I don't know about everyone else, but personally, I hate packing. I would say that this mostly has to do with the fact that I always want to feel prepared, so I usually end up packing way more than necessary. For this program, I will only be here for about six weeks, so the amount of stuff that I would most likely need isn't substantial(we have a laundry room, so I have the option to wash clothes), but I did want to make sure that I had packed enough stuff. My original intention for packing was to pack capsule wardrobe-style but Chicago weather can be rather mercurial and I didn't want to catch myself with only items for a particular season when the weather can easily drift in either direction. So, I focused on bringing a little bit of everything.
How I Broke It Down
- Gym Wear- 8 outfits. This gives me a full week of gym clothes plus a day in case I'm doing laundry and want to have the option to work out.
- Sleepwear- 5 outfits. I typically always shower before bed, so I tend to use my PJs more than once. I'm also not doing anything crazy in them, so just having a few seemed completely fine to me.
- Bottoms- 14 bottoms. I brought 3 pairs of chino pants (in navy, white, and coral), 3 pairs of jeans (a lighter wash ripped pair, a darker wash pair, and black jeans), 2 pairs of leggings ( A nicer pair with zipper detailing at the ankles and also a regular pair), 1 pair of black pants (not exactly dress pants, but a step up from leggings), 1 pair of patterned shorts (they have anchors on them), 2 pencil skirts (navy and black), and 1 pair of patterned Old Navy Pixie pants (They have a daisy/polka dot pattern).
- Tops- 41 tops...I know this seems a bit excessive, but they are all completely different styles. I brought 6 casual but nice summer weather camis/tanks, 4 "going out" tops (Idk if I'll use them, but I wanted to have the option), 2 short sleeve tops for class, 2 nicer tanks, 1 casual button down, 4 blousy longer sleeve tops (could work for daywear, tucked into a pencil skirt, or with a pair of jeans for a night out), 2 nicer short sleeve tops (to be worn with a pencil skirt), 2 chambray shirts, 5 nicer t-shirts I can wear to class, 3 tees for lounging around, 6 casual tanks, and 4 camis for layering. As you can tell, I wanted to have many options.
- Sweaters-3 pieces. I packed two cardigans (navy and ivory) and then a black wrap.
- Dresses- 2 dresses. I brought one casual shirt dress and then an asymmetrical LBD that I can use either for nicer occasions (perhaps a special dinner) or a night out.
- Loungewear-4 Pieces. I brought 1 hoodie, 1 crewneck sweatshirt, a fluffy robe (as seen in the picture above), and a pair of sweatpants.
- Outerwear- 4 Options. I brought a trench coat that I have previously been wearing for chillier days, a jean jacket, a leather jacket, and my olive green linen Gap jacket.
- Shoes-12 pairs. I packed 4 pairs of flats (a black lace-up pair, a coral pair, a black pair, and a two-tone nude/black pair), 2 pairs of Keds (a white pair and my black Kate Spade pair), 1 pair of navy Sperrys, 1 pair of nude heels, 1 pair of casual sandals, 1 pair of flip flops, and my Nike running shoes.
Honestly, I don't think I did too bad. I think I might've gone a bit overboard with my tops, but I just wanted to make sure that I had outfit choices and for me, that meant bringing a whole selection of tops. As the program goes on, I'll probably share what I've been wearing (I'm testing out my med school style), so you'll see what I actually wear and if I overpacked. Currently, the weather is much warmer than what we had last week (this week we'll be mostly in the 70's or 80's, but last week it was in the mid 50's to high 60's), so I am quite happy that my packed wardrobe is summer-centric. I also might go home on occasion, so we'll see how if I bring back anything else as we get into actual consistent summer weather. I hope you guys had a fantastic weekend (I hope your weather was as gorgeous as ours!) and I will be talking to you soon!
~Genesis<3
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