Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost….

You know that feeling – you’ve been all excited for your getaway, had a glass of fizz on the plane, battled your way through to Baggage Reclaim and you sit waiting for what feels like forever, trying your best to tune into your inner psychic powers to get somebody in the baggage handling team to get the luggage unloaded from the plane and onto the belt so you can get on your way to your destination asap!  Despite the “do not sit on the luggage belt” signs, there is always that one person who sits on the belt and gets caught off-guard when it eventually grumbles and rumbles to life!   It doesn’t matter whether you are the first or last person to check in at the airport as it always feels like an eternity waiting for your bag to appear on the carousel! 

In an attempt for a quick getaway from Baggage Reclaim, we Brits have tried a number of techniques from buying groovy luggage to stand out on that belt… only to find 20 other people on the flight had the same plan, to putting bright straps around luggage, named luggage straps (it’s surprising just how many people called ‘Williams’ are on the same flight when you watch those bags going round), groovy baggage tags or ribbons as you know there are likely to be a lot of cases that look like yours!  Sometimes I look at the belt whilst waiting with a nightmare scenario playing in my head that the contents of my case will be trundling around on the belt instead of my bag as I tried to pack too much in before fastening the zip.  In my nightmare my underwear is there on plain view for all to see delicately sprinkled around and over other people’s luggage (aaagggghhh ) – not so bad on the way out to your destination but an even bigger nightmare if you are on the way home with your dirty laundry rolling around!!!

Usually, after a mild anxiety attack watching the belt, your case eventually appears along with a folded up pram with the wheels missing, but what if watching the same few cases going around and around … your case never appears!!!! Then what??  Well – this happened to me when I was in my twenties going on a 7 nights holiday to a secluded hotel in Malta with my Mum!  She was 4 clothing sizes bigger than me so I borrowed one of her t shirts to wear until my bag turned up … 5 days later!!!  There were no shops near the hotel and this was before the onset of online shopping (gosh I feel old now!) so no emergency quick fix at the time.  I was lucky as my Mum was a larger clothing size than me, but what if she had been a smaller size??? I would have been in my travelling jeans and sweatshirt in sweltering heat for 5 days!!!!!!!

Ever since this scenario played out for real I have had a different view to packing for a holiday!  Without fail, I always make sure swimwear and a large sarong size lightweight scarf are packed in my hand luggage so that if it does happen again, at least I can enjoy my break whilst sorting the situation as there are so many ways to tie a scarf – wear it as a dress, as a top or cover up as well as a scarf too – its probably the most versatile piece in your wardrobe!

You may be the kind of person who doesn’t place a bag in the hold – after all, most airlines charge extra for everything these days that I am surprised that there isn’t a “be one of the first bags off the plane” charge ……. yet …….. (or have I just given Ryannair an idea there?...).  If so, then a whole new minefield opens up as the size of cabin bag you are allowed varies between airlines and I swear the dimensions are getting smaller so packing is a real key skill to master these – not just in rolling or folding your clothes but being smart about what you are packing in the first place!  You need pieces that can have more than one purpose – like one of our reversible tops or a cardi/jumper that can be worn in several different ways to create different looks that can take you from daytime sightseeing/lunch dressing to evening cocktails or going out for dinner dressing too!

The key to packing smarter is to pack a capsule collection where each piece of clothing works together in multiple ways and can be worn more than once.  Our Tortue clothes are designed with this very purpose in mind, not just in the current season but across all seasons and over the years, we always have something that you can add to your collection to bring you bang up to date with feel good newness, but works perfectly with your existing Tortue collection.

Even just changing your accessories can really change the look and feel of an outfit so consider taking a couple of scarves and different lightweight jewellery to switch up your look.  Did you know that you can remove links from our resin necklaces to adjust the length or wear as a shorter necklace with matching bracelet??  Clever hey?

Remember that if your scarf is large and lightweight enough, it can double up as a longer or shorter skirt, wear it as a beach/pool cover up, a “boob tube” top, or a halter neck dress and being lightweight you can wash it, hang it up overnight and it will be dry by the morning so will stay nice and fresh too!

Have you seen our recent Style Online Session?  Michelle and Sophie take you through their top tips when it comes to packing that suitcase for your holiday – if you missed it live, then you can watch on replay at our Tortue Style Online Facebook Group.

Have you ever lost your luggage?  We love to hear from our fabulous customers so please do connect with us on our social media pages and let us know if you have tried out our tips, share your packing “go-to’s” or maybe tell us about your favourite holiday destinations too!

Enjoy!

Angela x