Hello from beautiful Italia! 🇮🇹

We had a relatively uneventful, but very long travel day. It was, however, the perfect example of crazy temperatures and little airport "peculiarities" so to speak 😅

First, Air France weighed my carry-on. It was 12 kg (26.5 lbs). The limit is 10 kg (22 lbs). The lady who checked us in was the nicest and didn't charge us anything extra, but I thought you should know.

It doesn't really fit my lifestyle to travel lighter than that, and I have no intention to make smaller packing lists (unless it's for a short trip, of course), but just be aware of these things when you're packing.

We had a layover in Paris, had to go through security and all that fun stuff, and they still make you take any liquids or gels out of your carry-on and personal item. They take them out and put them in their own clear bags (even if they're already in clear bags 😅), so make sure to at least have all those things packed together and easy to access. I know this is a common practice at a lot of European airports.

You know how I always say: "make sure your airport outfit is comfy" "wear pieces that stack" "bring an extra layer if you tend to get cold" "leave space in your personal item to pack those layers" and all that fun stuff? Well, it all happened during this travel day!

It was hot in Phoenix, insanely cold on the plane, super hot again in Paris, even hotter during the first 30 minutes of the second flight and even colder than the first flight for the last 90 minutes. I'm so happy I was wearing the right outfit!

​Athleta pants were so comfy, cashmere tank top was perfect (I wore it with a sports bra which made it even comfier), cashmere long cardi was soft and cozy, and the Vessi sneakers kept my feet warm. (my cashmere wrap was inside my personal item and was used as a blanket during both flights).

Also, first time traveling with compression socks! And WOW. I'm never not wearing those during a long flight! (do put them on before boarding and not on the plane. They're tight, but that's the point)

Anyway... we had a smooth arrival, travel day clothes have been washed and I'm in full 'testing packing list mode' 🫡

We've been enjoying the beautiful weather in Milan and even squeezed in a cheeky little day trip to Lake Como. I freaking love this country so much. And my Italian is on fire! Even tough everyone here speaks English, I want to learn more than the 30 words I currently know 😅

We want to visit Lake Maggiore next week and a beautiful hilltop town called Bergamo (I'm doing my best to share all this stuff on Instagram stories, so follow along if you want to see it)

Ok, so that was the Italy update... but last Sunday I promised you my husband's packing list (per your request!).

And I have to be honest with you up front... he's a waaaaay better packer than I am.

I was shocked to see how much he was able to fit in there with his packing techniques.

His clothes (and shoes!) are way bigger than mine, so he can't just throw things in like I do. He needs a strategy.

And then there's my suitcase... 😅 As you can see, I just throw my stuff in there. I know it's hard to tell in the photo, but there's a lot of empty space (you'll see how much below).

I know I can fit a few extra outfits for sure. But I choose not to, on purpose. It's a nightmare to travel with a full suitcase (you usually have to pack it and unpack it several times).

And notice: no packing cubes this time. Just one for underwear and one for gym clothes. That's it.

Why? Sweaters are bulkier than summer tops, so it didn't make sense to squeeze them into packing cubes.

And we're not moving around much. Just 3 times in 3 months: a month in Milan, a month in Verona, then 5 days in Venice before flying to Florida for Christmas. With so few moves, I didn't feel the need to have a super organized suitcase (obviously 🤣). We'll have closets and will be unpacking everywhere.

In case you missed it, here's my full packing list for 2 weeks in Italy, the one I'm testing right now.

Ok, back to the good packer in the family...

💡 His Tetris method, step by step

He packs "Tetris" style. That's what he calls it. No packing cubes at all (he doesn't like them). So, here's what he told me:

1. Shoes go in first. He stuffs them with socks so they keep their shape, then fills the space around them with underwear and small items like socks.
2. On the other side, his 3 non-jogger pants go in, folded normally.
3. Everything around the shoes gets rolled (t shirts, underwear, leggings) until it all becomes one even bottom layer.
4. Whatever sweaters and jackets fit go on top of that "floor."
5. Same thing on the other side: the bulky blue sweater and everything else gets rolled until it creates a new "floor". His dressier items go on top, neatly folded.
6. The light puffer goes in last, between the zippers, as he closes the suitcase.

About those shoes... they're brand new. So yeah, he's traveling with shoes he hasn't tested yet 🙈 To each their own LOL

💡 What does this mean for you? If your clothes take more space, don't leave empty space around your shoes. Fill the gaps with small rolled pieces first, then stack the bigger pieces flat on top.

This is a photo of the first layer, so you can see how things are rolled/organized:

His full packing list (3 months in Italy)

He's 6'4" (193 cm) and usually wears L tall (sometimes M tall).

