The In Kind Edit: Summer Packing List

Outfits and extras we brought along for recent summer trips with our kids.

As former fashion editors, we’ve spent more than a couple decades between us answering questions about what makes a great wardrobe—the things worth buying and investing in again and again. Each summer, we spent weeks curating “packing lists” for our respective jobs; but the real-world test of a well-packed suitcase is taking the trip. It forces you to get down to just the best. There’s perhaps no better way to find out what’s worth it than keeping yourself within the confines of a carry-on or having the unfortunate the experience of toting a too-big bag stuffed to the brim with pieces you never wore back through the airport.

This summer, we’ve each taken the trip with the things we love and wear the most—the stuff that’s practical and still sparks joy, because, as fashion editors, half the fun is having a very good outfit. Here’s what we’ve been traveling with, and would absolutely (no-regrets!) pack again. xLeah + Hannah

P.S. For more of the stuff we love, you can always shop our favorite things on ShopMy.

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I’ve spent every summer I can remember on the coast of Maine. Not Kennebunk or Portland or Bar Harbor, but a small town called Deer Isle almost four hours from the Maine/New Hampshire border that’s both an artist community and a working town for lobster and fishermen. There’s no shortage of things to do if you love being outdoors, hiking, or soaking up the beauty in smaller things, like a good coffee shop or a gallery.

We spend most of our days out on the beach, collecting shells before we ride to town or over to LDI for a lobster roll and ice cream (and the best view of the Deer Isle bridge). On cloudier days, we might visit the library or Nervous Nellie’s Jams & Jellies. It’s both a sculpture garden and the best jams, that I order and ship to our home in San Francisco.

After decades in this spot, I’ve come to appreciate the magic there is in slowing down. Now, watching my kids explore and discover the same places I loved carries its own kind of magic.

And, if you’re looking for more to do on the Maine Coast, we also have a soft spot for Brunswick (my husband and I met at Bowdoin College), Portland, and Acadia/Bar Harbor, too. The truth is that summers in Maine—in any town you might end up—are in a league of their own, and my DMs are open to chat more if you’re considering a visit!

My packing philosophy is simple: don’t bring things on vacation that you wouldn’t wear in your real life.

Sure, I like to pack for the destination—and certainly dressing for Maine inspires me in a different way than dressing for San Francisco does. Still, I reach for the things that feel most me—the stuff I know I’ll wear and that look good with each other. I will, however, force myself to print mix more or stretch the limits of one cardigan or pullover, rather than pack three or four different sweaters. It keeps me creative and keeps my vacation outfits interesting. These are the essentials:

1. This tote was the perfect-size carry-on for the plane. I stuffed my laptop, all the kids’ snacks, my book, and my smaller tote inside it. Now, it’s our daily “go bag” for the beach or town, packed with snacks, coloring books, card games, and changes of clothes for wherever we’re headed.

2. After testing the Tangle Teezer, the Wet Brush and plenty of others, this brush emerged the clear winner in our house. Now, we never leave home without it.

3. I’ve purchased plenty of frames in the last three years, but always come back to these. They’re classic and perfect for my smaller face. They also hide tired eyes and make any outfit look that much cooler.

4. For cooler nights, this sweater is the perfect weight and the ideal stripe. It looks good with jeans, but I also don’t mind it layered over a dress with a print or tied around my waist or shoulders to bring some added interest to basics.

5. Doen makes the breeziest, easiest dresses in the lightest possible fabrics. I love the length of this one for throwing on over swimsuits as a cover-up. It also looks cute with sandals for heading to town.

6. I brought more than one pair of sandals, but find myself in these Birks daily. They’re waterproof, so I can stroll the beach, but I also wore them on our travel day cross-country and they were equally comfy and cute with jeans.

7. I’ve been taking glutathione (a powerhouse antioxidant) since my first daughter was born. In SF, I’ll get injections, but I also take these regularly and notice a huge difference in my skin. They’re are easy to pack and take on the go, so I don’t fall completely out of my routine while I’m traveling. xHannah

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I’m a born-and-bred Floridian whose family (mostly) still resides in the state. It’s meant that our quick jaunts and long weekends are more vacation’y than other spots, and while I’ve always loved seeing my family, it’s become different—more important and sweeter—now that my sister and I both have children around the same age.

I’m a big carryon-only person, but I know that I have some factors working in my favor, too. When we go, I know my daughter will borrow most of her cousin’s clothes, and that we can easily grab diapers and essentials at their neighborhood grocery store. Staying with family also means you don’t have to worry about packing for many what-ifs: I can borrow a sweatshirt from my sister if I want or extra anything if needed.

Most of my family-focused trips are all about seeing each other, and, as such, the itinerary is usually a mix of cooking at home, playing by the pool, and drinking wine in the kids’ playroom while they run around and shriek delightedly. Still, now that our girls are four, this is the first time we thought they’d be ready to try a “girls’ night” and it was a success (that I preemptively packed for—nothing says GNO in our household than fancy jewelry).

I am a diehard carryon packer, and the only rule that matters is that nothing goes in your bag that won’t be worn.

It’s why I try on everything before I leave, to make sure things work together (and that, more importantly, I like them and will be excited to wear them). It’s only in the rarest of cases, and when I find myself with extra space, that I’ll tuck a “just in case” in the mix.

I’ve written about how packing ought to be our litmus test for regular style, as I’ve noticed something more and more with every suitcase I pack: The stuff that I love enough to know I’ll wear it or regard it as a hero, MVP, workhorse-type item? That’s the kind of stuff that should anchor my everyday, all-the-time closet, too.