Last Sunday we solved dressing for three seasons in one day. (here's that email ICYMI)​

Today: the question so many of you sent me. Your ONE trip covers completely different climates, and you want to do one carry-on.

Cool cities plus a warm coast.

Cold in the mountains, warm on the islands.

A cruise that boards in one season and docks in another.

Different versions of the same worry: "do I need to pack two wardrobes?"

No. And I want to show you why, because once you see how a suitcase splits between climates, this problem gets so much smaller.

Most of your suitcase doesn't care about the weather.

Your pants can work in both climates.

Your tees and tanks work in both. (easy to layer)

Your sneakers, your crossbody, your neutral palette where everything matches everything: all of it works everywhere. That's the core of your bag, and it's the biggest part.

I've packed one carry-on for up to six months at a time, which always means crossing climates, and this is the part that took me longest to believe: the "second climate" doesn't need a second wardrobe. It's asking for a handful of pieces on top of a core you're bringing anyway.

😎 The warm part of your trip wants: your tees and tanks worn on their own, maybe sandals, a light layer for evenings (a pashmina earns its spot here).

💨 The cold part wants: merino base layers, a thin sweater or two, a packable puffer, warm socks, maybe tights and boots (though not always).

Sound familiar? It's last Sunday's email. The cold climate isn't asking for a new wardrobe either. It's asking for the layering system.

So here's the recipe for one bag, two climates:

Pack the core. Then add the cold destination's layers.

The warm days are already covered, because your base layers work alone as tops, and your core IS your warm weather outfit. The layers simply wait in your bag until the weather asks for them.

Four rules to get it right:

1️⃣ Count your days in each climate.

This is the step everyone skips, and it changes everything. 12 warm days and 4 cold ones is NOT a half-and-half suitcase. It's a warm suitcase with a cold weather kit on top. Write down the actual split before you pack a single piece, and let the bag match the math.

2️⃣ Then check WHEN it gets cold, not just how cold.

Look up your cold stops hour by hour. Is it 45 degrees all day? Or 45 at 7am, 70 by lunch? Because "cold-mornings-and-evenings" needs a layer. "Cold-all-day" needs the full system.

So many people pack for the scariest number in the forecast and end up hauling warmth they only needed for two hours a day. And you might not even be outside during the coldest part of the day.

While you're in that weather app: double check every city on your itinerary, 2-3 days before your trip. Make adjustments before you close your suitcase.

3️⃣ Pack the core.

The climate-proof majority: bottoms, tees and tanks, sneakers, the neutral palette. One strict rule here: if a piece only works in one outfit, it stays home.

4️⃣ Add the cold days' layers.

That's it. The warm days are already covered, because your base layers work alone as tops and your core IS your warm weather outfit. The layers wait until the weather asks for them.

How many pieces? Here's the formula I use as a starting point:

👖 Bottoms: your trip days ÷ 2.5

👚 Tops: your trip days ÷ 1.5, then subtract 1 for each dress you pack (sweaters count as tops in fall!)

🧥 Layers: 3. Your coat, a vest or cardigan, and a pashmina (this does vary quite a bit depending on the trip)

👗 Dresses: 2. Every day you wear a dress, you don't need a top or a bottom (subtract from tops and bottoms depending on how many dresses you pack)

👟 Shoes: 2 to 3, never more

So a 10 day trip = 3 bottoms, 5 tops, 3 layers, 2 dresses, 2 to 3 pairs of shoes.

That's about 15 pieces and 25+ outfits from one carry-on. Traveling longer than two weeks? Don't double the clothes, plan a laundry stop.

⚠️ One honest note before you start pulling pieces, because most packing lists on the internet skip it: the same list takes more space in an XL than an XS. If you're working with more fabric per piece, the core has to earn its spot with even less mercy, and my carry-on packing calculator will show you what fits YOUR sizes in YOUR suitcase before you even start packing.

Three tricks that make ONE piece work in BOTH climates:

✨ Short sleeve sweaters and cashmere tees. These are the multi-climate MVPs. Warm fabric, short sleeves. On a mild day they're just a cute top. On a cold day, add your jacket and pashmina over them and you're set. They also go straight to dinner, so you're not changing outfits twice a day, and that means fewer pieces overall.

