What to Pack for 5 Days in New York City

New York Packing List

A white background with the image of New York City downtown at the top. In the middle is says "Packing light - 5 Days in New York". Below the image is a collection of pieces to pack for New York.

Cher T-shirt | Polka Dot Blouse | Black Shirt | Colourful Sweater | Striped Sweater | Blue Denim | Grey Denim | Dark Scarf | Floral Print Scarf | Dress | Green Coat | Fedora | Sunglasses | Circle Purse | Blue Purse | Boots | Sneakers | Weekender Bag |

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About two and a half years ago I made my first New York City packing list, and to this day it is one of my most popular posts to date, and still gets a ton of daily visits.

Since New York is one of the top vacation destinations in the world and I get frequent requests for it, so I figured it was time to update it.

New York is one of the fashion capitals of the world, but it is also one of those anything goes cities. You can pretty much get away with wearing whatever the hell you want there and no one will look twice, (well, they may but it won’t shock them).

For 5 days in New York you don’t really need that much honestly:

  • 3 shirts
  • 3 sweaters
  • 1 pair of jeans
  • 1 pair of dark jeans (or another style of pants like these)
  • A dress that can be dressed up or down,
  • Jacket
  • Accessories like a couple of scarves for accessories (make at least one a print/colourful and one neutral), a hat, and sunnies.
  • 1-2 purses
  • 2 pairs of shoes. A casual, comfortable pair, and a dressier style (maybe a dressy flat, or flat boot). I like and can walk absolutely fine in a kitten heel though, and I am totally a non-heel wearing person. Plus, the heel will look good with the dress.

That should be more than enough depending on your New York itinerary, so these pieces plus bras, socks, underwear, and pyjamas will easily fit into a weekender bag or pack in a carry-on since you will be wearing some of the above pieces as your travel outfit.

As for the best weekender bags, I have this one in grey that I like and fits a lot of stuff. There are some more styles I like below.

The travel outfit ideas for this list can be found in my What to Wear in New York City post.

Do you have a favourite weekender bag?

You may also like:
What to Pack for New York in Late Fall 
What to Pack for New York in Summer

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Sara

Sara is the founder and creative behind livelovesara. A George Brown College Fashion Styling Graduate, she provides advice on finding your personal style regardless of age and budget. She is always on the hunt for the perfect wardrobe piece and is a vintage and thrifting enthusiast who can't wait to share her newest finds. She is also trying to learn French.

4 Comments

  1. Hi Sara. I am now packing for 5 Days in NYC! I’m a frequent NY visitor, and I have a couple of thoughts. First, it’s raining there now, and it rains a lot in February and March, and it’s cold. The wool coat will be heavy and uncomfortable in wet weather. I’m thinking of down jacket + raincoat combo. Also, neither purse is big enough. When you are out, you are out for the day, and nearly everyone carries a big purse or tote bag, or small purse & backpack. I have a 20 year old canvas messenger back that is practical, but I can’t decide if it’s too dowdy. I love the ideas, and will pack most of the suggested pieces! Thanks.

    • Hi Barbara! Yes! Do whatever works for you and your style, this is just a basic guideline. I’d love a rain slicker, but I don’t have one, and I tend to not carry large purses because they hurt my back/shoulders but if a messenger bag suits your needs then by all means that is what you need to bring. I live in Toronto so my weather generally follows the same pattern as New York and if you are going within the next week/week and a half let it be noted that we are getting temps that are quite a bit above seasonal starting today so a down might be way too hot if your trip falls during this time. Have a good time!

      Sara

  2. I love your list from 2 years ago better… seems easier to mix and match. That’s just my opinion. So what suggestions do you have for fall travel to NYC for a full week?

    • I get that. The first one is more classic, the second more eclectic and colourful. I like to give a variety because if I stick too much to one style people want the other 🙂 The idea is just to use it as a template, based on your style and colour preferences. For a week in NYC in fall I’d bring something close to this one. A jacket, 3 tops, 3 sweaters, 2-3 bottoms, two pairs of shoes, and some weather appropriate stuff like maybe a beanie, scarf, and gloves for when it cools at night. A dress I would take or leave depending on your itinerary. I hope that helps.

      Sara

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