9 Tips to Elevate your Travel Outfits

9 WAYS FOR MOMS TO LOOK PUT TOGETHER WHEN TRAVELING

I’m a mom of 4 little kids, which means I prefer to be comfortable when I’m traveling. I’m often baby-wearing, chasing a toddler, buckling kids into car seats, or hauling snacks and cameras in a backpack, so athleisure and soft leggings are my go-to outfits of choice.

However, my mom (who learned this from her mum, a Londoner) ingrained it in my mind that whenever you’re traveling you should look polished and put together.

I believe it’s completely possible to combine comfort and style when it comes to travel outfits! A piece of meaningful jewelry is the perfect way to elevate my style from boring to chic. I love my personalized necklaces from Rellery to make me feel confident and stylish whether I’m in an airport trying to keep kids occupied or pushing a stroller through a new city as we explore.

Below you’ll find my top 9 tips for improving your travel style as a mom during this stage of life where comfort is king.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Rellery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

1. Start with neutrals.

I don’t know about you, but I tend to wear the same clothes over and over as a mom. I find myself reaching for the clothes that fit well, are flattering, and are, of course, comfortable. This is why I always tend toward neutrals when I’m shopping. I don’t own a lot of clothes, so I want the clothes I do have to be easy to mix and match.

This is perfect for travel because with neutrals you can limit the number of clothing items you pack, leaving room for snacks, extra diapers, sound machines, baby food, and more!

Plus, neutrals tend to look better in photographs. It’s easier to match whatever your kids are wearing or highlight the destination in your photos when you’re wearing chic neutrals.

2. Stay well-groomed.

I find that I’m most confident when my hair and makeup are done, and my nails are clean and well-kept. Don’t get me wrong- you don’t have to overdo it on makeup or even paint your nails. I actually hate having nail polish on my fingers.

What I mean is, find a hair and makeup look you can keep up with on the road that makes you feel confident. It could be just tinted moisturizer and mascara, or you could go all out with contour, highlights, eyeshadow, and eyeliner. You could wear your hair long or short, straight or wavy, but find a look that works for you and is easy to maintain. (I always like to get my hair cut or highlighted a week or two before a big vacation!)

Keep your nails trimmed, filed, and clean with a travel nail kit, keep some travel-sized dry shampoo in your bag, and make sure you have your favorite concealer or bronzer or whatever you go-to makeup product is, and you’ll feel fresh and confident even after a 5-hour flight wrangling a toddler.

3. Invest in meaningful jewelry.

Sometimes when you’re wearing leggings and a neutral sweater, and you’ve done the bare minimum beauty routine, you may feel put together, but you also feel kind of bland, like something is missing.

When you add a piece of meaningful jewelry that can match any outfit, whether you’re hiking or going out to dinner, you pull the whole look together!

Rellery had the most elegant personalized necklaces . They only use precious metals, which means your premium jewelry will last a long time. You can sleep in it, shower in it, and swim in it, and never have to worry about fading or discoloration. This is perfect for the mom that loves to travel. When I’m on the road I never take my jewelry off for fear of losing it or forgetting it.

Another thing I love about my Rellery necklaces is that they’re lightweight yet strong. I have a 7-month-old baby who grabs and pulls anything she can get her hands on, including my necklaces!

If I’m going to invest in jewelry, I want it to mean something, so I love that you can personalize your Rellery bar necklaces and disk necklaces. I chose a bar necklace with each of my kids’ first initials on it, and it’s so subtle and chic. Other ideas for travel-loving moms might be the coordinates of a location that’s special to you, the name of a city that holds wonderful memories for your family, or an inspirational word like “explore” or “wander.”

Finally, you can rest assured knowing that Rellery jewelry is ethically sourced and made, and sold directly to consumers, so you don’t have to worry about price markups.

4. Prioritize skincare.

Now that I’m in my 30s, I realize that an important part of looking and feeling good is taking care of my skin. I never used to invest in my skincare. In my 20s I would buy the cheapest moisturizer I could find and never looked into serums or face oils.

Nowadays I still like to keep my skincare routine simple, but I do invest in a few quality face serums. I drink tons of water, and I always use SPF on my face.

Having healthy skin makes me feel confident even if I don’t have time to put on makeup.

This is especially hard when you’re traveling. Planes tend to dry out your skin, and often you’re in a new environment that’s either more humid or drier than you’re used to.

