There are two kinds of women reading this email right now.

One of you has a packing list that was made months ago. Checked twice. Possibly color coded. Your suitcase comes out of the closet 2 months early “to give yourself time.”

The other one? Your bag doesn’t come out until the night before. Maybe the morning of. You throw a few things in, zip it, and tell yourself what you always tell yourself: it always works out.

Type A packer. Type B packer.

You already know which one you are. (you’re already defending yourself in your head, aren’t you? 😂)

And today we’re settling this, because fall packing is hard for both of you, just in completely different ways.

First, my confession.

I’m Type A. Deeply. I plan every single outfit to the dot. MONTHS in advance. I started working on the "ideal" packing list for our first year of full time travel 2 YEARS in advance. That's how excited/anxious I was.

Earlier this year I turned packing into an actual sudoku puzzle. Then I built a calculator that does packing math.

Who does that? Me. That’s who 🙋🏻‍♀️

But 5 years of full time travel forced me to learn some Type B skills, because when you pack for longer trips, the Type A way will burn you out.

I’ve had to let go of backup outfits, trust that I can figure things out, and remind myself that I’m not flying to the moon: I’m going somewhere with stores (most times, at least).

So yes, I try to be both. But most of what you're about to read didn't come from my suitcase. It came from yours.

Years of your replies and our packing conversations taught me exactly how each type shines and where each type gets stuck.

Let's start with the shining part.

💪🏼 Type A packers, your strengths:

✅ Nothing gets forgotten. The charger, the meds, the umbrella. It’s all on the list, and the list has been checked twice.

✅ Your boots are broken in and your returns were done with weeks to spare. September you thanks July you.

✅ You test your layers in the mirror at home, not in a hotel room at 7am. I preach this constantly. You already live it.

😬 Type A packers, your weaknesses:

❌ You pack for imaginary scenarios. The fancy dinner that never happens. “Just in case” is doing a LOT of heavy lifting in your suitcase (literally).

❌ You bring backup outfits. Often times backup outfits for the backup outfits.

❌ When the forecast changes three days before the trip, you don’t adjust. You spiral. The whole plan feels ruined and you start over.

💪🏼 Type B packers, your strengths:

✅ You’re flexible. Plans change, weather changes, and you shrug and adapt. Nothing spirals.

✅ You don’t lose months of your life to packing stress. You pack the night before in one burst of controlled chaos and go live your life.

✅ You genuinely believe you’ll figure it out. And honestly? You usually do.

😬 Type B packers, your weaknesses:

❌ Something important gets forgotten. Not a top. The charger. The medication. The one bra that works under everything.

❌ Your suitcase ends up overstuffed in one category and empty in another. Five sweaters, one pair of pants, somehow zero socks.

❌ Nothing matches, so “I have nothing to wear” follows you on vacation. You packed a full bag and still can’t make an outfit.

Now the fun part: borrowing from each other.

Type A, steal this from Type B: trust.

You don’t need the just in case pile. If something unexpected happens, you’ll handle it, because you handle everything (you just never give yourself credit for it). Cut the backup outfits.

Type B, steal this from Type A: ONE habit.

Not the spreadsheet. Not the color coded cubes. Just this: open your suitcase three days early.

You don’t even have to pack it. Just leave it open and toss things in as you think of them. Three days gives your brain time to remember the charger, the meds, and that one bra. And you still get your night before chaos session, just with way better results.

💡 Pro tip for type B: choose a color palette before you start packing and stick to it. This way your pieces will mix and match and you won't run out of outfits by day 3.

And here’s what I want you to hear before fall gets any closer.

The fall panic always ends in the same sentence: “there’s no way this is a carry-on trip.”

Type A thinks it because fall weather refuses to be planned. Type B thinks it because bulky season feels like it needs more organization than she signed up for.

You’re both wrong, for the same reason: packing light was never a personality type. It’s a system.

And the system starts the same way for both types: bottoms first.

Your bottoms decide your tops, your shoes, and your colors, so everything you toss in after them already matches.

A system does the organized part for you and leaves room for the spontaneous part, which means it works whether you’re a planner or a last minute kind of packer.

For my trip to Italy this year I'm relying on these (I'm going to be testing at least 3 carry-on packing lists for you):

• Ponte pants, in two fits: straight leg and wide leg. The straight leg ones come in lengths from extra short to extra long. I got the extra short and they hit right at my ankle (I'm 5'4").
• ​Black skinny jeans. These will be my workhorse for 3 months. So easy to style!
• The Athleta Endless High Rise Pant. I got the straight leg version in the color Botanical. GORGEOUS!
• And these fun studded jeans, which I'm packing purely for fun. I haven't tested them for travel yet, so stay tuned. They look so cool with my sock booties 😍

Fall in one carry-on is possible whether you're a type A or B. I need you to believe that before October gets here.

Thanks so much for being here!!

XO,

Aimara

In case you've missed any of the fall packing email series, here you go:

• ​My layering strategy for fall trips​
• ​The packing math for trips with 2 climates​
• ​My shoe strategy for fall trips​
• ​The airport outfit strategy for fall trips​

I want you to win at packing light. I just had the most MISERABLE travel day because I traveled with a giant suitcase. Long story, will share that soon. It was bad.