I Only Packed a Carry-On for 10 Days in Greece—These 8 Staples Got Me Through

Okay, I admit that headline makes it sound like taking a vacation in Greece was such a burden, and I just had to make do with a carry-on suitcase. What a tough life I lead! When in reality, I'd been planning, plotting, and scheming for this trip to happen all summer, and when it finally did, I had the outfits curated and ready to go.

With any trip longer than five days, I find that packing in a carry-on turns from the no-brainer choice to something more akin to fashion Tetris, wherein each item needs to fulfill a multi-outfit prescription in order to earn its coveted place inside my suitcase. In other words, for this 10-day, multi-island Greece trip, every single piece I packed inside my Away Bigger Carry-On needed to be highly versatile and very repeatable, down to accessories like sunglasses and jewelry. No room for stragglers here. Between fancy dinners and nights out dancing in Mykonos to exploring cove beaches and traditional Greek villages on a four-wheeler in Paros, my lineup had to do the work of being both elevated and casual, and I'm pleased to say I had little to no packing regrets this trip (save for leaving a pair of beloved ballet flats in a Mykonos hotel room).

Here, I'm outlining my ultimate Greece packing list that should serve as your framework for any trip to the country or its Mediterranean neighbors, quite frankly. Happy packing!

1. Linen Sets

While white linen may be the obvious choice, I love this rich chestnut as a cool alternative. This set was my go-to beach cover-up, and the drawstring pants served as my plane outfit as well with a pair of Sambas and a tee.

Of course, I had to bring my favorite pair of white linen trousers along, too, but looking back, I definitely could have made do with a single pair. You can't blame me for squeezing in an extra, though, because an all-white outfit always hits.

2. Sheer Dresses

I shy away from transparent fabrics at home, but on vacation, it just feels right. I ditched the slip that came with this lime-green Dissh dress in order to wear it as a cover-up over my brown Oséree bikini at the very photogenic Super Paradise Beach Club in Mykonos.

As soon as I saw an image of this lace number on my feed, I knew it was bound for my Greece luggage. Just look how good it is with a tan. It doubled as a going-out look and a swim cover-up for one of our boat days.

3. Pajama-Like Pants

One of the best vacation packing hacks is cool pajamas. They make the ultimate lounge attire and are naturally the comfiest thing you can wear. Case in point: these fun printed SIR pants.

4. Gold Bangles

I put this bangle set on the very first day I landed and didn't take it off again until I was home. They added a beachy feel to everything I wore, whether it was just a bikini or a silk dress.

5. Simple White Tops

I debated bringing three little white tops, but I'm so glad I did because they really are the backbone of my everyday wardrobe and my vacation one. I wore this backless Zara one all summer with denim shorts and here with little hot shorts and swimsuits. Talk about cost per wear.

A white tank goes into every suitcase I pack, whether I'm heading to the mountains or the beach, and this one from Dissh is perfect in every way. 

6. Embellished Sandals

Simple flat sandals are a must for Greece since you'll be doing a lot of walking. Even dinners out here were casual enough to wear a nice pair of flats, so I reached for this pretty hammered-gold pair from Tory Burch just about every day and night. Good news: They're as comfortable to wear as they are beautiful to look at.

7. Neutral Bikinis

Swimwear is one department where I like to keep things extremely simple. I would have been happy even if this classic triangle bikini from Anemos were the only one I packed. Adding a fun sarong or statement sunglasses is all I needed to make it a "look."

Monday Swimwear has the best-fitting bikinis, and I felt so good wearing this underwire style in brown zebra. One good packing tip I love is to keep one cohesive color story going so that even your statement pieces are sure to go together. 

I last-minute ordered this pair of crinkle-textured hot pants after reading my colleague Eliza's styling experiment with the micro shorts. While I can't say I'll be introducing them into my day-to-day attire, they were great as a piece to wear from lunch to the beach.

8. Statement Accessories

I was going to order this necklace for this trip, but for some reason I didn't, so when my friend Emily unzipped her suitcase and pulled it out, it was fate. I borrowed it and was pleased with the effect it had styled with my lace dress.

There's no time like vacation to try out a bold trend. I brought along these retro aviators on a whim and wore them quite a lot.