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The Jewish Chronicle

Making the case for minimalism

No more holiday packing angst - just follow our guide.

July 1, 2010 14:09
Black one-piece swimsuit, £35, Marks & Spencer;

ByJan Shure, Jan Shure

3 min read

Take the seasonal imperative to get away in mid-summer to somewhere reliably hot and sunny; add the desire to uncurl on a lounger beneath an umbrella sipping an iced drink with nothing more pressing to do than choose between listening to Midlake on the iPod or reading the next chapter of the latest Freedland/Kelsey/Green novel. And then add the fact that airlines are squeezing our baggage allowances ever further. It all means that this is the time of year when, unless you habitually fly business or first, you will be forced to think hard about packing - and doing so with maximum efficiency.

That implies getting the best use out of the fewest pieces of clothing. I cannot pretend that I am virtuous/clever enough to take on holiday only that mythical "capsule wardrobe" which fashion pages have forever been exhorting us to create, but there is a lot to be said for travelling light (unstrained shoulder muscles for one thing).

Paradoxically, while a tightly-edited holiday wardrobe makes life easy-peasy once you have arrived at your destination, it requires thought and effort before you leave. Actually, effort and a list to ensure not only that you leave nothing behind, but that what you take extends your choices endlessly. I love a good list, but for those of you who don't, think of today's fashion pages as your holiday packing list. And if you pack this frugally, think how much space you will have for stuff you might buy…

Swimsuit/bikini