What I Wore in Europe in the Early Summertime

My real-life trip looks! A little frazzled and hot/humid/tired at times lol -- But comfy and feeling confident!

A Few Notes:

* I am a recovering pack-rat in the extreme! One could absolutely pack lighter than I did, but #workinprogress haha

* For three out of the five places we stayed on our month-long trip, we had a washer (no dryers.) So, I was thankfully able to wash our clothes every time we wore them and this helped a ton (especially with a toddler!) as far as packing lighter.

* This travel wardrobe is based on what I packed for our our trip but I have subtracted things that I brought but did not use/weren't helpful and I also added in a few items that I wish I'd brought and will bring next time!

* A Tip: Search on Pinterest for all the travel capsule wardrobe tips.... they are a dime a dozen, and there are some helpful posts! Also, make a Pinterest Inspiration Board full of pictures, outfits, that capture the "feel" of how you want to look on your trip!

Month-Long Europe

(in the Early Summer)

PACKING LIST

BOTTOMS

Dark Skinny Jeans: I brought these exact Paige jeans to Europe (picked them up on sale at Nordstrom Rack!) and wore them every few days -- totally worth it and they're the only pair I brought, but they held up perfectly.

Black Ponte Leggings: Wore these almost every dang day, at some point! Absolutely necessary, especially for travel days and mom life in general!

Shorts: On warm walking days, they are a must.

TOPS

White V-Neck Tee: I brought along this cotton one and wore it at least twice a week on the trip!

Black V-Neck Tee: Perfect for layering, tying up with jeans or shorts, or in casual moments like running to get ice cream or a quick dinner after a long day of travel! I brought this exact one linked.

Long Sleeved White Tee: This was ideal for layering and cooler mornings and evenings. I wore it under so many things, and sometimes alone! You can dress it up or down. I even wore it with shorts on a couple of spring-like days in Switzerland!

Breton Stripe Tee: A must-have for Paris, am I right?! :)

Graphic Tee: Something casual to add into the mix! I actually ordered this Carrie Bradshaw copy-cat version which was just such a fun silly thing to add in!

DRESSES AND ROMPERS

Black Romper: Universally flattering and ever so comfy, I found one that fit my long torso (believe me, that feels like winning the lottery for tall gals!) and it looked so cute paired with a jean jacket or by itself! SO comfy.

Sundress: I wore a blue sleeveless sundress often in the countryside (along with my straw hat!) and it made for the perfect, warm-weather picnic outfit.

Black Jersey Maxi Dress: Maybe not the most flashy thing on the planet, but definitely a useful, practical, comfy, and flattering staple to have on hand. I loved throwing this on for long walking and travel days, as well as times when we had long lines to wait in, lots of standing or train rides, etc. It was just comfortable but also classic and chic when paired with other accesories.

Linen Shirt Dress: As the weather warmed up during our last week of the trip, in Paris, I loved wearing this cool yet chic style of dress to gardens and cafes and museums!

Floral Maxi Dress: Perfect for the countryside, can be layered with the denim jacket, and whimsically pretty.

Wrap Dress: Ever so flattering on all of us, I LOVED my chambray wrap dress that I wore, and got so many questions about, in Europe. Sadly, I cannot find it anywhere (I picked it up at Marshall's. A few people have found it at random TJ Maxx type stores but I can't find a link online.) This one is similar!

OUTERWEAR

Classic Denim Jacket: A staple for any wardrobe, but especially a travel in early-summer through Europe one! Goes with all the things and I would wager that I may have worn mine at least once every day.

Puffer Coat: The warmest and also lightweight for packing! We did have a few times in the first week (which was at the end of May) when I definitely needed this (for instance, the morning of The Royal Wedding!) Later in the trip (beginning of June), I didn't touch it. But, it was worth it to have.

Rain Slicker: We didn't pack one of these, but it would be nice to have on hand if you can swing it. If not, I knew we could grab slickers if the weather was super rainy at most shops in the cities we were visiting.

Sweatshirt: I brought a simple, casual, soft sweatshirt from Nordstrom along and loved having it to cozy up in.

Cardigan Sweater: Something light to wear with anything if you get chilly.

SHOES

* Less is more with shoes, I have found, when traveling. You can always re-wear. No, they won't be your exact "dream outfit look" but it's not a fashion show, it's a vacation ;) Also, comfort is KEY!

Comfy Walking S andals: This may be my number recommendation for a MUST-HAVE on this type of a trip's capsule wardrobe. Whether that be Madden Girl Brando sandals like I packed and wore almost daily on the trip, Birkinstocks, or your favorite absolutely 100% comfortable shoe, pack them. You will not regret this -- even if they're not as cute as so many sandals out there, just buckle down (no pun intended lol) and do it. You'll thank me later! (And good thing is, you can always crop them out of pics if they're not your favorite with the outfit you're wearing. It's worth it to enjoy the trip you've worked so hard to go on and to not be in pain!)

