The beau and I are celebrating this year (the year of out 10 year anniversary and my, well, substantial up-coming birthday) with an unheard of three week vacation to the coasts and some selected cities of Spain, France, and Italy. I am so excited that some days it’s literally all I can think about… And having done so much thinking, considering, and planning, I figured I’d share some of my favorite items from my packing list.
Since this is a relatively long trip and we’re covering a lot of ground, it’s important that we pack lightly and pack well. The few items we bring will have to take us from posh hotel bars in Barcelona to the countryside of Umbria and from the sandy playgrounds of St-Tropez and Capri to the gritty streets of Marseilles and Rome. Therefore pretty much everything has to pull double-duty. No cocktail dresses too fancy to wear over a bathing suit to the beach or shoes that I’ll only wear once. As habitual over-packers, the two of us are going to have to plan down to the last pair of underwear (which makes me think: just how many pairs should I bring for three weeks, I wonder?), and here’s what I have planned so far:
Jersey support tank
$32 - net-a-porter.com | Tank tops are a must in the summer and work well with both cut-offs and skirts and can be layered under a blazer for the evening.
More DKNY tops »
$32 - net-a-porter.com | Tank tops are a must in the summer and work well with both cut-offs and skirts and can be layered under a blazer for the evening.
More DKNY tops »
Gap Striped cuff-sleeve T
$13 - gap.com | I want to be sure that any t-shirts I bring are “nice” enough that I can wear them into any shop or cafe and not feel like a schlubby American tourist.
More GAP t shirts »
$13 - gap.com | I want to be sure that any t-shirts I bring are “nice” enough that I can wear them into any shop or cafe and not feel like a schlubby American tourist.
More GAP t shirts »
Lucky Brand Becky Embroidered Dress at Zappos.com
$90 - zappos.com | This cute Mexican-inspired dress is going to be perfect on the days we’ll be at the beach then out to lunch without time to change in between.
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$90 - zappos.com | This cute Mexican-inspired dress is going to be perfect on the days we’ll be at the beach then out to lunch without time to change in between.
More clothing »
Gap Chambray boyfriend cutoffs
$25 - gap.com | I have a new appreciation for shorts this summer and I plan on bringing 3-4 pair and matching them with a tunic and pretty sandals for dinner and a t-shirt and flip flops for the beach.
More GAP shorts »
$25 - gap.com | I have a new appreciation for shorts this summer and I plan on bringing 3-4 pair and matching them with a tunic and pretty sandals for dinner and a t-shirt and flip flops for the beach.
More GAP shorts »
default | Banana Republic
$45 - bananarepublic.gap.com | Out for a 5 minute walk the other day I reluctantly came to the conclusion that jeans are out for this trip. I don’t have many cotton trousers in my rotation normally, but for this trip, they’re going to be in heavy rotation.
More Banana Republic clothing »
$45 - bananarepublic.gap.com | Out for a 5 minute walk the other day I reluctantly came to the conclusion that jeans are out for this trip. I don’t have many cotton trousers in my rotation normally, but for this trip, they’re going to be in heavy rotation.
More Banana Republic clothing »
Bullhead Shorts – Womens – Cut Off Frayed Indigo Short
$37 - pacsun.com | Cut-offs are my loop-hole for jeans in the hot, hot heat and I’ll be bringing a pair or two for sure!
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$37 - pacsun.com | Cut-offs are my loop-hole for jeans in the hot, hot heat and I’ll be bringing a pair or two for sure!
More Bullhead shorts »
Doris flat espadrille sandals
$180 - net-a-porter.com | These have not yet arrived, but man, oh man do I hope they’re as comfortable as they look! I’m not bringing heels and these will have to be my “fancy” shoes…
More Paloma Barceló sandals »
$180 - net-a-porter.com | These have not yet arrived, but man, oh man do I hope they’re as comfortable as they look! I’m not bringing heels and these will have to be my “fancy” shoes…
More Paloma Barceló sandals »
Belts: Accessories at L.L.Bean
$35 - llbean.com | A belt is a great accessory to pull an outfit together and I just can’t resist the nautical appeal of the rope belt.
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$35 - llbean.com | A belt is a great accessory to pull an outfit together and I just can’t resist the nautical appeal of the rope belt.
More belts »
Vans LPE
$42 - zappos.com | They’re sneakers (comfortable to walk around the cities of Europe in), but they’re also cute, small enough to not monopolize the suitcase, and will even look cute with shorts or a dress. What more could one ask for from a pair of canvas Vans?
$42 - zappos.com | They’re sneakers (comfortable to walk around the cities of Europe in), but they’re also cute, small enough to not monopolize the suitcase, and will even look cute with shorts or a dress. What more could one ask for from a pair of canvas Vans?
