James St Journal September: Pack with Intention

A cultural north star, literary paragon and emblem of considered style, Joan Didion is synonymous with precision, clarity and perception.

Sitting austerely amongst the ranks of New Journalism pioneers like Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson and Tom Wolfe, Didion’s written approach blends the narrative intrigue of fiction with sharp, exacting observation.

Her oeuvre is expansive yet singular.

Starting out as a writer for Vogue in New York after winning an essay competition, Didion propelled herself headfirst into a storied career. She would go on to traverse the written worlds of across political reporting, screenplays, essays, novels and even personal guides that would be emulated for decades to follow.

Immortalised in her seminal 1979 essay collection, The White Album, Didion’s packing list is one such piece. A list of 33 seemingly mundane items, it does more than merely instruct; it reveals that her sartorial sensibility was as intentional as that of her prose. 

DIDION'S PACKING LIST

To Pack and Wear:
2 skirts
2 jerseys or leotards
1 pullover sweater
2 pair shoes
Stockings
Bra
Nightgown
Robe
Slippers
Cigarettes
Bourbon 

Bag with:
Shampoo
Toothbrush and paste
Basis soap
Razor
Deodorant
Aspirin
Prescriptions
Tampax
Face cream
Powder
Baby oil 

To Carry:
Mohair throw
Typewriter
2 legal pads
Pens
Files
House key

MODERN UNIFORM

Didion taped this packing list inside her closet door in Hollywood while she was reporting, enabling her to “pack without thinking, for any piece [she] was likely to do”.

What began as a practical tool became, through repetition, an integral part of the way she travelled and worked. The uniform it materialised was one of both utility and an assured instinct for self-presentation:

“Notice the deliberate anonymity of costume: in a skirt, a leotard and stockings, I could pass on either side of the culture. It should be clear that this was a list made by someone who prized control, yearned after momentum, someone determined to play her role as if she had the script, heard her clues, knew the narrative.”

Returned to trip after trip, the list did more than eliminate the question of what to pack. Its consistency reflected an increasing familiarity with the clothes, objects and rituals Didion relied upon, until packing itself became almost instinctive. The list was lean because she knew what she needed, and the uniform it produced was equally assured.

JAMES ST PACKING LIST

It would be a fool’s errand to bear the gargantuan task of replicating Didion’s famed list verbatim. To do so is beside the point anyway. For its lasting appeal lies less in the particulars of what she packed and more in the certainty with which she packed.

That certainty was grounded in familiarity with the clothes, objects and rituals that allowed her to arrive somewhere unfamiliar yet remain entirely herself.

So instead, this James St iteration takes its cue from the same economy of thought that made Didion’s a paragon: that good packing begins with knowing what is essential to you.

Whether you are planning a well-deserved shoulder season vacation abroad, interstate business travel or simply a few days of fleeting respite, we invite you to draw inspiration from this traveller’s edit.

Some inclusions may resonate with you, others may not. More enduring, we hope, is the exercise of deciding what belongs in your own suitcase and what those choices reveal about the things you value, rely on and return to.

To Pack and Wear:

2 Skirts
Bassike – Crushed Cotton Pleated Skirt, Natural ($360) 
Camargue – Kowtow Sphere Skirt, Black ($159)

1 Pullover Sweater
Camilla and Marc – Leona Knit V Neck Sweater ($350) 

2 Pairs of Shoes
Assembly Label – Alina Leather Sandal, Wallnut ($100) 
Bared Footwear – Chauna Loafer, Chocolate Brown ($289)

Bra
Calexico – Cosabella Dolce Soft Bra, Black ($35)

Stockings
Nudie Jeans – Women Cable Socks, Offwhite ($35) 

Nightgown
Lee Mathews – Silk Habotai Slip ($249) 

Bag with:

Shampoo
Le Labo – Shampoo 85mL, Basil ($26) 

Deodrant
MECCA Cosmetica – Nécessaire The Deodorant ($36) 

Face Cream
Aesop – In Two Minds Facial Hydrator ($79) 

To Carry:

2 Legal Pads
Museum of Small Things – The Calile X Gerwyn Davies Notepad ($15)

House Key
Dinosaur Designs – Earth Keyring ($60) 

Mohair Throw
St. Agni – Stretch Silk Scarf, Black ($199) 
Lee Mathews – LM x Stansborough Felted Wool Scarf ($399)