Being born and raised in the South, I was not a well-versed winter weather person, especially when it came to packing for cold weather travel. In recent years, I’ve been getting better at picking up winter wear that is good for cold weather, though I still rely on David for help with packing. His Buffalo roots have come in handy in terms of knowing how to layer! On my first trip to Buffalo in the winter, I packed the warmest coat I had, which was a pea coat. I’ve made substantial improvements since then. Here is our winter packing essentials list! You can see our autumn packing list for NYC here.
This post was originally published in December 2019 and has since been updated and recirculated for 2024.
A Complete Winter Packing Essentials List
Neutral Tunic Sweaters
Packaging neutral tunic sweaters is one of the most helpful things I have found with packing for a winter trip. They are versatile enough to dress up or down and comfortable enough to wear all day. It also makes layering easier, too, by wearing a camisole or a long-sleeved shirt as base layers. For our most recent trip to New York City for the holidays, I included several tunic sweaters in my nuuly subscription to switch things up from my normal staples. My go-to’s are Free People sweaters, especially this one and this one. I find them especially great for a mixed-and-matched packing experience for my legging and denim options.
Leggings
I generally prefer to wear leggings on days when I know I am going to be walking a lot and going in and out of buildings. I find that pairing them with my tunic sweaters and long coats keeps me warm while outside in the cold temperatures and makes it less likely I’ll get too hot when heading indoors. Packing leggings also helps to pack light and save room for thicker sweaters and any outer layers I am bringing with me. I am currently loving these leggings for daily wear.
Pair of Denim
When packing bottom layers, I tend to wear denim on short flights to save room in my suitcase as mentioned above. I do like to have a pair of denim with me to bring up my normal travel looks and to have on chillier days to layer over top of leggings should I need that option. Right now, I am wearing this pair of denim non-stop. The color is great for darker or lighter tops making them a really great pair to travel with for my closet.
Wool Socks
I am not sure how I acquired so many pairs of wool socks, but I am so glad I have the options! I have really thick wool socks and really thin ones that make nice layering options. When traveling, I always bring my Rothy’s sneakers, which go really nicely with the thinner wool socks I have while pairing my thicker wool socks with my winter boots or combat boots is my other packing move. These merino wool blend socks are a great option!
Winter Boots
While I have a great pair of winter boots that I highly recommend, I tend to prefer bringing combat boots to pair with leggings. This is a look I lean into while traveling and not one that you will see me in otherwise. We easily walk 15K steps a day and I have found combat boots to be the most versatile and easiest on my feet and ankles through all of that walking. Mine are old, though these are a great option, especially with that gold detail on the heel.
Outer Layers
One advantage of having nuuly is that I pick up coats that I can travel with to switch things up. My go-to has been a Tahari coat (similar here) I picked up at Nordstrom on sale probably 10 years ago. For our most recent trip to New York, I switched it up and brought this Varley coat that was in my nuuly. I loved it so much, I ended up keeping it! That said, I like to bring a pair of gloves, a winter hat, and a scarf that can double as a wrap or even a blanket on the plane. A personal favorite of mine has been the J.Crew cashmere wrap and it comes in so many colors!
A Mix of Classic and Statement Jewelry
Given that I often wear a lot of neutrals while traveling, I will switch my jewelry out to dress up an outfit. During the day, I opt for more classic pieces, such as gold hoops (this pair and this pair are my current picks) and this necklace. In the evenings, I’ll add my favorite Mignonne Gavigan earrings (my tried & true pair or something like this). I also keep my classic David Yurman stack of bangles (this one and this one) and my tortoise Apple watch band.
Sunglasses
I never travel without my Ray-Ban Polarized Aviators and I also bring this pair of black Quay sunnies just to mix it up on occasion.
Crossbody Bag
Having a crossbody bag makes it easy to keep all my essentials and valuables tucked close to me and under my outer layers. This has even become an option of choice for David. Here is the one that he uses for travel. The size of both of our bags makes it easy to tuck into our additional personal items for carrying on a plane. I still swear by my Lo & Sons OG bag for my personal item. I have had this bag for over 10 years now and there are newer versions. Regardless, it is my absolute favorite and I do not travel without it.
David’s Packing List
Being originally from Buffalo, David has quite an extensive collection of winter sports gear and water-resistant items that he uses for base layering. He has taught me quite a bit in terms of how to maximize space in packing and how to layer. He has a general winter trip uniform that he wears when we travel. It consists of J.Crew denim paired with a J.Crew flannel, layered with his J.Crew vest, and then his J.Crew quilted jacket and scarf. For shoes, he opts for this pair of boots.
Other items that he does not leave home without include his daily face cream with sunscreen, his trust pair of wireless headphones, wool socks, and gloves. For his 2nd bag on flights, he uses his Herschel backpack.
I really hate checking a bag on a flight (here’s how I pack a carry on), so here’s to packing light for winter with versatile layers and being creative with packing! I have also found that packing cubes really makes a difference in organization and maximizing space.
For more air travel tips, check out my spring break essentials list for when we opt to visit a cold-weather destination. Here are my 15 essentials for a girls’ weekend trip.
Shop the Post
What are your winter packing essentials? Share in a comment below!
