Ultimate Packing List for Four Days in New York City
My daughter Jenna joined me for a part work part play four day trip to NYC. I packed for this trip twice in my head before I ever opened the suitcase. Three days to actually explore the city, one day on set for a Chico’s shoot. Different clothes, different shoes, and all of it needed to survive an August heat wave in a place with zero mercy for anyone who overdresses.
New York in August is its own animal. It is hot, it is humid, the subway platforms feel like saunas, and you will be on your feet for hours (18K steps a day to be exact) . This is not the trip for structure and layers. This is the trip for fabrics that breathe and shoes you have already broken in. Let’s chat about the ultimate packing list for four days in New York City in August.
Veronica Beard Kiki Jacket, fit flop sandals, Frame Jeans, Frank and Eileen Patrick shirt, Frank and Eileen sweatpants, Parker Thatch tote, Fitflop sandals, BR dress, BR linen shirt, Frank and Eileen jeans, Natalie Martin dress, Fitflop flip flops, eyelet shirt, eyelet pants, Aritzia trench, similar top and pants, Crossbody bag, black bandana, black sunglasses, tortoise earrings, tortoise bracelet, navy bandana, Remmy sunglasses, bauble bar beads.
The Three Exploring Days
Day one alone tells you everything about why this list needed to work hard. We spent the day wandering the neighborhoods of Brooklyn, all cobblestones and sidewalk cafes, made a quick trip back to the hotel for a change (The Hoxton Hotel in Williamsburg was our headquarters) and hit the subway t to see MJ on Broadway that evening. Nothing in my bag could be a one-setting outfit.
The uniform: linen, cotton, and anything with give. I brought two cotton dresses, the kind you can wear from a exploring during the day to a rooftop drink at night without changing if need be.
Tops and bottoms (for the days a dress felt like too much):
- Two matched sets
- One pair of cropped wide-leg white jeans, which sound like a strange choice for August but actually worked for the shoot days for Chicos.
- My favorite Veronica Beard eyelet jacket, for dinner when it cooled off.
- One Black linen shirt
- Two Cotton Dresses
Shoes: my favorite fitflop flip flops that were already broken in before I left home, sneakers, and one pair of flat sandalsfor evenings and dressier days. That was it. New York sidewalks in a heat wave are not the place to introduce your feet to anything new.
The essentials that actually saved me:
- A baseball cap, both for sun and for the fact that humidity does unkind things to hair by 11am
- Sunglasses I actually like, because you will wear them all day
- My favorite tote from Parker Thatch-for my computer and essentials on the plane and hauling my tablescape goods to the shoot
- A favoite crossbody that goes with everything that fit inside my tote on the plane, that I carried everyday while there.
Day 1-Travel
I always try to wear the same travel outfit coming and going. I wore the all black version of this outfit with my white sneakers .
Day 2 Brooklyn Exploring Day
Two Piece Eyelet number from Natalie Martin with comfortable flip flops for 18K steps.
MJ the Musical
Sorry we failed to get a picture! I purchased this dress at Banana Republic right before I left. I bought a medium but there wasn’t much difference between the sizes. It is super flattering and comfortable. I love the buckle detail in the back.
Day 3 Exploring New York: 911 Memorial, Staten Island Ferry, Central Park & More
I am wearing the shirt and matching pants from Zara. Unfortunately they are both out of stock. If you can find them on eBay snag them. I have worn them over and over this season. They are comfortable and wash beautifully.
Day 4 Quick Chicos Fitting, Exploring the West Village, Greenwich, NoHo & Meetup with Annie
Annie suggested meeting at Via Carota and it didn’t disappoint!
I wear this Natalie Martin dress all of the time. I have been tempted to buy it in another pattern it is so flattering and comfortable.
Dinner at ABC Kitchen-Dumbo
Again I failed to take a pic! I didn’t want to spend my time with Jenna constantly snapping photos. I wore this exact outfit without the hat and with the same crossbody bag.
Day 4-Chicos Shoot Day-Jenna Explored on Her Own
I wore white jeans, and a black linen top for lounging around in between shoots, and outfit changes. Jenna explored on our own and we had dinner at our hotel’s (The Hoxton Brooklyn) rooftop cafe Laser Wolf. It was fabulous and the view was spectacular!
What we Bought
A few items for Summer ( a tee from the Cat Cafe Brooklyn, and a few other goodies!). Jenna got this fabulous dress at Faherty (one of her go to’s ). I splurged on these pants at Loeffler Randall , medium (the cindy version of the lace pants and dresses that are so popular but look like undergarments to me!!), and this tee. I picked up this hat for Steve.
What I Left Behind
Anything dry-clean only. More than two pairs of shoes total, work day included. And any illusion that I would want to wear makeup that was not sweat-proof.
The Real Secret
August in New York rewards the same instinct I always come back to: fewer things, better suited to what the day actually asks of you. Three days of cotton, linen, sneakers and good sandals, one travel outfit for both days.
But if I am honest, the Ultimate Packing List for Four Days in New York City, wasn’t the real point. Four days of having my daughter entirely to myself, Brooklyn mornings and Broadway nights and exploring NYC, is the kind of thing no packing list can capture and no suitcase could ever hold.
