For my 30th birthday we went on a once in a lifetime trip to… the Maldives! It’s surreal to even type that and reflect back on such an amazing trip. Before I share the full travel guide (which you can soon find here), I wanted to go ahead and share what I packed. Not sure if this is a niche hobby but I’ve come to realize I absolutely love packing for a trip. The thrill of getting new outfits or seeing how I can style what I have, organizing everything, and coordinating my husband’s outfits to match my aesthetic is something I always look forward to. I’d like to say I’m pretty good at it because people often ask how we travel on longer trips with only a carry-on. To see how I fit everything in my carry-on you can check out this IG reel. Below is everything I packed for a week in the Maldives!
Travel
For travel I used my favorite CALPAK Luka Carry-On. I was in the market for a new wallet and decided to get one from Coach (*plus the matching bag of course). Although I typically use a backpack, I actually loved using this purse as my personal item for this trip. It fit perfectly under the seat. I also brought this neck pillow from Amazon since it was such a long trip and that was a lifesaver!
On the way there and back, I wore my favorite barrel pull on pants from Abercrombie. These are the definition of dressing comfortable while still looking put together. Love them! I also decided to bring these new sneakers from Steve Madden as my travel day shoes. These are designer dupes at a more affordable price and you can currently grab them on sale.
Daytime
Our morning routine in the Maldives was honestly perfect– gym, breakfast, swim, repeat. I could have definitely gotten used to it. 🙂 For that reason my daytime outfits consisted of workout outfits and swimwear. I packed two of my favorite Abercrombie YPB dresses which are perfect for light exercise at the gym and still looked super cute for breakfast. I also packed two pairs of Alo shorts and two Uniqlo tees (hoping they restock these soon because they’re my favorite!)
For swimsuits I did pack one for each day which probably wasn’t necessary, but they didn’t take up much space in the suitcase! All of my swimwear is from Skatie and you can shop my favorite styles here. They are definitely my favorite swimwear brand as the styles are super flattering and they’re always dropping trendy new patterns. I also packed this white Amazon set which I thought looked super chic as a swim coverup– this was my birthday outfit! The other set I wore over my swim is from Anthropologie. I packed only one pair of flip flips and one beach bag for my daytime accessories.
Nighttime
The last items I packed for our trip to the Maldives were vacation dresses, of course! The nighttime items I brought were from 3 of my favorite retailers– Abercrombie, Revolve, and Petal & Pup. All of them have great variety when it comes to vacation or special event dresses. I received a ton of compliments on this blue dress from Abercrombie. It definitely gives 10/10 beach vibes. I also got this green two piece set from there because I absolutely loved the color. The last two dinner outfits were dresses I wore on previous vacations but I thought they would be perfect for this trip too! I also packed only one pair of heels and one bag for my nighttime outfits. Typically limiting accessories and bringing things that are versatile helps me save a ton of space.
Can’t wait to share the travel guide with you so be sure to check back soon! For now, hope you got some vacation inspo from what I packed for the Maldives! 🙂