A few tips from an experienced traveler:

Buy travel-sized versions of your favorite skincare products, and keep them in your travel toiletry bag so you can keep your skincare routine the same whenever you’re traveling.
Buy a makeup remover washcloth to keep in your toiletry bag.
Use travel-sized containers or bottles for skincare products that don’t come in miniature versions and squeeze a little bit of product into the containers.
Start drinking a ton of water 24 hours before your plane ride or road trip.
Bring moisturizing lip balm and something to brighten and revitalize your eyes.

5. Perfect the art of the touch-up.

I always keep concealer, deodorant, blush, and dry shampoo in an easily-accessible bag in my carry-on or purse.

There’s nothing like a day on a plane or in a car to make your makeup fade or flatten your hair, so make sure to stop in the restroom right after your travels to freshen up.

A little concealer, a tinted lip balm, and running a brush through your hair can make all the difference.

6. Have a few chic accessories.

I have a few chic accessories I always bring when I’m on the road, like a beautiful cross-body purse and a pair of sunglasses.

Yes, I’m always lugging around a backpack full of snacks, diapers, wipes, and my cameras, but I also keep a cross-body bag with my wallet, phone, and anything I need to quickly access.

That way, I can put the backpack in the bottom of the stroller or attach it to my suitcase so I can still look good while traveling.

The sunglasses are perfect for if you’re tired and puffy.

You may also want to consider a blanket scarf, a cute hat, or a waist pack.

7. Find one pair of cute and comfy shoes that match everything.

Ok, maybe two pairs.

But seriously, I can’t believe I used to wear uncomfortable heels all day, or cheap, ill-fitting flats. At 32, my feet no longer care to be stuffed into terrible shoes no matter how cute they are.

In summer, I wear neutral-colored handmade Greek sandals every day. They have a flexible Vibram sole and the leather softens over time, making them the perfect shoe no matter which outfit I’m wearing.

I’m still working on finding my go-to winter shoes, but I like the look of slip-on sneakers or flat ankle boots.

Keep in mind that when you’re traveling, you’ll probably be walking more than usual, so make sure the shoes are broken in and comfortable.

Thankfully, sneakers are in style nowadays, so you can totally pair neutral sneakers with a dress, leggings, jeans, or whatever other outfits you’ve packed!

8. Do a spot check.

Guys. It is SO HARD to stay clean when you’re taking care of babies and toddlers, especially when you’re traveling.

Messes happen. Food gets everywhere. Spit up can ruin your outfit. Kids have accidents. Messy fingers touch your clothes. You might be shedding hair if you’re postpartum.

Keep a small kit in your bag to take care of these small messes and stains while you’re on-the-go.

A Tide pen, a small package of wipes, a tiny lint roller, and even a spare baby washcloth can fit perfectly into any bag and will help you take care of stains and spills quickly.

Nothing makes me feel more frumpy than stains on my outfit, so I do a quick once-over several times throughout the day to make sure I didn’t miss something.

Oh...and ALWAYS keep a spare shirt for yourself and your baby and toddler when you’re away from home. Sometimes certain stains are too big for your handy little kit and will require a washing machine or even the trash can.

9. Have confidence.

You know what? Sometimes as moms we can’t help it if our hair hasn’t been highlighted in a year or we didn’t have time to file our nails or our outfit has baby spit up or breast milk all over it.

That doesn’t mean you still can’t rock the look.

No clothing item or expensive haircut will replace being comfortable in your own skin and the joy that radiates from within.

Remember, confidence comes from being secure in who you are as a person. For me, that means taking a few minutes each day to read my Bible. It also means having purpose in my life. I love having this blog and my work as a travel writer. I love being a stay-at-home mom. Both give me a reason to wake up and rock the day.

So yes, take the time to get ready. Invest in pieces that make you feel good. But also find your joy and you’ll look radiant no matter what.

FINDING THE MISSING PIECE OF THE PUZZLE

I’m so happy I found Rellery. Some days I would do my hair and makeup, get dressed, but it still felt like something was missing.

Adding my Rellery necklaces really ended up pulling my outfits together and made me feel stylish without even trying.

I haven’t taken those pieces off since they arrived in the mail, and they truly work with my busy lifestyle as a stay-at-home mom of 4 and a travel writer who is always on-the-go.

If there’s one way to treat yourself, it’s by investing in meaningful jewelry that you will wear day in and day out.

(Or with the holidays coming up, drop a few hints to your significant other!)

Here are a few of my other favorites that you may love:

Thanks again to Rellery for sponsoring this post. I think all moms will LOVE their jewelry! Find more options and collections on the Rellery homepage!