PACKING FOR A HAND LUGGAGE HOLIDAY

It's fair to say that low cost air travel isn't always as low cost as it may seem. Whilst the cost for your seat might be reasonable, some of the additional charges and taxes aren't.

I love to travel abroad and I'm always lured in by the adverts of return flights to exciting European cities for under £20. Yet by the time I get to the payment screen the price has doubled, if not tripled. And the one charge I always begrudgingly pay is for check-in baggage. Not that I don't want the extra kilos (believe me I do), its just that the cost attached for the privilege is extortionate.

A friend of mine tweeted at me a couple of weeks ago with the only solution to to avoiding check-in baggage costs, hand luggage.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, I started thinking about what I would pack for a seven night stay in Spain using hand luggage. I excluded toiletries and sun lotion as I'd buy them at the destination to allow maximum room for clothes!

My top tips for packing for a hand luggage holiday are:
1. Plan your outfits. I always lay out my tops and match my trousers or shorts to ensure I have outfit options. There's no point packing your favourite shirt, if you have nothing to wear with it. Also, try and wear the bulkiest items on the journey.
2. Pack versatile pieces. It's important to have a good mix of basics and patterns to ensure you can mix and match the things that you pack.
3. Contingencies. Although your space is tight, try and make sure you have packed more tops than you have the number of days you are staying. This is to cover any unplanned activities or accidents.

Whenever I go on a summer holiday I always pack too many footwear options! I always kid myself that I will be able to comfortably wear gladiator sandals around the city but the truth is, I usually wear them on the first day, burn my feet and can't wear them again because the straps rub against the sunburn. So what I have now learnt is that I spend the majority of my summer holidays wearing flip flops. Comfortable, great for the beach and the city and you can wear them with anything. I also always take a pair of shoes for the flight and for going out at night. There's nothing worse than getting off the plane on your journey home to wet weather when you're wearing flip flops. Trust me, those aircraft steps are a hazard in the rain.

For a seven night, hand luggage holiday I would take three pairs of shorts. I love mixing prints through tops and shorts so I would pack one plain pair that I could wear with print tops and one patterned pair I could wear with plain tops. When I'm on holiday I prefer to explore the place I'm visiting rather than stay by the beach everyday so one pair of swim shorts would be enough for me. I love these bright orange ones inspired by the S/S collection from DSquared2.

If you're going somewhere like Spain then you are almost guaranteed sunshine and warm weather so unless you are incredibly unlucky, you should be spending most of your time in shorts. Personally, I never like to fly in shorts as I always get cold. So these chinos are a great travel and evening wear option.

I can not go on holiday to a hot climate country without a selection of vests. I think that slub vests are the most comfortable thing to wear during the day and look cool on the beach or when you're off exploring. The loose fit means that they keep you cool and if you haven't had time to hit the gym, they won't show you up. I always try and pack a selection of different prints from a selection of trends to try and create a different look each day.

With t-shirts I always try to include a few basics to wear with the patterned shorts and also as layering pieces for your shirts.

I never usually pack many shirts as I find them too restrictive to wear when the weather is hot. It's good to have a little selection though for daytime and evening wear.

This hoodie is perfect for travelling. It's lightweight and it will keep you warm during the flight. Plus it's always good to have jacket incase the weather takes a turn for the worse or the nights get cold.

Sunglasses and a straw trilby are a must have for a summer holiday, they're both essential for sun protection. I always carry or wear my hat on board as packing it usually ruins it and I hang my sunglasses from my t-shirt.

Here's a few snapshots from my travels.

SPRING/SUMMER FOOTWEAR

Choosing footwear for s/s in this country is always a challenge. I have lost track of the amount of times I have bought footwear at this time of year and come summer, they're still sitting I'm my wardrobe with tags on. Unfortunately for us Brits, we are never guaranteed dry, warm summer weather which for me, makes buying footwear for this time of the year difficult. Last year was more successful than previous years, not because of the weather (that was awful) but because of the success of the boat shoe. Unlike espadrilles, boat shoes come with solid soles and are usually made of leather. So for the times when the weather was seemingly unpredictable they were the perfect choice. Cool enough to wear if it was a warm day and solid enough to keep your feet dry if there was a down pour. Also, boat shoes were a versatile option as they look equally good with shorts or chinos.

This s/s there are some exciting new trends inspired by the catwalks! However, you will still see easy to wear styles such as espadrilles, canvas, boat shoes and flip flops in footwear sections in most high st stores.

Here are the four footwear trends I'm most excited about!

The last few years have seen the popularity in men's gladiator sandals increase. What was once a staple in every girl's boho chic wardrobe crossed over into menswear and every summer for the past few years we have seen more and more retailers pick up the style.
If the catwalks are anything to go by, this year should bring similar styles to last year but with an Olympic feel. The designers showcased a range of colours, strap and embellishment detailing and interestingly, socks!
I think we are a few years from socks and sandals becoming a wearable look, but I do think that the sandals alone will become more mainstream. So for the men who have not felt comfortable up styling from flip flops, this might just be your year. Shorts and gladiator sandals are an obvious pairing so try wearing them with full length, smart chinos and shirt and wear your sandals with authority.

I am really excited about this new trend. Fringe detailing appeared on leather, woven, suede, moccasins, brogues, I could go on! The look is simple and easy to wear as it's more of an accessory to classic footwear styles. I particularly like the style on smart shoes much like the pair from Zara below. They are a great way to liven up your boring work wear!

Now I'm no expert on what the exact difference between the two is, but from what I can gather, loafers have heels and moccasins don't. What I do know, is that they were a huge look on the designers s/s12 catwalk shows. Both styles are slip on, easy to wear shoes which make them great for s/s, plus they're a great alternative to boat shoes! As moccasins don't have a heel they're a good casual footwear option that can be used to dress down chinos or worn with shorts. Loafers are great for dressing up outfits as most options available on the high st so far come in formal styles in black/brown leather and with various detailing.

I can't wait to get my hands on some shoes with contrasting, coloured soles!! I think they are so cool and what better way to add something new to your favourite style? The other new look, wedged soles is an interesting idea. Whilst they're nothing like ladies wedged heels I can't help but think that for a lot of men the comparisons will linger in their decision making process when it comes to buying these.

So, which style(s) are you going to be wearing this year?