April 11, 2025

|

|

What I Packed for 10 Days in Florida: Hits, Misses & Travel Favorites

Hi, friends! I just wrapped up a few beautiful days in Ponte Vedra, and now we’re heading up to Amelia Island for the weekend. I’ve never been, but Cyndi and Wayne were just there and loved it—so I’m excited to explore somewhere new before heading home.

Before we left, I pulled together a packing list that felt pretty reasonable… but somewhere along the way, I overdid it (again!). These Florida trips are tricky to pack for because we don’t usually have a set itinerary, and warm-weather clothes take up so little space that it’s easy to toss in a few extra “just in case” pieces. But when I went to repack my suitcase last night, I realized I definitely brought more than I needed.

Today’s post is all about what I packed—what worked well, what I didn’t end up wearing, and a few thoughts on how I’d streamline it next time. Hopefully it’s helpful if you’re planning a warm-weather trip soon!

To keep things manageable, we divided the graphics into sections. The photo above shows my travel outfit on the way to Florida, and that has actually been one of my most-worn looks this entire trip! The exact pants & tank are sold out, so I linked similar. I’ve worn them with my white hoodie every single morning while working from the lobby of our resort.

Sadly, I haven’t needed all of the workout gear I packed. I wore my running sneakers for travel since they’re the bulkiest shoes I brought, and they were great for walking through the airport, but I haven’t really used them here. I did wear the Vuori shorts and Zella tank for a beach walk one morning and hope to fit in another, but I haven’t made it to the gym yet. Maybe this weekend…

I also threw in my Lululemon belt bag because I really wished I’d had it on our Sarasota trip last month for casual morning walks into town when I was wearing workout gear. But I haven’t needed it here, since there isn’t really a walkable downtown area nearby. We’ve mostly been walking on the beach or around the neighborhood. That’s what I mean… sometimes you just don’t know what you need until you get where you’re going!

At any rate, here’s what I packed for travel days, workouts, and casual mornings:

Next up up: everything I packed for our day-to-day activities: (not including workout clothes or beach/pool wear).

As you can see, I packed a lot of tops—and probably too many dresses, considering I haven’t even worn one yet. Haha! I’m not really a “dress girlie,” although I usually wear more on vacation and once summer rolls around. After the first day or two, it cooled off quite a bit here, especially by the water, so dresses just haven’t seemed like the right choice for most of our activities.

I actually took out a pair of shorts at the last minute while packing, and I’m glad I did—I definitely didn’t need them. I’ve only worn my white shorts so far. Most days, I’ve been reaching for the white or blue jeans instead.

I’ll be sharing what I actually wore in next week’s What I Wore Lately post, so I won’t go too deep into that here—but this is the bulk of what I packed for everyday wear:

As for my pool and beach wear…

I had planned to spend at least a few hours each day by the pool or on the beach, like we did in Sarasota last month, so I packed three swimsuits for this trip. But this time, things have played out a little differently. I know people in this area that I wanted to see, and we also wanted to do some of the historical stuff in St. Augustine, so we haven’t had quite as much pool time as I expected.

That said, we’re heading to Amelia Island next, and I think that part of the trip will be more relaxed. While I’ll probably end up wearing all three swimsuits before we head home, I probably could’ve gotten by with two. But you just never know…

At least, I only brought one dedicated cover-up. I also packed the Aiden Crop Shirting and my white shorts since I knew they could double as a swim cover-up in a pinch. In fact, I’m planning to wear that combo today while we switch resorts—just in case our room isn’t ready when we arrive and we want to head straight to the pool.

The straw tote lays flat in the bottom of my suitcase, and I always pack my sun hat upside down and stuff it with bras and underwear. Then I just pack a bunch of my toiletries, etc. around it. It works pretty well!

Here’s what I packed for pool and beach days:

Finally, my bags, shoes, and accessories…

Here’s where I’m actually glad I threw in a few extras at the last minute! This NAGHEDI hobo was a last-minute addition, and it has been especially handy. It’s roomy enough to double as a beach bag, and it also holds my laptop when I come down to work in the lobby (and when I met Sydney for coffee). It even packed surprisingly flat, which made it easy to squeeze into my suitcase. (And bonus: it’s on sale right now!)

While it’s not quite as dressy as the rattan shoulder bag I brought, the hobo could’ve worked for most of our dinners out, too. That said, I do like having the smaller option when I don’t want to carry much. And it just occurred to me that since I checked my suitcase, I could technically use the NAGHEDI hobo (or even the straw tote from my beach section) as my personal item. I might do that on the way home, actually. I’m leaving with more than I brought down, and I’m definitely going to need the extra space!