Pants: 32" waist, 34" length (32x34, or 81 x 86 cm). Shoes: US 12.5. I'm adding his sizes and measurements for reference.

Anything with ✈️ he wore on the long travel day.

Pants (5)

• ​LL Bean jeans​
• ​Bonobos travel jeans​
• ​Faherty stretch terry pants​
• ​Public Rec joggers x 2 ✈️ (this brand used to be great for tall people, but now the link redirects to a brand called No Bull - and now they don't carry his sizes - his joggers are 32x34)

Tops & Sweaters (6)

• ​Merino long sleeve base layer (charcoal - M Tall).
• ​Bonobos button up (size L - slim fit)
• Navy J Crew sweater (similar linked - size L)
• Black Unbound Merino crewneck sweater (size L)
• Burgundy Boss sweater: I couldn't find his exact one, so here are two similar options: this one and more options from Nordstrom here.
• ​Quince cashmere henley sweater (Elk brown - size L)

Layers (4)

• ​Cotton Pique Knit Overshirt (Heather white - size L). Sleeves are too short, but for this style he wears a T-shirt underneath and always rolls the sleeves, so it doesn't matter.
• ​J Crew hoodie ✈️ (Navy - size L Tall - could have done M Tall, but it was a gift and he didn't have time to exchange it)
• Half zip jacket: this was a gift from his parents (they were just in Italy!) and I couldn't find the exact one. The brand is CMP and they don't ship to the US, so here's a similar option.
• Eddie Bauer Lightweight puffer (Black - M Tall).

Gym: (ignore if you don't sign up for the gym on vacation)

• ​2 gym shorts​
• ​3 gym shirts: they double as base layers too ✈️

Extras

• ​Underwear: 6 packed (wearing 1 😉)
• Socks: 4 long Quince socks and 6 no-show socks from Amazon
• ​Quince cashmere beanie​
• 1 pair of Merino wool leggings from Quince
• ​1 pair of Uniqlo leggings (he wears these under pants too if it's too cold)

Shoes (2)

• ​OluKai waterproof shoes​
• ​Trail runners ✈️

✈️ His travel day outfit

Remember last week's tip? His travel day outfit comes straight out of his final packing list. These are pieces he's also wearing on our trip.

• ​Rhone T-shirt​
• J Crew hoodie: I couldn't find his exact one, but this is close. It's super bulky so keep that in mind. It would NEVER fit in the suitcase.
• ​Public Rec joggers​
• ON Trail runners​
• ​Bombas compression socks​

His bulkiest piece never takes up suitcase space. Toiletries, laptop, etc. go in his personal item (a small backpack this time).

❌ What he bought and returned (and why)

Finding clothes that fit him isn't easy either. He's tall and slim with very long arms, so sleeve length is always a big issue.

• ​LL Bean jacket: the sleeves were too short, even in tall sizing.
• ​Vessi Soho Sneakers: too puffy. I think they can look weird in bigger sizes if you have skinny legs. (I love mine and they're the ones I have with me, but I'm a size 6!)
• ​Quince corduroy pants: he ordered the 32x34 and they were still too short. (that's the longest they carry)

And he couldn't find a big puffer for December. He thinks he'll be ok with layers + a thin puffer... we'll see 😅 He might have to shop for a jacket here, and that's fine. Europe is great for shopping for tall people!

To be honest with you...

I was really surprised by the amount of stuff my husband was able to pack when I asked him to write down his packing list. He said it was because of his 'tetris' method.

So I asked Gordon to re-pack my suitcase using his technique... and look at the amount of empty space I had in my suitcase 😱 (this was the exact same packing list)

I couldn't believe it. Look at all that space on the bottom right corner!

Before on the left - after on the right ⬇️

You know what he did? Got rid of the packing cubes 😳

I will say this though... use this cautiously. Don't overstuff your suitcase just to bring extra stuff you don't need. Remember weight is also a thing!

Use these techniques to maybe pack on the way back home when you have souvenirs to carry, or if you have true non-negotiables and need to maximize every inch in your carry-on. Remember you still have to carry all this stuff with you! (and likely pack it and unpack it during your trip)

Anyway... thought this was an interesting little "experiment".

So... spill the beans. Who's the better packer in your house? Hit reply and tell me how packing works for the two of you (or the whole family!). I read and reply to ALL my emails (the nice ones at least haha)

Next Sunday: my toiletry strategy for 3 months in Italy. Shampoo, skincare, and everything in between, for 3 whole months. Yes, I have a plan and I did A LOT to prep my skin for this drier/colder weather 🧖🏼‍♀️

Thanks so much for being here 😘 I know today's email was a little bit different, but I hope it was still useful.

XO,

Aimara