I Always Shop Before Traveling—These 21 Items Are My Most Successful Purchases

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

I suppose it's a little counterintuitive to admit this right now, but I actually don't think the best time to shop is before taking a trip. I've made plenty of shopping mistakes when last-minute panic-buying for a vacation or work trip, and I constantly vow to never do it again. But on the flip side, many of those panic buys have been surprisingly successful. Those are the ones I'm here to talk about.

I always make a pretty detailed packing list when I'm preparing for a trip, even planning out which accessories I'm going to wear with which outfit. It's the only way I can manage to not overpack or underpack. I often wait until the last minute to make this list (not recommended), and that's when I realize I'm lacking some of the things I need or want to complete some of the outfits. Hence the panic-buying. And while I'm not encouraging this method, here are the 21 times it actually worked out for me along with some photos of my travel style, just for fun. Scroll to shop my travel-shopping success stories.

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

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(Image credit: @allypayer)

Next up, shop the knit tops I'm debating buying for summer, starting at $18.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.