I almost brought my boat shoes but decided to leave them behind at the last minute—and I haven’t missed them once. I did bring my VEJA sneakers as a more polished option than my running shoes for sightseeing or days with lots of walking. I also packed brown leather slides for when I want to level up an outfit just a bit. And since EVEREVE sent me the woven heels to style with their dresses for our brand collab, I figured I’d be set if I wanted to dress up a bit more. And of course, I have the flip flops I packed with my pool/beach gear—they’ve come in handy for daily wear, too.

Beyond that, I brought an assortment of jewelry and my two favorite pairs of sunglasses.

Here’s everything I packed to finish off my outfits. (And just to clarify—I only brought two bags on this trip, but I linked a few similar-for-less options below in case you’re looking for something more budget-friendly.)

So that’s that! I definitely overpacked in a few areas, but overall I’m happy with the options I brought, and at least I haven’t found myself wishing I’d packed something I left behind. Hopefully this gives you some ideas if you’re planning a warm-weather getaway or just looking to refresh your spring/summer wardrobe.

Feel free to pin or bookmark this post for future packing reference, and if you have any questions about fit or sizing, drop a comment below. I’m always happy to help!

Stay In Touch

If you liked this post, be sure you’re signed up for my email newsletter. In addition to my most recent blog posts, you’ll receive exclusive newsletter content like special sales, my newest favorite finds, and an occasional peek behind the scenes — all delivered right to your inbox.

I would also love for you to join my JLS Fashion Insiders Facebook Group! This is a friendly place to discuss all matters of fashion and style with other women, share your outfits, get advice, and stay up to date on all the happenings in our community.

Join The Conversation

12 Responses

  1. Oh the joys of packing I’m in the same pickle myself as we’re heading away this weekend to Orlando Florida for a family vacation. I know we’ll be doing lots of trips to the resort pools, lazy rivers, a trip to a waterpark, a few beach days.and a few local things like downtown Disney, etc. so I have a mix of things I need to bring, but I’m trying to stay more casual with a couple dressier outfits for evenings out like a long maxi dress, white linen pants, etc. I’ve been planning my outfits for the past few weeks setting things aside trying things on to see what works what doesn’t work and what I can mix a match with so that I can get more than one use out of an item .I find I’m deleting things from the pile I was planning to take. I also plan to do some shopping while we’re away as I can’t stay away from the US shopping when we’re on our trips so I plan to be bringing stuff back home if need be I’ll buy a bigger suitcase. Check that one coming home ..but for now I plan to do it all with my carry-on as I usually do. I’ve learned to pack for 10 days in a carry-on and I always seem to have done well and have room to bring things back.
    Thank goodness summer stuff is light and not heavy and I absolutely love my packing cubes which I contribute to you and find I can stay more organized when packing as well. Hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation. I’m looking forward to the sunny hot weather.

  2. I’m a chronic over-packer. I would rather have too many options than not enough. You should see how many clothes I pack for a two day trip to visit my daughter and her family! I like the way you divided your wardrobe choices into sections, it’s not so over-whelming. Thanks for taking the time to post this while you are vacationing!

  3. JoLynne, you are Great! I started reading the post and thought I’d just look once again to see if maybe you’d link the cute YSL bag shown in your previous post that I’d inquired about… and Voila, there it was! At least I now know the name and can watch for it at our local Fashionphile or elsewhere. (Now I can go back and enjoy your post for the day!)

  4. Love the jacket in the first picture (travel pic with the suitcases), but the link takes me to a luggage piece. When you get a chance could you please update?

  5. Shoes are my weakness. I need options ha. On a week trip I find I’ll bring 1 pair closed toe slip on loafer/ tennis style in grey usually and then 4 pairs of sandals, 2 black and 2 tan plus flip flops and houseshoes. So I think you did really good on the shoe front and yes always more tops using up all the room reasoning things will stay put better if suitcase is full 🤣

  6. I’m an overpacker and need or want I should say, lots of shoe options. Packing is stressful and I’d like to be able to streamline it. For a weekend get away I literally pack for a week or more. lol Your trip sounds nice. We rarely sit by the pool. We like to go and see the sites.

  7. I love the layout of this post! I have always overpacked (you just never know?!) However, I just returned from a 12 day trip to Spain to visit my son, and did carry-on only. I packed pieces that were lighter weight(so I could hand wash and dry) and it worked out ok! I was bored with my clothes by the end, but all in all, it was the perfect way to go. Enjoy your extra few days 🙂

  8. Love seeing what you packed. Such a help. BTW, I always over pack! Trying to learn better, but I’m 57! lol

  9. Lots like you are having a great vacation / trip. It was nice to see you and Cindy in the same pic! I am sure you girls had a great time meeting in person again. How fun!

  10. I hate packing and I always prefer to have more than what I think I’ll really need, just in case! Enjoy Amelia Island! I recall going there right after the first resort hotel opened, many years ago, but I haven’t been back there.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let's Stay in Touch!

New blog posts, sale alerts, curated favorites, and exclusive weekend content delivered to your inbox daily.