My carry-on must-haves

I visited eight countries over summer adhering to Europe's famously strict carry-on requirements for budget airlines! Although I didn't solely rely on planes it was very freeing to travel with only a small suitcase and my handbag. I don't always get it right, but packing is a clever little art where you're always learning from past trips and picking up new tricks! Here's five of the lessons I've learnt work for me:

• Packing cubes are amazing. I only bought my packing cubes for this European adventure and I don't know what I did without them. So many people commented on how organised my bag looked! And it was; I could quickly grab whatever I needed without messing up my whole bag. It also made it easy to keep my cleans separate from my dirties.
• Two to three bottoms is plenty! My favourite pair of dark grey pants go with every shirt option and are nice enough to wear out at night but comfy enough to chill in all day. And that is why I wore them for over half my trip! I also took a convertible skirt for the hot days and running shorts to wear to bed.
• Scarves have a zillion uses. I can wear a totally bland and simple outfit and let my scarf save me from looking as lazy as I am! I wore it over my shoulders in Rome to keep my skin from burning and of course it kept me warm on cool evenings everywhere else. Somehow you can wear the same scarf in every photo from your travels and it can give a different look every day.
• My convertible skirt is my best friend. I bought a black convertible skirt a while back but I've never loved it so much as I did on my trip to Italy! I can wore it as a strapless dress on Capri, a miniskirt in Rome and paired it with a black tank top to make it look like a simple black dress in Sorrento. 
• Always pack tank tops. I have two tank tops I always pack no matter if it's summer or winter or where I'm going. I wear them by themselves in the warmer climates and as the first layer in the cold. They're made of a nylon and spandex blend so they're stretchy and fitting but not tight, comfy enough to wear as pajamas but I can also wear them running. Versatility is the key!

My black tank top paired with my black convertible skirt in Sorrento