The best vacations are unplanned--or at least, that's what my friend's boyfriend is telling her as he forwards hotel information for a quick (surprise!) Cape Cod weekend.

As with chocolate, sex and baby animals, all vacations are good vacations. What's not good about a last-minute vacation, however, is having to pack for one -- and having no more than an hour to do it.

Back to my friend. She's freaking out because it's a) her first vacation with a new boo and b) she has an hour between getting out of work and meeting up with her weekend rendezvous. Taking travel time, shower time and fixing-her-damn-hair time, that leaves about twenty minutes for actual packing. Needless to say, she texted me in a panic a couple hours ago, asking if shopping for a surprise getaway is reason enough to leave work early and hit up H&M.

For the record: It's not. But if it is, your boss sounds awesome.

So, what does one pack for a surprise weekend getaway? Here are the picks I passed along to my friend:

Start off with an airy button-down and a pair of skinny jeans (save the black skinnies for winter and go with a dark wash instead.) Pack a bathing suit, a silky tank top for any non-beach occasions, and a white romper to show off a tan. For shoes, all you need are a basic flat and high-heel sandal. You know what you need makeup-wise, but a bit of sunscreen, a coral-red lip and your favorite mascara are my personal de rigueur. 

Tags: what to pack for labor day weekend