Hello, fellow wanderlusters! My name is Rachel, and I run the travel & lifestyle blog Rachel Off Duty. This September is a crazy month for a number of reasons. First, it’s birthday month (you know the drill), and second, I’m planning to be on the road – a lot. This year, I’m spending my birthday in New York for NYFW. It’s my first time there, but I already knew that packing would be the biggest obstacle I’d need to overcome. How many outfits do you need? How do people select all of their beautiful eye-catching dresses and pants and accessories? How do people AFFORD all of this stuff, and fit it all into a suitcase? Let’s just say it – I was extremely overwhelmed!

trvl-porter-guide-to-packing-for-fashion-week-rachel-off-duty

Increasingly, designer rental companies are becoming huge lifesavers in the industry when it comes to dressing to the 9’s for an event, a wedding, or a nice work party. But what about when you’re on the road and you don’t want to worry about making sure your rented Balenciaga dress doesn’t get stained, or wrinkled, or torn after throwing it in your luggage next to your shoes and your toiletries? Who wants to be responsible for that kind of buyer’s remorse? Because of all of these reasons, I knew that Trvl Porter was going to be THE way to go when it came to getting myself outfitted for Fashion Week in New York City.

NYC Fashion Week Packing Guide

To demystify the fashion week packing process a bit, I’m sharing the entire process of my road to NYFW, and how I used Trvl Porter to tackle the obstacle of planning picture-perfect outfits on the go!

PICK YOUR STATEMENT PIECES

I started a profile and filled out info on style, fit preferences and travel details on Trvl Porter to kick off my packing. “Sporty,” “fun,” “street style chic,” and “day to night” were some of the words I used to describe the looks I was going for to complement the upcoming week. After filling out my profile, I was then provided with 16 pieces ranging from jeans and leather skirts to edgy gowns and tailored blazers. From here, I narrowed it down to the 4 key items that I was going to take with me: a cold shoulder Rebecca Taylor metallic polka dot midi dress, Diane Von Furstenberg printed wide-leg pants, Joe’s Jeans colorblock denim, and a stunning Self Portrait maxi dress. 1 casual piece, 2 dressy pieces, and 1 that could easily transition for a number of situations. When I arrived in New York, my Trvl Porter package was waiting for me to open it up and begin styling, and I was 95% ready to rock n’ roll.

TRAVEL SMARTER AND PACK LIGHTER: WHAT TO PACK WHEN USING TRVL PORTER

Now, you might think to yourself that 4 items seems like a small amount for a week like Fashion Week. While you do have the option to add more than 4 pieces to your shipment, I wanted to make sure that not only was I incorporating pieces that I already owned, but that I was also staying true to my belief that outfits do not need to be head-to-toe designer in order to be noteworthy. These 4 pieces served as a foundation for me to pepper in my own style, my own pieces, and my own self expression, all while packing just a little bit less into my suitcase. To turn these pieces into full-blown, foolproof outfits, here is what I packed to make sure I was ready for anything Fashion Week might throw my way.

LOAD UP ON BASICS IN NEUTRAL COLORS
- Tees, crop tops, neutral leotards
HAUL ONLY THE MOST VITAL FOOTWEAR
- Sneakers, flats (foldable) for when you’re running around the city, various heels
RELY ON INTERESTING ACCESSORIES
- Bags - 1 purse and 1 clutch, in addition to a backpack for whenever I needed to lug my camera around
- Sunglasses - Because you always need sunglasses
- Jewelry - Earrings, necklaces, and rings that could easily complement your wardrobe with minimal effort
PLAN FOR EMERGENCIES
- Fashion tape, Safety Pins, and Clips
- Sometimes, a piece of clothing runs big or tears at the last minute. My Rebecca Taylor dress was pretty loose, so I pinned it in the back and belted it for a better silhouette. You never know when you might need a quick fix.

THE LOOKS

With 4 statement pieces and a couple of easy additions that I already had in my closet, here are four of the looks I wore to the shows during New York Fashion Week.

TRVL PORTER: Self Portrait Maxi Dress ACCENTED: Crop Top + Statement Heels + Cross-Body Purse — **TRVL PORTER:** Self Portrait Maxi Dress
**ACCENTED:** Crop Top + Statement Heels + Cross-Body Purse

TRVL PORTER: Diane Von Furstenberg Wide-Leg Pants ACCENTED: Striped Crop Top + Statement Heels — **TRVL PORTER:** Diane Von Furstenberg Wide-Leg Pants
**ACCENTED:** Striped Crop Top + Statement Heels

TRVL PORTER: Joes Jeans ACCENTED: White Vest + Purse + Neckerchief + Boots — **TRVL PORTER:** Joes Jeans
**ACCENTED:** White Vest + Purse + Neckerchief + Boots

TRVL PORTER: Rebecca Taylor Cold Shoulder Dress ACCENTED: Statement heels + Shoestring Belt — **TRVL PORTER:** Rebecca Taylor Cold Shoulder Dress
**ACCENTED:** Statement heels + Shoestring Belt

And that is how it’s done! 4 looks, curated with Trvl Porter and a little help from the things I already had in my closet. Having fun dressing up and styling beautiful clothes for a quarter of the retail price was almost as fun as actually attending fashion shows, events and sightseeing around NYC.

Check out my personal blog + experience with Trvl Porter on Rachel Off Duty!