I recently spent a summer weekend in Buffalo, New York, and it was glorious.
No, not in the typical sunshiny way (in fact, the sun rarely made an appearance), but because summers in Buffalo are comfortable affairs with highs only occasionally crossing the 80°F mark.
Coming from muggy, sticky Charlotte (and having recently visited other hot, humid destinations like Charleston and Washington, D.C.), the idea of wearing sleeves again felt simply thrilling.
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But if I’d made the trip in say, January? Well, that would be a different story.
Rumor has it that Buffalo winters are brutal affairs—undoubtedly far too intense for my thin Southern blood.
Looking for more packing list inspiration? Check out my packing lists by season: Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter
And I was extra grateful to be able to skip the bulky winter gear for this trip, because we were flying to Buffalo on Frontier, who charges hefty baggage fees for carry-on and checked luggage. Michael and I opted out of paying the airline more than we had to by traveling with just a personal item (psst… this backpack that packs like a suitcase is my current go-to). I don’t know about you, but I’d rather spend my hard-earned travel dollars on a delicious meal than on airline fees.
But what to pack for Buffalo? For four days/three nights of varying forecasts, I decided to keep things ridiculously simple by bringing three black tops in varying sleeve lengths and textures, two pairs of denim (one blue, one black), two pairs of shoes (weatherproof sandals for dressing up or down and a pair of sneakers), a jumpsuit, my lightest pajamas, and a goes-with-everything trench. Let’s see it all in action:
BUFFALO PACKING LIST
BUFFALO OUTFITS
*this item is no longer available and a similar option is linked
ZIPPING IT UP: MY THOUGHTS ON PACKING FOR BUFFALO IN THE SUMMER
By mixing and matching based on the temperature, I never felt too hot or cold during this trip, and a trench proved to be a great asset on several drizzly occasions. I did start to feel bored by the all-black tops color palette, but with an itinerary heavy on eating Buffalo wings, it felt like the safest bet (is there anything more annoying than interrupting your trip to replace something you damaged?). At the end of the day, though, there’s nothing I love more while traveling than not having to think about what I’m wearing—I’d rather focus on my trip!
One garment noticeably absent from these photographs is my jumpsuit. I’ve reached for this fun linen getup with a sweetheart neckline often this season (it’s perfect for those “in between” restaurants where you want to dress up just a little), but I never quite felt like pulling it out of my bag in Buffalo. I could have worn it just to wear it, I suppose, but I was content to be back in my denim after a summer without it.
Denim felt like a great fit for Buffalo, anyway, whose style skews overwhelmingly casual. Not that you won’t find stylish or trendy people in the city, but I would argue Buffalo has far more important things on its mind than clothing.
And honestly? That’s pretty dang cool.
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Questions for you
What are your go-to clothing colors when packing?
What season would you prefer to pack for?
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I’m always impressed by how much you can fit in just a backpack!
To be honest? Me too! But having the right style of backpack makes all the difference.