More Tips For Travelling Stylishly

Well, our countdown is finally over and I’m writing this post as we travel to Europe, and our first stop, Prague.

I promised regular readers that I would let you know the outcomes of my packing decisions, which I’m pleased to report were super easy after I’d sat with my Step Four questions for a while. One of the biggest packing mistakes you can make comes from failing to be decisive so I’ve trained myself to trust my packing choices over the years.

But travelling stylishly goes beyond the items that make it into your luggage. You also have to think about how you can get from Point A to Point B in the best possible way.

Given this, I thought I’d go beyond simply sharing what I’ve packed for our current trip by giving you a few insights into my own process for travelling stylishly.

More Tips For Travelling Stylishly

My Travel Outfit

I’ve mentioned many times that Melbourne is a very long way from almost everywhere. A flight to anywhere in Europe takes at least 24 hours door to door, so it pays to put some thought into what you wear while you’re travelling.

Once upon a time, I would never have flown in jeans. I’d convinced myself that they would be too tight and too constricting. Now I can’t remember the last time that I didn’t fly in high-waisted stretch denim. They are perfectly comfortable and keep you looking good as you move around airports and make your way to your accommodation.

For this trip I paired my blue denim jeans with the black layering singlet and topped everything off with my black long-sleeved shirt. The technical weave shirt is oversized and flow-y and I like wearing it unbuttoned, with just the front shirt tails cross-tucked into my jeans.

This is one of my favourite travel ensembles. It is comfortable, smart and it works well in multiple climates (flights from Australia to Europe tend to stop in warm places like Singapore and Dubai). It is also particularly hard-wearing. All the pieces are wrinkle free, so you don’t arrive at your destination looking like a crumpled mess. And they also respond well to spot cleaning in the case of spills (which happen with regular monotony when the inevitable turbulence strikes).

The whole outfit was completed with my super comfy black ankle boots.

In My Carry On

A well planned carry on bag can make a world of difference on a long haul flight. My carry on preferences have evolved over the years but I promise you the tips that I shared here and here absolutely still apply.

These days, I always pack a few key items of clothing in my carry on. Three items in particular are regulars because they make travelling stylishly so much easier.

The first is my black merino, long waterfall cardigan. It is a stylish addition to any travel wardrobe but it certainly comes into its own on flights. Another crush proof item, it is perfect for when you are trying to sleep as its wrap around style means you can really snuggle in.

If it is an especially chilly flight, I double down on warmth with my second ‘must have’ item – a cashmere blanket scarf. My blanket scarf features a graduated colour palette. It runs from black, through shades of grey to white, which makes it a perfect accessory for most of my travelling colour schemes and means that I don’t have to pack a separate winter weight scarf.

The final garment that always travels with me – but never in the cargo hold – is my cropped leather jacket. Light and versatile, this jacket doesn’t owe me a cent. It was years old when I wore it in our Parisian photo shoot and it is still going strong. It is perfect to throw over any travel outfit when you either need extra warmth on arrival or something slightly dressier for checking in to your accommodation. And happily, it is another wrinkle proof item.

Finally – What’s In My Case

For this trip, everything else on my travel planning list made it into my case, along with an additional layering singlet and a lightweight, leopard print scarf in grey.

Thanks to advice from Catherine from Taste Of France, I’ve packed both the grey sweaters and gave up on the idea of the trench. The waterproof nature of my packable down jacket made it a better option for the likely conditions of this vacation. Rain is forecast everywhere!

All my choices fitted easily into my small case. And pleasingly the case weighed less than 14 kilograms  which, while not even close to my ‘light packing record’, didn’t make me feel like I needed to jettison any items.

I’ll be sure to let you know which pieces turned out to be most valuable once we return home. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates from France and beyond.

Do you have any packing tips for travelling stylishly? If so, I’d love for you to share them in the comments section below.

And until next time – au revoir.