LIM College

 by Victoria DiPiazza

As all of my friends will tell you that I am known for being over-organized and making extremely detailed to-do lists. So when it comes to packing for my Co-Op in London this semester you can imagine how long my list is (cough), four pages, (cough).

Packing clothes for four months into one suitcase and a carry-on seems like the impossible. Never mind the fact that I will be flying on my own to another country for the first time. Still, getting all of my fashion needs to fit is much more terrifying, right?

To fix this fashion student problem I have gone to my favorite tips website, Pinterest, to help me find some solutions. What I discovered is that capsule wardrobes are the new way to pack when traveling. As I will be interning there rather then attending classes where you can wear sweatpants everyday, I need to make sure I pack many trendy and professional pieces.

Here are some tips that I came across, which I have used as the guidelines to cut down my list:

1. Mix & match is your new favorite term
2. Choose a limited color palette (Mine consists of black, white, maroon, gray, and tan.)
3. Keep in mind your everyday lifestyle looks (In my case, interning four days a week & minimal weekend travel outfits.)
4. Consider your destination and the season it will be
5. You don’t need 10 pairs of shoes! (This is one of the harder concepts to accept.)
6. Bring the basics. You will save space in your suitcase and leave plenty of room for all the cute clothes you will want to buy when traveling on the weekends
7. Eliminate the pieces you know you’ll only wear once
8. When you think your done picking out your clothes, go through it again and take out a couple more pieces (You most likely have more then you need.)

Of course I have fears because I don't know any of the people who will be my roommates in the flat, yet, I know that I can branch out and meet new people easily.

I am very excited to be starting my co-op. I will be a buying intern for THEN AND NOW, an online luxury retailer who sells current and past season designer collections at a discount price. Learning about London fashion as well as a different business culture is an experience I am really looking forward to.

After months of planning and preparing for this trip, I can’t believe that I will be there in less than two weeks. I am very excited to be blogging this semester and sharing my London adventure with you all!

Best of luck to everyone on the start of their spring semester!