What I packed for a fall weekend in Charleston

The Garanimals system I use for packing and what I've been reading and watching on my beach vacation.

Three quarters of The Ladycationers on a Charleston getaway.

Hello, Midlifers! As many of you know, I slipped away in late October for a getaway with three friends to Charleston. Aside from discovering the city’s charm and outstanding food scene, I was excited that for the first time — ever? — I really liked what I packed in my carry-on to wear.

I am historically a hideous packer. I wait too long. I go out and buy new things. I then try to cram everything into my suitcase and what I guess we now refer to as a “personal item,” so that it requires super-human strength to lug all that — and the three books I am sure I will read in four days as well as my journal — through the airport.

Guys, I think I am getting not only too old to drag all that stuff around but also, maybe a little too old to care about having the perfect outfits. I am far too happy nowadays just to make do.

The result, at least for this girls getaway to Charleston, was that I had arrived with a bag full of clothes and accessories that all worked together and also, if I may say so, looked quite cute. It harkened back to an ongoing conversation I’ve been having with a coworker about simplifying wardrobes.

“You need Garanimals for grown ups,” I joked, referring to the children’s clothing line introduced in the 1970s that used tags with animals to indicated what pieces matched (ex: pairing a zebra top with a zebra bottom). For me, what that looks like is a closet full of neutral clothing that all go together. It may be boring but it works.

I told her how when I worked at Mirabella magazine in the early 1990s, the fashion editors were often dressed all in black, with maybe a fabulous bracelet or hairstyle to lend some oomph. Something about how they wore it made it very chic.

Here’s a rundown of what I packed for the three-night trip.

Friday

We flew out from Newark Airport at midday and I opted for comfort for the 90-minute flight. I HAD to have this set after seeing how put together a friend looked wearing it after a cross-country flight when I picked her up from Newark Airport.

My Frank and Eileen travel set is black (which is not an option right now) and pricey. But it looks great.

I’ve recently seen this Spanx Air Essentials set hyped by both Oprah and Katie Couric in her daily newsletter.

This set from Spanx also comes in navy and black.

Here’s something a little more budget-friendly from Amazon that definitely gives Spanx Air Essentials for a fraction of the price.

This Amazon bestseller definitely looks like a slightly elevated sweatsuit.

Saturday

If you ask me, the star of my weekend wardrobe was the black linen button down dress I’d bought at the end of last spring from Old Navy. She is a workhorse that I’ve worn to work, out to lunch over the summer and for a day of sightseeing in Charleston. I paired with my black Adidas Sambas and I felt cute and cool walking around the city on a hot and humid October Saturday.

My Old Navy dress is sold out but here is an option from Frank and Eileen in a similar style.

How lucky am I that in my declining years, sneakers are trending and can be worn seemingly with anything, anywhere. I wore my Adidas Sambas on the plane and then wore with all my daytime outfits, including the linen dress.

My cute and trendy coworker has these Sambas in white and we joke when we wear them on the same day we’re going to play soccer at lunch.

Saturday night was dinner at the famous Hank’s Seafood, where I became engaged to a bowl of shrimp and grits. For the occasion, I wore my favorite pants from Everlane that I ALWAYS get compliments on. I paired it with one of the numerous long sleeved black tshirts I picked up at The Gap Factory store, a black belt that looks a lot fancier than it is and this cute black denim jacket with puffed shoulders I picked up in early fall.

Utility Barrel Pant from Everlane.

Sunday

We spent Sunday taking an early morning carriage ride through the city to learn a little bit about its history and see sections we hadn’t seen while walking back and forth to our Airbnb. I wore these soft and stretchy jeans with my trusty striped tshirt and Sambas.

I impulsively bought these Citizens of Humanity jeans at Anthro last spring before heading to San Diego for a conference and they’ve become my go-to jeans to dress up or down.

That night we went to see Lake Street Dive in concert with some snacks and drinks (club soda — no ice! — for me) at the chichi Dewberry Hotel. I paired the same jeans with a drapey sleeveless white top that’s kind of like this but also magically covers my upper arms. I had packed little black kitten heel booties to wear but with all our walking, opted for these mary janes I’d also picked up for the conference that are very comfortable. I had also packed this faux leather moto jacket but decided last minute it was too warm out and then regretted that decision as the night wore on and cooled down.

I like to think these don’t scream NATURALIZER (but that’s what they are).

sunday shares: read + watch + cook + buy

Double booked. I accidentally booked the Charleston trip forgetting that my two daughters and I had planned a week in Aruba about a year ago taking advantage of a friend’s timeshare on the beach. I told one of the girls in August that I was going to Charleston at the end of October and she was like, “Oh, you’re doing that and then going to Aruba with us the next weekend?” and I was like, “Whoops.”

What I’ve read on the beach this week. I finally finished The Covenant of Water, which I read on the heels of Cutting for Stone (which I preferred). I don’t recommend reading the two in a row, it takes away from the great characters and stories the author creates. I blew through a really great murder mystery set in Australia, called The Dry. My very smart and well-read friend had recommended and it really does stick the landing in the end. Finally, I am BLOWING THROUGH The Fourth Wing, which I can’t stop talking about to my daughters and compare to Twilight but with dragons. It’s follow up just came out and the author is this year’s Colleen Hoover in that it’s an overnight success that was a decade in the making. If you like romance and fantasy (yes and yes for me), then I can’t recommend enough (I hope that very smart friend isn’t too disappointed in this selection).

What I watched on the plane. I fly home later today and can’t wait to watch the last episode of All the Light We Cannot See on Netflix. I flew through the first three on the flight to Aruba last week and it’s really wonderful and I have to imagine will win a lot of awards, it’s so well done. I also read the book long after it was on the bestseller list and loved that as well.

Asking for a friend. If you missed the conversation this week, we’ve been talking about how to streamline packing toiletries for trips. So far, we’ve gotten some great tips and also, feel a lot less alone knowing we’re not the only ones packing our entire skin regimen for a two-night trip. Got something to share? Please chime in!

See you next Sunday.

xo Amy