This trip has been an interesting experiment in making the most out of a limited wardrobe. Although I, essentially, brought 3 suitcases with me, I packed the equivalent of half a suitcase of clothes for not 1 but 2 seasons. And I’m not just talking fashion season, I mean real honest to goodness seasons. I arrived in Beijing at the beginning of February and won’t be leaving until Mid-May. So I’ll be seeing winter and spring here. While in theory this is a great idea, it made packing a bit difficult. So how does one pack for such a trip. I packed exactly this many clothes… for 3 1/2 months.
I had to choose dresses that could be worn in both the winter in the spring, with the addition or subtraction of additional pieces of clothing. A short sleeved dress that could be worn with a long sleeved top underneath with tights of some sort. Oh I brought I huge supply of basic and colorful tights to mix up each look. The skirts, I packed for much the same reasons, though there are a few more skirts that can only be worn in either or because of material or design. I knew that once I got here I would have access to a tailor and such, so the plan was to bring things that would be versatile and easily mixed and matched.
I’ve been layering things much differently than I would if I were at home with a typical size closet amount of clothing. Having to figure out new and creative ways of wearing the same things over and over again. It’s been sort of fun, developing new ways to wear the same 3 items in 3 different ways with each other. I just love this navy dress, but wearing it in the same way can get tired, so I’m trying it out with this silk top I had made while I was here. I usually wear a petticoat under dresses as well to give it a little bit of something extra
In addition to what is in the closet I packed a few sweaters to keep me warm during the winter months and a few bags to keep me sane.
This is a true test for a person who frequently looks in her overstuffed closet and exclaims, ” I have nothing to wear.” Maybe when I get back to the states I’ll be able to do some massive spring cleaning, or just come up with new ways of using my old things.
Part II- What to Read
* Blue Dress- H&M **Silk Bow Top- handmade in Beijing *** MaryJanes- Payless (years ago)
Dreaming Eyes of Wonder 
That’s tough. I thought I was having a hard time I went to beijing for 2 months two years ago and 1 month last year and the hardest part is packing. When I went to Spain in February, it was my first time to Europe and I thought it was going to be warm… turns out it wasn’t as warm as i thought it was going to be, but then the days got warmer and warmer, so it worked out 🙂 Have fun!
It was definitely a challenge, at least I knew that once I got here I would have access to tailors. Choosing what books to bring was hard too, I ended up having to pull a few out at the last minute for weight reasons. but that’s another post.