Tag Archives: Top Picks

By Ginna Wilbanks

gwilbanks@smu.edu

Winter Break: the month-long stretch of blissful freedom that shines like a light at the end of the dark tunnel otherwise known as the grueling final weeks of school, filled with exams, papers and late nights of studying.

Each year, after plowing through a seemingly endless pile of work, your holiday plans may consist of sleeping until noon, catching up on the last season of Revenge and eating an embarrassing amount of your mother’s cooking.  Yet something always manages to intrude on your month of total laziness:  Some call it a family vacation; others call it absolute chaos.

Whether you’re traveling to the slopes of Park City, the beaches of Mexico or the streets of New York City, packing always presents a problem.  How many of us have found ourselves standing between a pile of clothes and an empty suitcase, with five minutes left before the family leaves for the airport?

Time with family shouldn’t mean we need to be ill- prepared or badly dressed, so I’ve taken on the task of assembling the ideal packing list for the city, slopes or beach.  While most college students can’t spring for a designer vacation wardrobe, they can use these boards as inspiration for cheaper finds.

While I can’t fix sibling squabbles, teach you how to ski or keep you from frying in the Caribbean sun, I hope these tips will at least help you check packing off of your list of holiday stressors.

#1:The Row/#2:Bottega Veneta/#3:Alexander McQueen/#4:Prabal Gurung/#5:Alexander Wang/#6:3.1 Philip Lim/#7:Current/Elliott(similar)/#8:Yves Saint Laurent/#9:Rick Owens

A trip to New York City during the holiday season typically involves hours spent pounding the pavement in search of gifts and long dinners out with the family.  Keep things simple and chic by packing lots of black with a few colorful pieces to add pop. This is a foolproof plan that can be completed calmly in the 10 minutes before departing for the airport.

#1:Zimmerman(similar)/#2:Prism/#3:Bottega Veneta/#4:Musa/#5:T-Bags/#6:T-Bags/#7:Becca by Rebecca Virtue/#8:Tom Binns/#9:Peter Pilotto/#10:Christian Louboutin

If only packing for a warm weather vacation simply involved throwing a few bathing suits into a beach bag.  Alas, it is a much more complicated affair. Why throw away the perfect opportunity to pull out your favorite summer picks during the winter? Bright colors are key, but pack pieces that can be mixed and matched to save space for an extra pair of wedges, or a little something you might pick up in the gift shop.

#1:Mulberry/#2:Altuzarra/#3:Burton/#4:Karl Donoghue/#5:Eddie Borgo/#6:Burberry/#7:Acne/#8:Karl Donoghue/#9:Burberry Brit/#10:Burberry

And finally we will tackle the most daunting trip of them all: the ski vacation. The intimidation factor of this packing list has been blown out of proportion, however. Wool long-underwear and neon ski jackets don’t need to be the only contents of your suitcase. When investing in a ski jacket, stick to basic black that can be worn on and off the slopes to nix the need to pack several bulky coats. A solid pair of stylish yet sturdy all-weather boots are also key. Buy gloves in a funky pattern to add spice to your darker outfits. It IS possible to be warm and chic simultaneously!