couldn’t find them online. But here are a couple of similar options from a brand I absolutely LOVE. (consider silk, linen, corduroy, etc – choose the fabric depending on your destination)
Other Posts You May Also Like:
- Stylish And Comfy Airport Outfits
- How To Survive Long Travel Days
- 15 Items I Always Travel With! (travel essential for women)
2. White Leather Sneakers
I swear by this brand. These are the white sneakers I’ve traveled with since leaving everything to travel the world full time in 2021. They are so comfortable and great quality leather sneakers. (and sustainable!)
I wear these shoes almost every day of my life. You can see that they need to be replaced LOL. I can’t recommend them enough. Feel free to browse their website here.
🧳 Want me to pack for you? It’s free!
Simply answer these 2 questions about your trip and I’ll send you a customized packing list! It’s that easy. The best part? I’ve tried and tested these packing lists, so I know they work 👇🏼
3. Layering Pieces: Button Down Shirts
I recommend either linen button down shirts or chambray. It depends on the weather. Pick linen if you’re going somewhere hot, and chambray if you’re traveling in the shoulder season.
They go well with almost ANYTHING!
I usually wear my button down pieces as layers. I either throw them over a tank top and leave it open or do a front knot. Here’s how that looks like:
🎯 These are my tops picks for a linen button down shirts and chambray shirts.
4. Minimalist Packer Must Have: A Midi Skirt
This item has proven to be one of the best pieces I’ve ever bought! I’ve been traveling with the same green midi skirt since 2021! I feel like I’m emotionally attached to it LOL
I bought this midi skirt on GAP ages ago. Seriously, like 5 years ago. I’ve never seen it again on their site. I browsed all my favorite shops and here are the ones I like (sorry, dark green was hard to find!)
Also, you can check out my favorite ones from QUINCE here.
5. Comfy Pants – AKA Stylish Joggers!
Oh joggers… what an invention! I didn’t travel with comfy joggers since the beginning of our adventures, but once I discovered these, I never went back!
The ones I brought for this 6-month trip ripped on month 4 (during a hike, it was an accident not a quality issue), so I naturally had to buy another pair while in Bosnia & Herzegovina… even though they’re not my favorite, they did the trick for a couple of months.
That’s why you’ll see 2 different pairs of black pants in these photos:
*Feel free to scroll up for more outfits with comfy black pants. I didn’t want to use the same photos twice*
Because I needed new black joggers, last year I decided to invest $88 on these joggers. They have proven to be AMAZING! I’m such a fan of this brand, so I knew they were going to be great… but they exceeded my expectations.
Honorable Mentions: Every Minimalist Packing List Needs These Pieces!
🏆 Tank Tops: these are great because they take little to no space and you can wear them with everything. And if you’re going somewhere conservative, you can still wear them if your throw a button down shirt over.
🏆 Denim Jacket: We usually travel to warm-ish places, so a denim jacket is enough for layering. As you saw from the photos above, I use it a lot!
🏆 Waterproof Birkenstocks: If I’m not wearing my white leather sneakers, I’m wearing these sandals. Sadly, they’re hard to find in green, but you can check out other colors here. I love these sandals so freaking much!
🏆 One Piece Bathing Suit: I recently discovered (by accident) that I could style my one-piece bathing suit and it changed EVERYTHING for me. I wrote a blog post about it here.
Important Styling Tips To Create Even More Outfits As A Minimalist Packer:
- Wear tops and bottoms that are the same color. It does not matter if they’re not exactly the same shade.
- Never underestimate the power of good accessories! My favorites are headbands, statement earrings and neck scarves.
- Don’t forget your layering pieces! You can tie a button down shirt around your waist, wear it open with a tank top underneath or even wear it over a dress. Get creative!
Think you’re packing too little? Remember you can always wear things more than once. Book an Airbnb that has a washer, or use your hotel’s dry cleaning service. (remember I can send you a customized packing list!)
Trust me, it’s way better than traveling with a giant suitcase and drag it on travel days!
Packing Mistakes – What Would I Have Done Differently:
I’m still learning, and there are some mistakes I definitely made this time. Don’t underestimate how important it is to learn from your packing mistakes. I go over all of this in this private video where I recorded my entire packing process! Sign up and watch the video here.
My mistakes this time:
1️⃣ I packed flat sandals. You know the brown ones I’m wearing in a lot of the photos above? I love them, but I rarely use them. I always bring them because they take little space, but every time we go on a trip, I question if I should bring them. (update one year later: I still bring them. They’re worth it 😅)
2️⃣ I packed 2 dresses. One of them a maxi dress. The mistake here was that it takes too much space and frankly, there are not many ways to style it. So yes, I broke my own rule (see below).