Strappy Sandal: These real-leather Madewell sandals were perfect for days I could look more put-together and less casual/comfy! These wear like a dream.

Tennis Shoe: Again, I wore these white Converse almost daily! A must-have, whatever style or brand you choose, pick something white and simple that "goes with" almost anything.

Rain Boots: I brought my black Hunter's on both our Europe trips in the last 2 years, and gosh I am glad I did. It rains in Europe, especially in Fall and Springtime, and it was invaluable to not have wet feet. Because we packed so light on the flights and they are so heavy, I wore them on the airplane with thick socks. Not the comfiest situation of my life, but you make it work if it's worth it to you, and it was for me.

Accessories:

Backpack: I kept it simple and brought this and only this and it played the role of purse, backpack, diaper bag, and carry on! #winning I got it in cognac off Amazon and almost wish I also had the black, too!

Straw Hat: I LOVED having this addition to my little travel wardrobe! Europe is such a romantic place it just added that touch of old-fashioned kind of whimsy to a lot of my outfits, especially ones I wore in the countryside. There's just somethin' magical about flitting through the green countryside of England or France in your straw hat that makes you feel like some kind of storybook mix of Heidi and Elizabeth Bennett! I stuffed mine in my suitcase and it actually got fairly crushed and misshapen on the flight over (go figure haha) so I had to do some working-with-it once we arrived in England (I actually used a low-heat iron at our B n B to straighten out the major wrinkles. A fire hazard I suppose, but it worked!)

Black Cat Eye Sunglasses: These flatter almost any face and I love them because they remind me of old picture of my grandmother at my age :) I wore these from Francesca's!

Vintage White Sunglasses: I feel just like Jackie Kennedy wearing these! I wore them on our first Europe trip in 2017 and this trip, too!

Silk Bandana Scarf: Darling for tying up your hair, ponytail, or half pony, OR wearing around your neck :) I did all of these things (and wore it around my neck with my black and white stripe tee in Paris one day and felt oh so French!) It's so tiny and lightweight, there really are no worries at all throwing it into your suitcase or bag. I have this Paris-themed one that I linked from J.Crew but it's out of stock -- linking it so you can get the idea and keep your eyes out for one elsewhere!

Scarf This scarf kept me warm on flights, doubled as a pillow or light blanket during travel days and train rides, as well as on the few cool days we had!

Oversized Hoop Earrings Chic, simple, sassy, and adds a fun touch to with nearly any outfit! My mother in law gifted me these Madewell hoops last year on a birthday or Christmas, and they are my favorite ever -- they're so light!

Chic "Diamond" Studs: Always an easy, comfy go-to for my personal style! And of course, wear fake ones while traveling - just to be safe!

Pearl Studs: Again, go for faux! Cheap, not a biggie if you lose them, light and tiny for no-problem packing, and easy to throw on and make any look a bit more "Audrey Hepburn chic."

Pendant Necklace: Adds a romantic, stunning touch to any top or dress. I wore it often on the trip and even if I was also wearing Converse for comfort on a long day of walking, the necklace gave my outfit an "oomph" of dress-up that made me feel more fun and confident, especially in places like Laduree in Paris or the Kensington/Chelsea flower show area!

Read my Travel Tips and Travel with Babies/Toddler Tips here!

* One of my favorite mom and style bloggers who always has helpful tips in general just posted her Travel Capsule Wardrobe this past weekend and it's super helpful -- she's heading to Europe in September and her capsule is so user friendly and helpful for understanding the concept! Read the post here.

* A tool I used for this "travel capsule" and what I've been using all this year to build, rework, and rethink what I'm calling my "Core Wardrobe" (more on that to come later) is the app StyleBook (this is NOT sponsored! :) Just something I adore and am sharing in hopes it'll help someone out!) It's been an awesome organizing tool for me, seriously it's changed my clothing-game! Check it out!

Our big adventure of 2018. Trip of a lifetime. Memories that will last forever. And it helped a lot and made life smoother to pack a bit lighter and think through my clothing.

I'm so grateful for it all.

Packing and planning what you'll wear for a trip is fun -- and important -- because, the way you dress, if you're comfortable or uncomfortable, and the amount of luggage you're hauling around effects how you feel and, in turn, the quality of your trip (and the people with you!) and how you act!

Happy planning and packing, sisters!! I hope this is inspirational for someone. It's a work in progress for this pack rat but I felt so much freer this trip than ever before and loved bringing fewer items that worked well together!

xoxo

Erin

My Month-Long Europe Trip "Capsule Wardrobe" (Early Summer)