clothes | L.Z. Marie

I‘ve got a BIG problem!

I’m not a good packer. I over-pack some items. Under pack or forget others.

A long weekend? One large suitcase and a duffle. Both stuffed! Not exactly a minimalist approach to packing.

It’s just that I can’t decide what I want to wear. What will I feel like days in advance? Clothes are an emotional decision…am I feeling fierce? Melancholy? Do I wanna blend in or stand out? Am I having a skinny day or a fat day?

Some people pack light, I pack black.

Black is safe. The color doesn’t show spots. It’s versatile. Classy. Slimming. Also boring.

But black is also a no-brainer because I have so much of it! Belts–skinny, wide, extra wide. Jackets and sweaters of different shapes, weights, and styles. Trousers. Jeans. Leggings.Short tops, long tops. And shoes! Shoes. Flat for walking. Heels for dinner. Uber trendy. Conservative. Uggs for warmth. Open toed. Patent.

Hubby pokes fun at the pile of black shoes next to the suitcase. “We’re only going for 2 days, why do you need 4 pair of shoes?”

“Go away!” I throw a shoe at him. “Before I decide to put my blow dryer in your man bag!”

After a harrowing shoe selection, I decide on the extras. A bathing suit–you never know. Flip flops for walking to the pool. A cocktail dress. A semi-fancy dress.Sweats for an early trip to the lobby for coffee. Exercise clothes–nah.

I take a sweater or two–because it’s cold in hotels. Add a a short sleeved t-shirt, a long-sleeved t-short, a tank top–I want to be prepared.

“Just pack two outfits, that’s all you need.” Hubby, having ducked the shoe, shakes his head and points to the growing pile of clothes.

“Oh, easy for you to say.You don’t care what you look like.”

“I care! I’m just not obsessive!”

After an hour of coordinating ensembles, accessories, unmentionables etc, I realize my suitcase looks like it was packed by Morticia Addams.

Packing my make-up is getting a bit easier. I just swipe my arm across the bathroom counter and drag it all into a giant tote bag.

And no matter how many lists I make, I always ALWAYS forget something critical. Like my toothbrush. Or hair brush. Or floss. Or mascara ( the horror).

Once I left all my beautifully coordinated outfits hanging on the bathroom door. Ol’ Hubby burst out laughing until I told him we had to go shopping for new duds.

If I pack for cold–the weather is uncharacteristically warm. If I pack for heat, there’s a mysterious cold snap.
I’m the only one I knew who FROZE in the Ecuadorian rainforest!

I’m wearing 2 skirts and 4 tops in this pic

“Weird weather, we’re having,” the bus driver commented as I shivered in two layers of thin cotton skirts. (Actually, that’s how Hubby translated the rapid-fire Spanish )

Maybe one day I’ll have a system comparable to all those famous jet setters. Or I’ll learn packing tips from InStyle magazine articles when they do a spread for a “weekend in wine country.”

Perhaps when I’m a famous novelist and zipping around the country signing copies of my latest bestseller I’ll HAVE IT DOWN! Packer extraordinaire! Yup..

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