1 bag + 3 days

I travel a lot for work, so in the three+ years I've been in this position I have honed the fine art of packing light--particularly for shorter trips--and actually enjoy the challenge of seeing how stylish I can be with the fewest number of items.

I've found the key to packing light is to spend some time before a trip considering dress code, the events I'll be attending, weather, etc. Once I've taken these factors into consideration, I then begin assessing what outfits nicely coordinate so that I can take as few accessories and shoes as possible. For shorter trips I typically pack everything in a Vera Bradley duffle and, if necessary, a matching garment bag, which means I have lots and lots of pockets to hold underwear, electronic chargers, my exercise band, etc. I also have a small toiletry organizer that I keep filled with all the essentials (and I refill it as soon as I come home), so that all I have to pack are my glasses/contacts and make-up.

I recently spent three days in Chicago, and for a trip that brief I just couldn't justify packing anything larger than a carry-on (plus waiting at the luggage carousel would cut into the little bit of free time I had...so let's see...should I wait for my suitcase or hit the shoe department at Nordstrom? There's really no question, is there?). Plus the dress code for the training I attended was business casual, so that made packing a carry-on even more feasible since I didn't need to take bulky suits.

Here's the breakdown of the clothes and accessories I packed for Chicago:

• Wide-legged white jeans (Paper Denim Cloth Jayne)
• Yellow hammered silk cami (J. Crew)
• Tan short-sleeved cardigan (Gap)
• Brown bow tank (Gap)
• Olive soutache trim cropped jacket (BCBG Max Azria)
• Olive silk pants (BCBG Max Azria)
• Tan pleated dress (H&M)
• Khaki shirt dress (Bonton)
• Nightie
• Panties/bra
• Chunky tiger's eye necklace (Stella & Dot)
• Hammered gold hoops (Stella & Dot)
• Gold and cream enamel cuff (Vintage)
• Hammered gold and silver stacking rings (Stella & Dot)
• Gold hoops (gift)
• Green amethyst medallion necklace (Tracy Matthews Designs)
• Gold braided bangles (J. Crew)
• Green amethyst ring (gift)
• Cream woven belt (TJ Maxx)
• Green macrame belt (Vintage)
• Tank watch (gift)
• Gladiator sandals (Corso Como)
• Peeptoe wedges (Faryl Robin)

Here's the breakdown of how I wore the outfits: 1. Sunday travel to Chicago; 2. Sunday night reception at Navy Pier; 3. Tuesday training and travel home (these pants were the best thing I've ever travelled in!); 4. Monday night dinner at Cafe Riva; 5. Monday training

I hope these tips help you out after work tonight as you're hurriedly packing a bag for a fabulous long-weekend getaway!