This is cute, but it took too much space out of my carry-on! 👇🏼
What I’m doing different from now on is that instead of dresses, I pack top and bottom sets or pieces that are the same colors… this way I can make it look like a dress or jumpsuit AND style top and bottom separately.
It’s amazing! I recently traveled with this one ⬇️
And I just purchased this silk leopard skirt with this silk leopard cami. Now I have a new top & bottom set, and I love it so much!
Important to remember: when you’re packing your suitcase, take all the pieces you want to bring and lay them on your bed. Analyze each and make sure you can style it in AT LEAST 3 different ways!
This will help you narrow down your options. Follow this rule and it will help you pack less.
Minimalist Packing List 👇🏼
I have a PDF that you can download and use as a check list for your next adventure. Get it here! It includes all the styling tips, and EVERYTHING inside my carry-on bag & backpack.
But in case that doesn’t work for you, here’s the simple version of the minimalist packing list:
| Description | Quantity |
| Tops: | |
| Tank tops | 3 |
| White T-Shirt | 1 |
| White Top | 1 |
| Going Out Tops | 2 |
| Button Down Shirts | 2 |
| Black Long Sleeve Top | 1 |
| Striped Sweater | 1 |
| Bottoms: | 1 |
| Stylish Joggers | 1 |
| Wide Leg Pants | 1 |
| Striped Pants | 1 |
| Midi Skirt | 1 |
| Mini Skirt | 1 |
| Linen Shorts | 1 |
| Dresses: | 1 |
| Maxi Dress | 1 |
| Midi Dress | 1 |
| Shoes: | |
| White Leather Sneakers | 1 |
| Waterproof Birkenstocks | 1 |
| Flat Leather Sandals | 1 |
| Workout/Hiking Shoes | 1 |
| Accessories: | |
| Statement Earrings | 4 |
| Neck Scarf | 1 |
| Headbands | 3 |
| Crossbody Bag | 1 |
| Pashmina | 1 |
| Athleisure: | |
| Sport Bras | 2 |
| Workout Tops | 4 |
| Workout Leggings | 2 |
| Intimates/Others: | 1 |
| Bras | 4 |
| Underwear | 20 |
| Socks (pair) | 10 |
| Pajamas | 2 |
| Silk Robe | 1 |
If you rather watch a video, go ahead and check out this 22 minute video guide. We shared everything we packed for this 6-month trip, the things we cannot live without and our worst packing mistakes 🙈
Why Minimalist Packing Is The Way To Go – Final Thoughts…
I never thought I could travel with a carry-on only… I also never thought I could be homeless by choice, not have many things and travel the world full time. But here we are 😅
The reason why I’m sharing this is because I immediately upgraded my life when I started having less things. It allowed me to stop shopping for things I didn’t need, which helped me save the money we needed to start traveling the world while starting a new business. We needed savings.
Another reason why I love it, is because it makes getting dressed every day so much easier. I no longer waste precious time thinking what to wear or having a scarcity mindset thinking things like “I have nothing to wear” when I clearly have plenty of options (abundance mindset).
Having less things completely transformed my life. And I want the same for you.
So start by becoming a minimalist packer. I hope I helped you get a step closer today.
Thanks so much for reading my blog! I don’t take your time for granted.
See you in the next one ✌🏼
XO,
Aimara
PPS: want immediate access to all my best packing resources? Get 17 packing lists + guides for $17!
About The Author:
Hi, my name is Aimara and I am the voice behind Ways of Style. I was born and raised in Venezuela until the age of 27 when I moved to Chicago, and 2 years later I met my best friend and husband. We now travel full time and live out of a carry-on bag, so believe me, I know a thing or two about how to maximize every single piece I own.
I love creating new looks, and looking cute while I’m traveling. And in this blog, I try to share all my looks, even if I don’t have the best photos ;) My goal is to help you maximize every piece you have in your closet and to encourage you to live with less things.
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Travel Style Articles To Check Out Next:
- The best 5 shoes for traveling!
- How to travel with less toiletries.
- How to pack light for different climates?
- How to downsize from checked bag to carry-on?
- Everything you need to know about personal items!
This post contains affiliate links. This means I receive a commission if you shop for anything I share on this page at no extra cost to you. This helps support my blog, so thanks so much in advance!
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