✨ The tights test. Every dress and skirt you pack must work with tights and a sweater over it. That's how dress lovers do the cold half: the dress never changes, the layers around it do.

✨ The pashmina. Scarf, extra layer, blanket on cold trains and planes. It covers the gap between your climates.

And the rules I never break:

✔️ Every layer presentable on its own. On the warm leg, the bottom layer IS the outfit. If you wouldn't wear it alone to lunch, it doesn't get packed. (And if you run HOT, this rule is your whole strategy in reverse: shed fast, still look put together.)

✔️ Wear the bulk on travel days. The puffer, the heaviest sweater, the boots: on your body between cities, never in the bag. I know this is annoying, but dragging a giant suitcase for 3 weeks is more uncomfortable than 2 travel days. Just my two cents. It's your trip, you 100% get to make that choice. I'm just here to help you think about it and decide what's right for you. (there are no wrong answers)

Speaking of adding cold layers to a core: here's what I've been buying for Italy lately.

Because remember, I barely own fall clothes (I always want you to shop your closet first).

My coldest half is being built from scratch right now, and here's the honest part: I haven't even SEEN most of these pieces yet. They're waiting for me at my in laws' until I'm reunited with my closet.

But they're from brands I know and love, so I'm confident they'll earn their spots. Here's what's in the pile:

✅ The Sexy Modest set: so many of you recommended this one that I just went for it. It'll double as my loungewear, which a 3-month trip absolutely requires. I ordered black because the petite version only comes in black. If you're taller than 5'4", you're in luck: plenty of cute colors for you! (this set I have with me)

✅ An alpaca turtleneck in white: warm, not bulky, layers like a dream.

✅ Merino base layers (white, slim, size S) and merino tights: the entire base of my layering system in two pieces.

✅ These studded jeans: I wouldn't call my personal style "fun," or "edgy" but I wanted one fun piece for this trip. I ordered the wrong size and had to exchange for a 26, and you guys. GORGEOUS jeans. (these I have with me)

✅ Merino cashmere socks: so soft. My feet are cold all the time LOL so I definitely need the extra warmth.

✅ A packable puffer with a hood, in Loden: my October/November jacket.

Want proof this works on a real trip? With one honest caveat.

In 2024 we spent 11 weeks in Italy, September to December, with one carry-on.

The core carried the entire trip, and my only cold weather gear was a light puffer, a denim jacket, and a pashmina. No booties. No tights. In three fall months.

But before you copy that list, you need to know WHY it's so light: we moved from north to south as the weather cooled.

Warmer city, warmer city, warmer city. Most days were sunny and around 70, and the coldest it ever got was 48. My route did half the packing for me.

That's the thing about every packing list on the internet, mine included: it was built for someone's specific trip.

Copy the list without checking the conditions behind it, and you inherit their weather, not yours. It's why the recipe above starts with YOUR trip, not with anybody's list.

If you want to see that full 2024 bag anyway (the exact pieces, 30+ outfits), it's all in my Fall in Italy packing guide, and it's a great core to build from. Fair warning with a smile: I had an expandable 22 inch carry-on back then and used every inch of it 🙈 (so yeah, I packed A LOT of tops. I've downsized a lot in the last 2 years)

⚠️ This October, the opposite trip: three months of Northern Italy cold, fog, and rain, no escape route, where the layers have to do everything the route did last time. You'll watch that bag get built piece by piece because I'm going to be sharing EVERYTHING with you!

Now, the ball's in your court 🎾

I'm taking everything from this series, your replies, my experience, all of it, and turning it into a step by step fall packing system for you. I'll share more on August 27th.

But if you know you have a fall trip on the calendar, hit reply and tell me where you're going, so I can bake your exact situation into it.

Two climates, three countries, a cruise, a wedding, whatever it is. I read and answer every single one. (just give me a couple of days to reply please 😅)

Thanks so much for being here!! I'm so excited to share more fall packing tips with you.

XO,

Aimara

>>> PS: Next Sunday: SHOES. I've made my final decisions, and figuring out fall shoes for carry-on travel was genuinely the hardest part of this whole suitcase.

🇮🇹 Heading to Italy this fall? (I created guides by region)

• ​September Guide​
• ​October Guide​
• ​November Guide​