europe travel tips | europe wardrobe capsule
yesterday, i shared my five must-have travel wardrobe staples and my goal to pack light for our trip to europe. read it here if you missed that post. today, it’s all about my black and white capsule wardrobe. but first, here are a few items that make it into my carry-on. don’t ever pack anything other than clothes and toiletries in your checked luggage; anything of value is kept close. for this trip, i splurged and purchased a new marc jacobs floral print sport tote. it’s polyurethane and easily wiped down. it has two sets of handles – long and short – and a zipper. since my wardrobe color palette is black and white, i went for a pop of color and pattern with my handbag. an elegant michael kors wallet with a flip lock flap closure keeps me organized. but this is what typically finds its way inside my travel tote.
- passports
- kindle
- iPhone
- headphones
- portable charger
- lint roller
- mints
- water
a survival kit for the long airplane ride is a must. this is what i carry at all times, wherever I go.
- advil
- hand sanitizer
- lip balm
- zzzQuil melatonin gummies,
- tide bleach pen
- shout
- eye drops
- hand and face wipes
- not shown is a travel first aid kit with band-aids, antiseptic wipes, and gauze pads.
gingham raincoat (similar here) | black blazer | denim jacket
three jackets made the grade. with rain, in the forecast, a raincoat was a no-brainer. this gingham coat was lighter than a traditional trench, and it’s black and white. a blazer and denim jacket should get me by with temps in the seventies. plus, a blazer is perfect to wear to dinner in the evening.
henley dress | denim shirtdress (similar here)
two dresses were packed. the henley tee shirt dress is a dream to wear and looks cute with sneakers. it will be perfect when the temperatures reach the eighties. the denim shirtdress flies solo with black booties but pulls double-duty as a duster over jeans.
chinos | toothpick jeans | white denim
pants get the most wear and tear on trips as they’re worn multiple times. dark rinse denim hides a multitude of travel sins. but i have a tide bleach pen in case the white denim falls on hard times. chinos are comfortable. and black pants? what more can we say about pants that go with everything?
floral maxi skirt | white corset skirt
many of us would forego skirts. but i love to wear them especially when the temps climb into the seventies and eighties. this floral maxi skirt is lightweight, looks adorable, and will be perfect for evening. the white corset skirt looks fantastic with espadrilles or sneakers. i think it will be on style repeat all vacation long.
black tee sold out (similar here) | gray tee | white tee
stripe tunic | polka dot ruffle | gingham camp shirt| chambray shirt | sleeveless white blouse
the rule of thumb is two tops to one bottom. counting my tees i have ten. but one more shirt can potentially make it into my suitcase. what do you think? i just might be fine with the chosen blouses.
silk white ruffle | striped mock neck tee
navy v-neck sweater | black cardigan
sneakers | espadrilles | backless loafers | black booties | metallic sandals
there may be one too many pairs of shoes for this trip. but the sneakers are worn on the plane. and mr. style might bail me out and pack one pair in his suitcase… all-in-all i think i’m ready to jet off to paris tomorrow night. what do you think?
Looks like a smashing lineup!
No scarves?
Beth- lovely! First off, safe travels to you and Mr. Style. I’m betting you’ve packed a scarf or two and a few pieces of jewelry so am looking forward to seeing how you’ll switch things up day to day and add pops by way of your fabulous accessories. I’d like to know what you plan to carry as a day bag while out seeing the sights. I always struggle with finding the right mix of functionality in a cross body bag that can hold maps, water bottle etc with some modicum of style. I’m assuming the Marc Jacobs bag is for onboard travel. Thanks and bon voyage.
If it was me, I would probably cut down on the number of tops – for a 14 day trip you have some items you may only wear once or twice. Tops are also an opportunity to add some colour – say replace the white/black/grey tees with a bright red tee. My rule of thumb is make sure the tops work with most or all of the bottoms: that way the total number of potential outfits is at least (number of tops) x (number of bottoms). It’s always good to leave room for vacation purchases!
I would love for you to show a picture of your packed bag so I can see how you get all of that in there! Have a wonderful trip.
Beth,
You will have a fqbulous time in Paris while looking Tres chic!
I’d skip heels, mules, skirts and anything white. Those are things I wouldn’t wear on a two-week trip. I need shoes with good support due to a ridiculous amount of walking. And I know myself — it takes concentration and technique to walk the cobbles without twisting an ankle. White wouldn’t last a day without getting dirty.
After I get home, I don’t like wearing my travel clothes for a good long time. Sooo tired of them! Maybe this is why I like to travel when the seasons are changing, so I can tuck those things away for a few months afterwards.
This is the color scheme I have chosen for a 7 day cruise from Boston to Montreal
. I am not taking any dresses or skirts as I just don’t often wear them. My face creams . make-up, and toiletries take up so much room. How do you pack yours? I love the packing bags we got a few years ago as it keeps everything more organized! Enjoy your trip. Looking forward to seeing how you put your clothes together! I love your style!
Thanks for this great post – I am leaving this week for a trip to Croatia and Slovenia and also chose black/white/navy for my travel wardrobe. I swear by packing cubes and can fit everything for a 12 day vacation into a 25” suitcase and a small carry on – I always pack a change of clothing and pjs in my carry on in case my luggage is lost or late. Have a great trip!
Good morning, Miss Beth! You’re going to look smashing on your European vacay with Mr. Style. So excited for you! Can’t wait to see your photos!
May I ask the brand of your slip-on mules with the tassels? Thank you!
Bon Voyage!
Great post re packing light. My husband would love to see what mr. style is packing and what
size bag.
Great post, Beth! I love seeing your choices for the trip! I may have missed it, but how many days is the trip and do you have a separate outfit for travel, aside from the items shown? How about accessories, like bags, scarves, and jewelry? I appreciate seeing the different things for the carry-on bag. It’s easy to see how well all of these items would create a mix and match wardrobe for the duration. Do you ever find need to do laundry on your trip? Do you have items that particularly wash well by hand, if needed to do your own wash? Sounds like a great vacation!! Have fun!
I am on the tail end of a 2 week Adriatic vacation and am in Paris. We are same age and southern Atlantic coasters. Temps are rapidly climbing. I strongly recommend you leave behind the black booties and mules. Stan Smith Style sneakers rule the streets! The light tees/light tops with sleeves will get the most use. Consider switching heavy blazer for lighter cardigan linen topper. Not seeing any white bottoms yet in major european cities but light blue denim is popular. Have a fabulous time! Remember you can always shop to fill in gaps! Love your blog!
I am going to Paris too at the end of May for 10 days!!!! I was thinking about taking the ZZZquil pills – do they work? I’m dreading the flight over.
I’m starting to think about what I am taking and I noticed my color palate is the same, black, white and denim. We are twins!!!!! I hope you have a wonderful trip. We need to trade stories when we get back!!!
Looks great! Have a blast. Only thing I’d add is an outlet adapter for overseas. And don’t forget to call credit card companies to let them know you’re heading off. I always remember that as I did forget once and freaked! hahahaaaa. Oh–and when I last traveled, to Greece and Turkey, I did bring along a water bottle. Carried it with me on the plane too
Enjoy!!!
Fabulous post! Have fun!