Packing with Laurel Pantin

Laurel Pantin is a creative consultant, stylist, and writer, all while (very stylishly) juggling life with two little kids. After making her mark in the New York magazine world, she’s now based in LA, where she pens two fantastic newsletters: ‘Earl Earl,’ all about personal style and identity, and ‘Your Mom,’ a heartfelt dive into the journey of motherhood. —C.S.

What’s your go-to luggage for this kind of trip? 

I always try to avoid checking a bag if I can help it, but if I’m traveling with my family, usually my daughter and I will share a large-ish  Rimowa, and my husband and our son will share another. If I’m traveling alone, it’s carry-on only, and usually the bigger size  carry-on Away roll bag. I  hate  checking bags.

How do you approach the basics?

I own a lot of crazy clothes, but my personal style is pretty streamlined. It’s mostly navy blue, gray, white, black and denim—so the things I pack tend to naturally work together. I usually only bring one pair of jeans, then one pair of nicer pants—maybe some  High Sport  or my favorite  Thilde leggings  from The Row. Then I’ll typically bring a Row slip dress, and two or three simple button-downs. I’ll fly in jeans, an extra button down with a tank underneath (I hate wearing a bra), a sweatshirt or cashmere sweater, and a blazer or light jacket over that. I get cold on flights, so I layer up and that also saves room in my suitcase.

If I’m traveling for a specific work purpose or event, I’ll pre-plan outfits and try everything on, and sometimes even take pictures so that I only pack exactly what I need and nothing extra. I prefer to not schlep around things I won’t need.

Are you a roller or a folder?

Hahaha, my mom will die laughing reading this; she’s been trying to teach me to pack forever. I’m like, a thrower-inner? A feral mess? I am honestly terrible about getting everything to fit in a way that makes sense, so I’m some kind of a blend of folding and rolling, but with a lot of scrunching too.

Any other packing tricks or hacks?

I always make sure to have the bases covered in the most simple, minimal versions I have, so that they’ll go with everything else and can be dressed up or down. I pay close attention to the weather where I’m going and try to be as practical as possible. I’m not someone who brings a gown  just in case  or anything like that. I’m more like: how can I get away with packing as little as possible so I can either shop where I’m going, or I won’t have a ton of stuff to unpack when I get home? Unpacking is the worst! 

What’s your shoe strategy?

I bring one dressy shoe, one sandal, and one walking shoe. Depending on where I’m going, the dressy shoe and the sandal are the same, but if I was going to the beach I’d bring a pair of Birkenstocks and a pair of nicer sandals, and that’s it. If I have to bring closed-toe or bulky shoes, I’ll pack them full of socks on the way out to save space, and pack them full of my dirty clothes on the way home. 

How do you think about accessories?

I usually bring a large carry-on tote bag (the  Métier Market bag) with my computer, etc, and then I’ll bring a  smaller crossbody  in there that has my passport, wallet, phone, etc., so I can find that stuff easily in the airport. Then, that crossbody is the one I use the whole trip. I also only bring as much jewelry as I tend to wear everyday. I don’t like swapping out my jewelry at home, so why would I do it while traveling?

Do you have a great travel hat?

I love the  Magic Hat! I also love my baseball caps. 

What’s always in your Dopp kit/toiletry bag?

Sunscreen! Always. I like to bring face wash, a face exfoliant, and moisturizer. Then a razor, deodorant, my electric toothbrush, and mascara and concealer to wear under my eyes. Sometimes I’ll bring a red lipstick, but I usually don’t end up using it. I don’t wear fragrance, but if I’m going on a really amazing trip, I’ll sometimes bring a special scent and wear it during the trip, so when I go home I can smell it again and be transported back!

On a plane, what essentials does your carry-on bag always contain? 

Lip Balm (VMV Hypoallergenics Boo Boo Balm), sunglasses (Celine Mini Audrey), my phone charger, my Kindle, my meds, and some  Weleda Skin Food  for my hands. I pack it in lots of little pouches—one will have my chargers, another will have my headphones, wallet, etc, and another with lip balm, lotion, etc. 

What’s your pharmacy kit? How do you deal with sunscreen if you’re a carry-on only and it’s a beach vacation?

I LOVE to buy a silly sunscreen wherever I’m going—I get a special thrill from spending a stupid amount of money on luxury sunscreen at the hotel. But other than that I’ll bring just enough for my face and hands, and when we arrive we’ll go to a pharmacy or grocery and buy a big bottle of something useful.

Any wisdom on traveling with electronics?

I like to keep all my chargers in one pouch. I need them all to be super contained, otherwise the cords drive me nuts! I like to use Airpods, and I always bring my Kindle fully charged, so that I can read and not bring a huge book. I also bring my iPad loaded up with shows for myself, or my kids, and then my air laptop.

What’s your strategy when you’re on the road for long periods of time?

When we were living abroad, we were in South Africa for six months, then London for six months, and traveling a lot in between. I think I checked like 3 huge suitcases for that trip. Otherwise, I’d just probably check one large suitcase with warm weather basics, and cold weather basics. I would go nuts if I had so many things I needed to ship in advance.  

Do you have a travel uniform?

My  High Sport kick pants, an oversized button down, and a blazer or a  Jil Sander car coat  I have with large pockets. I love to have large pockets when traveling to keep essentials close at hand. Then my  Métier Market tote, and usually cotton-ribbed socks and my classic New Balance gray sneakers.