Holiday Essentials every Woman needs

With only a few weeks left before our annual girls’ trip, I started to think of holiday essentials every woman needs. As a frequent traveler there is nothing, I love more than curating a fashion capsule for an upcoming trip because whilst the essential basics are the same, I like to change up the styling pieces that I take with me on a vacation. Most people who’ve traveled with me, know that I prefer a ‘carry-on’ over checked-in luggage and over the years have perfected what items I take with me on trips abroad all thanks to my fashion capsules.

As a summer baby (hello July), I am biased towards summer holidays and often spend the year traveling to warmer climates especially when British weather is acting up (which is 99% of the time). Superdry has put together a guide to the best wild swimming spots in the UK, including some incredible places to explore, when the British weather behaves! Regardless of whether you are partial to summer holidays at home or abroad, I think my fashion capsule has all the holiday essentials a woman needs. 

*Disclosure: This is a collaborative post, all opinions shared are my own

Holiday Essentials every Woman needs

It’s not a secret that I am vocal about how expensive UK staycations are but in the same breath, I do love exploring the UK and all the local gems around me. I am fortunate to live close to the Cotswolds so I get to see some of the UK’s prettiest towns on my doorstep. But, for the times when I am looking for consistently warm weather, I often cast my eyes abroad and this post focuses on holiday essentials every woman needs especially when traveling abroad. This is not to say, that the items here can not be used when traveling within the UK, they can but my focus is on trips abroad.

when I started solo traveling back in 2016, I made a point of only taking my backpack with me especially as most of my trips were weekend getaways to mainland Europe. This quickly forced me to learn how to pack only the essential items that I would need AND use during my trips because I had no space for ‘extras’ with no purpose. Being able to pack a carry-on for a 2-week vacation abroad is an art form in my opinion and I have executed this flawlessly many times but on occasion, I have missed a few and ended up spending more whilst on vacation. In this ‘holiday essentials, every woman needs’ post, I will focus on items that I often take with me, especially for warmer climates.

Beach Vacations

Sun protection - protecting your skin from UV rays is so important, I often take with me sunscreen and aftersun care because I believe in looking after my skin. 

Swimsuit - No beach vacation is complete without swimwear, I have a number of pieces that I have owned for years and recently, I added two more pieces to the collection, including this sports swim piece. Guys, you’ll want to pack a pair of sports swimming shorts too.

Beach towel - definitely an essential item you will need whether provided or not, I always take my own with me just in case or in addition. 

Water bottle - hydration is king, it is so important to protect your skin both inside and outside especially because we lose water faster through sweating. 

Sunglasses - need I say more, just as we want to protect our skin, we should also want to protect our eyes as well. 

Head protection - I love a nice fedora or straw hat to protect my head from the heat. 

Beach footwear – Only when you have walked on extremely hot sand do you appreciate how essential beach footwear is to you. 

City Breaks

• Shorts – I am a sucker for a good pair of denim shorts but also line cloth are the best for warmer months.
• Basic Tee – This is an absolute essential in every woman’s capsule, you need a basic tee to style up or down.
• Sandals – Now I prefer flip flops but on occasion when I choose to dress up, sandals are ideal.
• Sunglasses – just as we want to protect our skin, we should also want to protect our eyes as well.
• Water bottle – As mentioned above, hydration is king, I always have a refillable water bottle on hand with me.

Every Trip

• Books – As an avid reader you will always find me with a book whether hardcopy or on my Kindle.
• Bag – Depending on the holiday type, you might need a backpack, a crossover bag, or a beach bag.
• Lip balm – I always pack a moisturizer for my lips because cracked lips aint cute
• Deodorant – always stay smelling fresh, let’s respect ourselves and the public
• Coat – Because am British, I am always prepared with either a raincoat or jacket/cardigan for when the weather changes.
• Power bank – To ensure I stay connected and do not run out of battery, I always take a power bank with me.
• Scarf – Whether you wish to accessorize it or use it as a picnic blanket, a scarf is always a handy item to have.

There are many things that I could include in the above lists but I am more focused on holiday essentials every woman needs. Definitely make sure you take your mobile, local currency in cash, or cards, and the appropriate travel documents that you require for your trip. What other items would you include not only in your fashion capsule but on you as well?