Petite Fashion Challenge 11

First of all, I want to apologize ahead of time for the horrendous quality of these photos! My camera was definitely not cooperating - I promise this'll be the last grainy set you'll see for a while. But moving on: I am so excited to be participating in my first Petite Fashion Challenge, hosted this time around by Ski Petite. The challenge was as follows:

Vacation Vogue
When going on a vacation, it's hard to bring clothes for every possible scenario. There's only so much room in your suitcase. But beyond that, choosing outfits to wear each day while sightseeing can be daunting when the climate is different than you are used to or you're going to multiple types of destinations.  You also are usually taking tons of photos and don't want to be in the same outfit in every photo.

Now, I wouldn't say I'm an expert in smart travel attire. However studying abroad (and jetsetting every other weekend) has definitely allowed me to accrue a ton of experience in the how-tos of packing practically. When traveling on budget airlines like RyanAir or EasyJet, you're only allowed ten kilograms worth of carry-on baggage - certainly not a lot by any means!

So what's the trick to packing well? Layers, of course! Lots and lots of layers. I was a huge fan of tights and scarves when travelling, since both are fairly light and can be bunched into a tiny suitcase with ease. So that was my primary inspiration for this post - translating daytime tourist wear into a nighttime dress outfit.

Dress, Forever 21 Size S; Coat, H&M Size 2; Boots, Stuart Weitzman Kids Size 5 (Similar here); Belt and scarf, old.

Like the challenge says, it might be colder than you expected! Best way to deal is with thick woolen tights and similarly cozy scarf. Since you'll be doing a lot of walking when sightseeing, comfortable shoes are so necessary. I can't tell you how many blisters I've gotten when I sacrificed comfort in an attempt to look trendy!

I have to say that I am in love with this dress from Forever 21. It's a size small, but it fits so snugly! Most items from Forever 21, even size XS, tend to be huge on me. I highly recommend this dress - it's such a versatile item and best of all, it's only $13.50!! Unreal. Go buy it now!

Of course, although this outfit will keep you warm (and still allow you to look cute in photos!) you definitely don't want to be waltzing into a fancy schmancy restaurant in such casual attire. So by switching out a few items, most notably belt, shoes, and tights, I came up with a dressier version of the same.

Boots, Steve Madden Size 5; Watch, Michael Kors Mini-Runway; Jewelry, old.

Since this is supposed to be a hypothetical nighttime outfit, I figured that the lack of tights would have to be compensated for - hence these calf-length stiletto boots. The pashmina shawl can be used as an additional layer, but is still a dressier option than the jacket from before (and hopefully, the wine you'll inevitably be drinking will provide an additional liquid layer). 

And that's that! I'm so excited to see what everyone else came up with for this challenge - it was definitely a lot of fun.