May 18, 2018
Yes, I didn’t go in December, and I didn’t go in February, but tomorrow I am going to Paris! (with an overnight side-trip to London!!!)
I’ve packed for this trip quite a few times, but I still always like to plan, and ponder… This kind of thinking ahead can help me remember to pack essentials, to choose appropriate clothes for our activities, to be aware of weather… And it’s fun to anticipate!
We’re going to Paris, with a quick overnight to London to meet with the women of Kathkath scarves (!!!). We’re both flying and taking a train, so comfortable clothes (but not sloppy, nor pajama-ish) for flying will be handy. Our plans are pretty casual, so I’m not going to need a ballgown, nor a tiara. And the weather should be very spring-like, with a jacket morning and evening…
Belovedest and I decided to fly in jeans and athletic shoes, partly in order to buy ourselves some spaces in our bags for running gear. (running shoes are atrocious space-hogs…) So I’m wearing this to fly over:
rain jacket – London Fog; earrings – Majorica; scarf – Juli Egli; tee shirt – Muji; crossbody bag – Bao Bao Issey Miyake; backpack – Standard; watch – Gomesky; jeans – Dearborn Denim; shoes – New Balance
From here, I’m going to deliberately build on my existing garments to choose what to add to my suitcase. Let’s assume that I’ve packed pajamas, and some undergarments, as well as my workout gear and the villainous running shoes… The first thing that I’ll want to do when we land is pull on a clean tee shirt, and a change of shoes, so I’m going to pack these things first:
tee shirt – L.L.Bean; flats – Arche; scarf – J.Jill
That’s not a lot of variety, but it is an easy change to make before we even have our hotel room. (remember, when you fly from the US to Europe, you don’t necessarily get into your hotel room the second you arrive; many rooms aren’t available until mid-afternoon… this is a good reason NOT to fly in your pajamas!)
Okay… I know that I’m going to go to London to meet with Kathkath, so I want to wear a dress… and a cardigan to wear over it if it’s cool, or if air-conditioning somewhere is in overdrive. I’ll want ballet flats to wear with my dress, and a fun pearl necklace will be nice with this. The next things to get packed look like this:
cardigan – Eileen Fisher; ballet flats – Arche; dress – Lands’ End ; necklace – Museum of Contemporary Art
At this point, if I had good access to laundry, I could travel for the week. It would be boring and repetitious, but in a pinch, this is sufficient…
But heck – I might as well fill my rolling bag, right? And a change of pants from jeans is a nice idea – dressy pants are appropriate most places now. A couple of sweaters – not heavy, bulky ones, but lighter spring-weight ones – and another necklace for the heck of it! These additions make things look like this:
black & white sweater – Eileen Fisher; pants – Eddie Bauer; necklace – Majorica; argyle sweater – J.Crew
In the right mood, I would definitely pull one of these sweaters on over my dress…
As much as I would be really happy with a completely black and white wardrobe, I think I’m going to take my denim shirt dress with me… it works beautifully on its own, with a tee shirt under it, or worn open as a duster over a simple top and pants…
The scarf? If I’m going to go visit Kathkath, I’m going to wear one of their scarves!
And I like my “Paris map” tee shirt; one of those days when we’re wearing jeans and sneakers, this tee shirt is a nice touch of whimsy…
Paris tee shirt – Citee Fashion; dress – Eileen Fisher; scarf – Kathkath
Frankly, I still have space – I can normally pack 10 garments for most seasons… hmmm…. 2 more pieces…
A white tee, while needing laundered more than a black tee, offers up a more spring-like feel. And I just plain want more lightheartedness here, so my mixed gingham cardigan tops things off perfectly!
Cardigan – J.Crew; tee shirt – L.L.Bean
10 pieces packed! It would be easy to slip in a 2nd black tee shirt… or a 2nd black & white tee shirt. Just a question of keeping an eye on how much space I have…
I don’t really have any firm events scheduled except the trip to London, so this plan for what I’m going to wear when is pretty tentative! That said, when I lay things out like this, I see that I have enough clothes, and that I might want to tuck a bracelet or two into my bag just for the fun of it… When you plan by outfit, you can clearly see accessory “holes” that need to be filled.
