After 10+ years of visiting New Mexico, I think I’ve finally got packing down to a science. We had to pack as lightly as possible for this particular trip since we needed to allow room for Christmas gifts. The result was a pretty nice capsule wardrobe for a 10 day southwest vacation.

New Mexico is a very casual place where jeans and boots are appropriate just about anywhere. I managed to get by with only two pairs of boots for the whole trip (a tall, high-heeled pair and flat pair of ankle boots). For bottoms, I brought two pairs of high-waisted blue jeans, a pair of skinny black jeans, and the fringed skirt you saw in my previous post. The rest was easy layering pieces like this cropped white sweater, this poncho-style sweater, a big cozy cardigan (perfect for plane travel), an oversized denim jacket, and a fringed leather jacket. To further streamline the decision-making process, I only packed silver jewelry since it goes so well with the southwestern aesthetic. Mix and match any of these with a white turtleneck, some t-shirts and tank tops, and you’re good to go!

Packing pro tips:

  • Try on all of your outfits before you pack them. This weeds out what works/doesn’t work and you might be surprised by what you don’t need. I often take pictures of my outfits and keep them in a folder on my phone, which makes getting dressed a snap when I’m on vacation!
  • Keep shoes to a minimum. It pains me to say this, because you know how much I love shoes, but they’re usually the heaviest items to pack. For most trips, you really only need one fun pair of heels, a comfortable (but cute) pair of flats, and maybe a pair of sneakers (if you’re feeling sporty).
  • Wear your heaviest/bulkiest items on the plane. Another way to keep the weight down in your checked bag, I basically wore the outfit pictured above (minus a wide-brimmed western hat that I, unfortunately, left on the plane – RIP ?).

oversized cardigan and cowboy boots
A good statement piece like this antique squash blossom necklace makes is easy to dress up simple looks like this turtleneck/cardigan/jean combo. Worn here with a Reformation turtleneck, Zara cardigan, DL1961 denim, and Topshop ankle boots (similar).

J. Crew sweater and western ankle boots
This poncho sweater is super soft and can easily be layered over a tank top or turtleneck, depending on the weather. Worn here with dainty silver necklaces, DL1961 jeans, Topshop ankle boots, and Saddleback Leather bag.

& Other Stories sweater and Isabel Marant boots
These Isabel Marant boots could not have been more perfect out here! I wore them here with a cropped & Other Stories sweater, Topshop denim, and silver and turquoise earrings.

Want to learn more about planning a trip to New Mexico? Check out my guides to Santa Fe, White Sands, and Bottomless Lakes!

Shop the Looks

16 comments

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Love all of these looks!
I am a huge fan of photographing my looks before a trip too, makes it so much easier!

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I’m the worst when it comes to overpacking! I used to have a bag just for shoes when we would go camping.?I have gotten slightly better with that! Great tips!

Jennifer
Effortlessly Sophisticated

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The packing tips are very useful, I always try my best when it comes to packing. I love all the outfits from this post and I must recognize that those Isabel Marant boots look fabulous!

xo, Andreea
https://www.budistyle.com/en/

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wow I think you nailed your wardrobe with minimal packing! and your images are so aesthetically pleasing ❤️

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Great shots . Yes, to try things on first before packing them is a very important step to consider.
I have come across that moment when I pack something and when I got to the destination it did not fit…

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That’s the worst feeling! My biggest issue in the past was that outfits would look better in my head than they did in execution. Trying stuff on before eliminates all the guesswork (and usually a lot of unnecessary stuff)!

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Loved these looks,this grey cardigan looks amazing on you. xx

Nina’s Style Blog

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Living for your Isabel Marant boots!

THE LALA LOOKBOOK
http://www.thelalalookbook.com

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Packing is always such a challenge! I’m always impressed to hear someone managed with only two pairs of shoes!
And how terrible your hat got left behind! Did you try contacting the airline?
Chic on the Cheap

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I filed a lost item report with American Airlines almost immediately and they send regular reports they haven’t found it. Whether or not anyone actually looked for it is up for debate since it was just sitting on my seat. It’s also possible someone took it. Either way, sad!

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Loving that black leather knee high boots dear. So chic and sassy with the sweater.

Jessica | notjessfashion.com

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You look great.. some great tips as well.

http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

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You have such a great look. The jean and sweater looks so cute on you. Thanks for sharing this post.
The Glossychic
Wonder Cottage

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You have such a great look. The jean and sweater looks perfectly well on you. Thanks for the nice post.
The Glossychic
Wonder Cottage

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I know this post was a long time ago but, any ideas for packing for October?! I know it’s chilly in the morning and evening but is the afternoon warm enough to wear a t- shirt? Shorts? I am normally a cold person.

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Sorry for my delayed reply! I checked with my mother-in-law who visits regularly and she said t-shirt and shorts weather is most likely over. You might pack a t-shirt for the off chance you get a warm afternoon, but the west can be deceptively cold and she said it will probably be windy. I recommend layers, especially if you get cold easily! I pretty much live in jeans, long-sleeved shirts, sweaters and jean jackets when I visit in the fall. Hope that helps!

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