Gucci – Straw Fedora – Saks.com
$240 - saksfifthavenue.com | I am not normally a hat person, but I tried this on at Bergdorf’s one day and it actually looked cute and, even more importantly, fit my enormous head. It was a splurge, but it keeps my face shaded, protects my hair color, and makes me feel like a jet-setting movie star. Also important for a hat for traveling, it looks cute both at the beach and with an outfit of long pants and a button-down top. Some hats are great for the beach, but don’t translate to the street. Since putting the hat in the suitcase would ruin it, I have to wear this hat whenever we travel from one place to another, including on the plane, so the fact that it’s versatile works in its favor big time.
$240 - saksfifthavenue.com | I am not normally a hat person, but I tried this on at Bergdorf’s one day and it actually looked cute and, even more importantly, fit my enormous head. It was a splurge, but it keeps my face shaded, protects my hair color, and makes me feel like a jet-setting movie star. Also important for a hat for traveling, it looks cute both at the beach and with an outfit of long pants and a button-down top. Some hats are great for the beach, but don’t translate to the street. Since putting the hat in the suitcase would ruin it, I have to wear this hat whenever we travel from one place to another, including on the plane, so the fact that it’s versatile works in its favor big time.
Banana Republic
$90 - bananarepublic.gap.com | Airplanes, trains, and some restaurants are just a few of the over-air conditioned venues where a traveler often ends up. Pack for the beach only and you’ll be uncomfortably goose-pimply the whole way there. A cotton blazer packs up nicely and isn’t too warm so it works well on evenings when there’s a bit of a breeze. I tried this on over dresses and with cut-offs and a tank and it works for the formal and informal occasions so it’s a keeper.
$90 - bananarepublic.gap.com | Airplanes, trains, and some restaurants are just a few of the over-air conditioned venues where a traveler often ends up. Pack for the beach only and you’ll be uncomfortably goose-pimply the whole way there. A cotton blazer packs up nicely and isn’t too warm so it works well on evenings when there’s a bit of a breeze. I tried this on over dresses and with cut-offs and a tank and it works for the formal and informal occasions so it’s a keeper.
Banana Republic
$40 - bananarepublic.gap.com | Oversized button-downs dress up cut-offs and when paired with the right accessories and a nice pair of trousers, can take you out to a “fancy” dinner.
$40 - bananarepublic.gap.com | Oversized button-downs dress up cut-offs and when paired with the right accessories and a nice pair of trousers, can take you out to a “fancy” dinner.
Flight 001 | F1 SALLY HANGING TOILETRY CASE – Toiletry Bags – Packing…
$35 - flight001.com | The toiletries have been carefully considered and fit nicely in our case. I’ll break those down for you in another article.
$35 - flight001.com | The toiletries have been carefully considered and fit nicely in our case. I’ll break those down for you in another article.
Banana Republic
$110 - bananarepublic.gap.com | I’m not a long dress kind of girl, but when I tried this on, I got why these are a staple of the jet-setter gal: they go from day to night, beach to bar seamlessly! It’s all about the double-duty!
$110 - bananarepublic.gap.com | I’m not a long dress kind of girl, but when I tried this on, I got why these are a staple of the jet-setter gal: they go from day to night, beach to bar seamlessly! It’s all about the double-duty!
Malia Mills Swimwear Tops
maliamills.com | The two Malia Mills bikinis that are coming with me cost an arm and a leg, but are flattering and I feel comfortable in them all day, so completely worth the steep price tag.
More Malia Mills clothing »
maliamills.com | The two Malia Mills bikinis that are coming with me cost an arm and a leg, but are flattering and I feel comfortable in them all day, so completely worth the steep price tag.
More Malia Mills clothing »
TUMI > Avignon International Carry-on > Women’s Travel
tumi.com | I finally invested in a “good” suitcase… and an expandable one at that. Even with the expansion and my careful outfit planning and double-duty clothes, I still have NO idea how I’m going to live out of one small suitcase for three weeks! This is going to be a true adventure…
tumi.com | I finally invested in a “good” suitcase… and an expandable one at that. Even with the expansion and my careful outfit planning and double-duty clothes, I still have NO idea how I’m going to live out of one small suitcase for three weeks! This is going to be a true adventure…
Bloch London Women’s Ballerina Pearl Ballet Flat | Warehouse Deals
warehousedeals.com | Ballet flats are for the days when neither a sneaker nor a sandal will cut it. They’re comfy and oh so chic that I’ll fit right in shopping in Rome (at least that’s the plan)!
warehousedeals.com | Ballet flats are for the days when neither a sneaker nor a sandal will cut it. They’re comfy and oh so chic that I’ll fit right in shopping in Rome (at least that’s the plan)!