Dressing for Paris is much less stressful than it used to be – there was a time (very recently!) when you would be looked at with some… irritation… if you wore jeans and athletic shoes. Now, everybody is much more casual. Something important has been lost, but in return, we have a bit more latitude in our planning.
Change is the only constant, right?
love,
Janice
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Let me know you made it ok so I can let the parental unit know!! Have a wonderful time!!
This looks like such a smart lineup, and the colorful scarf is a great addition.
Save room for purchases!
Even though more people are wearing jeans and trainers, they still manage to look pretty dressy. I know you’ll fit right in.
I’m heading to Berlin in a few weeks and will definitely be using your plan as a guide! I’m going to be keeping up with the weather forecast, but hope to pack more dresses than you have shown. I wear a lot of dresses in my everyday life. I made quite a few restaurant reservations this time so I’ll need to come up with casual evening capsule within my items. Thanks so much for the great jumping off point.
I love the new format, but wow, the ads are getting intrusive. Today’s post had 13 inline ads, as well as the banner at the bottom. It was hard to find the content.
I have adBlock Plus and see no ads on the blog. It’s free, and available for Android, Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Maxthon, Opera, Safari and Yandex.
I also have to use an ad blocker browser to look at this site now. Usually I forget at first and start looking “the regular way” (through Chrome) but rapidly remember how annoying all the ads are!
Janice,
Safe and happy journeys ! Looks like you’re all set !
Nice choices – very workable and classic. Admire the way you lay things out and plan clothing combinations ahead of time. Have a great trip !
This is such a fun way to plan for a trip! I’m looking at a series of short jaunts this year, each centered around an event. This will be a great method to use! Have a lovely time!!
Hello Janice, great! and welcome in France (I’m on the Côte d’azur)
I’m so glad you’re going to France at last. When you get back, can we talk about airplanes? Going to Hawaii, used Alaska. Going between islands, Hawaiian airlines, coming back to mainland will be United. Many airlines have the same dimensions for the carry on bag. Hawaiian even has specifics for the personal bag. I’m discovering that Alaska is charging for everything. It was a 5.5hour flight on a 737. No free meal, no video console in the seat in front of me for in flight enjoyment. I didn’t bring a book. Renting a tablet from them was $ 10. I didn’t get it. So when you’re back , let’s talk about airplanes, who do you choose for European travel? Or stateside? Or Asia? Or Hawaii? Is it based on price? Comfort? Carry on allowances? Loyalty to a particular credit card? Or if you don’t wish to talk airlines, can you share what you do when on board to make it comfortable for yourself? Thanks!
This is a beautiful minimalist wardrobe, I am in love with all of it. Is the city t-shirt well-made and comfortable? I checked out the website and I think a couple of those would make fantastic gifts but at 28 pounds each and ordering them overseas… I’d like a recommendation.
Love this capsule. Have a wonderful time in Paris (and London, too)!! Did you pack everything in that Standard backpack? Your post mentioned a rolling suitcase – was that in addition? – nancyo
Thanks so much. I’m planning a capsule for France next month and this is so helpful. I do think this wardrobe is just crying out for a pop of colour, though. A bright T-shirt or scarf would be nice.
Absolutely – for normal people, an accent color would make sense! But I look at so many pieces of clothing, and so many different colors, that for me my monochromatic (achromatic?) wardrobe is comfortable and comforting. I’m not normal in that respect…
hugs,
Janice
Just back from nearly 3 weeks there. You will notice a lot, lot, lot more colour, and if Parisiennes are in neutrals, they have shifted out of black and grey to ecru, camel, off white (reserving pure white for higher temps.) The sheer amount of colour and pattern knocked me off my feet.
I did occasionally see someone in black and grey but my hunch is they were either visitors like us or the rare person committed to black. I picked up a few more coloured tops while there- periwinkle and pink.
Janice,
Your blog is such a treat, I love your talent! Could you please consider a walking shoe post? I’m traveling to your Windy City, then to NYC and finally on to Europe. I’ve done exhaustive research but still at a loss as to what stylish walking sandal and shoe you would recommend above all others. I’m done with sore, blistered feet and ready to invest in a few quality pair.
Thanks so much,
Kate