Style Survival Kit

So, this one time in Vegas…

Just kidding, this isn’t that kind of post. We’ll save that story for a rainy day…

Anyway, Vegas: It was about two weeks ago. I flew out to spent a few days in the desert for the Life is Beautiful music festival with Zappos — and Jessica, Justin and Anthony.

Between music sets, ferris wheel rides and happy hours, we were actually quite productive (and hangover-free, for the most part).

The weekend kicked off with a tour of the Zappos headquarters on Friday — wherein I surely violated some sort of HR policy. We called it early that night, since Saturday’s call time was early.

That next day, we rose with the sunrise and set off an adventure around downtown Las Vegas, each styling a series of looks from brands carried on Zappos.com. (A fun and unlikely surprising fact: That was the first time I’ve ever been in Vegas and said “good morning” to the sun rather than “good night.” Hehe.)

It was an all-day affair, and one of the things I remember thinking throughout the day is how grateful I was that I was that I’d packed a big bag/that I was prepared.

I’d venture to guess that the thought “Boy, I wish I knew how to assemble an emergency fashion kit!” doesn’t regularly cross your mind.

There’s a lot of instances in which you’re out for the day, though — think tailgating, road trips, weddings… The list goes on. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a little style survival kit on-hand?

Yes. Yes, it would be. It may sound slightly neurotic, but you never know when an inopportune style crisis might strike.

So today, I’m here to help you build your kit. These are all items you might not normally think to have on-hand, but are likely already in your possession: Safety pins to shorten your necklace, eraser bits if your earring backs fall out, a fix for removing that deodorant stain and so on.

This little Fashion Emergency Kit can also double as a wedding survival kit - aka your badge of honor as the Best Damn Bridesmaid there ever was. (I KNOW you need one of those in the upcoming year — and ditto here. #AllMyFriendsAreMarried)

Here’s what to pack in your Fashion Emergency Kit:

Style savers:

Fashion Tape: It’s amazing what a little adhesive can do, such as: fix fallen hems, keep a plunging neckline where it belongs and hide those bra straps.

Foot Petals: They say beauty is pain, but I’ve experienced enough blisters in my lifetime (dancing queen, ya’ll) to value the importance of foot and heel liners. This brand (which I aptly discovered during Fashion Week) prevents shoes from rubbing and slipping and such. They can be easily removed without damaging your shoes, too.

Also, sunglasses are good. The crew was laughing at me in this photo (below) because — despite the hat — I could not keep my eyes open in any of our shots. It was really freakin’ bright out!

Hair & make-up:

Ideally, you’re wearing long-wear make-up (and you applied a primer that morning). Regardless, it’s helpful to have a cute compact mirror, Beauty blender sponge, lengthening mascara, setting powder and a long-wear lip pencil (and sharpener) with you in a cute cosmetics pouch. The essentials! If I could only have *one* item, though, it’s YSL’s touche éclat - my one-stop shop for brightening and concealing.

Given my fine, prone-to-greasy hair, I carry dry shampoo, hair ties and spare bobby pins as well.

Electronics:

In this day-in-age, let’s be honest: You’re going to need reinforcements to juice those gadgets. Especially for an all-day affair. I carry (and always travel with) a portable Mophie and/or an iPhone charging case.

This instax mini camera is fun to tote around, too. Polaroid-style pictures are the most fun way to document your visit to the world’s largest ball of twine — or whatever the hell it is that you’re doing and seeing.

Sustenance:

Spoken like a true lush - because hangry is NOT a pretty look on this girl.

Pack a water bottle, of course, along with snacks on snacks on snacks. You guys know I am all about Nourish packs — healthy, on-the-go snacks for less than 200 calories a pop. If you haven’t tried ‘em, use CORALS15 to get 15% off your order this month. I recommend Mr. Popular and Monkey Love.

Miscellaneous:

I typically keep my smaller items in an old prescription pill bottle or empty Altoids tin. Think Band-Aids, Q-tips and double-sided tape. Sewing is not my forte - hence, safety pins. Small bits of an eraser can be used as earring backs if you need ‘em, too. In addition:

Sharpies: Scuff on your shoe? No problem – a black sharpie will take care of that real quick.

Dryer sheets: Gets rid of static cling and deodorant stains.

Clear nail polish: To stop runs in your tights.

More specifically, if it’s an all-day fashion shoot you’re going on, wear nude-colored underwear and pack a strapless bra. You’ll want to bring your own accessories and an extra pair of shoes, too. I always have extra Tieks in my bag, because, duh.

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Lastly, if you’re too lazy to build one from scratch [*raises hand*], Zappos carries a brand called Hollywood Secrets - an arsenal of style survival products.

This one is great is great to have on-hand — and I speak from experience. (They make great gifts for your bride-to-be friends!)

Another option is Pinch Provisions’ super-cute ‘Skinny’ Mergency kits, which make great stocking stuffers and holiday gift add-ons.

*Click to browse and shop my Style Survival Kit:

*Wearing: Brixton felt fedora, Rachel Zoe sequin striped shirt, BCBG booties, Paige denim skyline ankle jeans, Michael Kors large Selma satchel (all borrowed from Zappos)

*Click to browse and shop my outfit:

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Outfit photography by Peter Gaunt for Zappos.com