- Kim Appelt is a personal stylist who often travels for work with just a carry-on.
- To pack light for a trip, Appelt says it's crucial that each piece can be worn at least three ways.
Packing light for a trip can be challenging, especially when you want to sport a variety of looks with limited space in your carry-on.
"There's nothing more annoying than being on a trip and not having the pieces that you need," celebrity stylist Kim Appelt told Insider.
Appelt has 12 years of experience in the style industry, and she recently released a book, "Style for Everybody," where she explains the basics of fashion and how to curate custom looks depending on your personal style, body type, and lifestyle.
From last-minute clients to celebrity fittings, Appelt says she often finds herself packing for work trips with little notice.
"It became pivotal for me to not only pack within minutes but also only pack a carry-on," she told Insider. "After doing that a few times, I started to understand what I need."
Every article of clothing in your suitcase should be versatile
Appelt says the key to a light, functional travel wardrobe is having pieces that can be worn in at least three different ways.
For example, she's a huge fan of neutral-colored, deconstructed, linen blazers because they're comfortable, lightweight, and can be styled with many things.
"It is not only a wardrobe essential, but it can be styled so many ways," she told Insider. "You can throw it over your shoulders with a dress and runners. If you like athletic wear, you could wear it with bike shorts. You can throw it on with jeans."
Speaking of jeans, Appelt says she brings just two pairs of pants for weeklong trips because she only packs pairs that go with everything. For example, on a warm trip, she'll bring a pair of jeans and a pair of white, linen pants. For a cooler trip, she'll swap out the white, linen pants for black slacks.
Packing neutral colors makes it easier to wear articles in different ways, according to Appelt. But that doesn't mean you can't throw in a pop of color — as long as it's versatile.
"Imagine an orange scarf you can throw on with a pair of jeans and throw it on with either an army jacket or a jean jacket," she said. "Same thing with an orange tank top. You can layer that under a blazer or any type of coat with neutral pants or a skirt."
If a piece can't be worn three ways, it needs to have an important reason for being in the bag
Appelt also explained that there may be situations where you have to pack a specific outfit that lacks versatility, such as a wedding. In these cases, she says it's OK to bend the rule, but you should still think creatively about how else the pieces can be used.
"Maybe it's a wedding and you're a guest, so that dress obviously is not going to go three ways," Appelt said. "But if it's an important meeting and you're bringing a suit, ideally the blazer should go with everything else and so should the pants or pencil skirt."
While scrolling through Appelt's Instagram, I noticed that she often repeats specific articles of clothing, but her outfits look completely different in every picture, thanks to their flexibility to be used in different ways.
This made me realize that I can pack lighter than I have been while traveling, and still have a variety of looks — as long as I'm smart about the articles I select.