France: spring packing list
What a trip…now that I’m home from France, I’d love to share the full itinerary with you and what we did during our three week trip this April & May (other than get engaged!!!), but let’s get the important details out of the way: what did I wear?!
Usually a couple months prior to a trip, I start plotting out the itinerary - getting a feel of how I’ll spend each day (spontaneous who). I then take a look at my wardrobe, asking the question, ‘do I have everything I need?’ Sometimes there’s a clear ‘no’ answer; like when I was going to the UK for the first time and was told on countless occasions how damp it was going to be and so I specifically went out and bought more water-resistant footwear (I have now been to the UK three times and have only had one rainy day). And sometimes the answer is a much less clear ‘no’ because I know in my heart of hearts that I can’t say yes, as I have a vision of what I’d like to wear in a particular place and nothing in my closet will do.
That is when I begin the hunt. I scour local thrift shops, dive for deals in my inbox, and start adding things to my cart, hoping that my budget will magically stretch, allowing me a couple fresh items just in time for the trip. This trip was no different, except I now have 300K of you (hey!) watching my outfits and somehow that put a lot of pressure on things.
So here is what I’m packed for France this spring:
accessories
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rounded rattan belt - I’ve been wearing this one from Mango on repeat; I love that it has a bit of stretch. I ordered in a size small and fits my waist perfectly!
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metal belt buckle - similar to the old leather belt I brought; I’m starting to incorporate more belts in to my looks intentionally.
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silk scrunchie - something I never leave home without. More protective than regular elastics.
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white 50s inspired sunglasses - I always bring these out year after year.
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round metal sunglasses - a pair like this is just essential.
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raffia ball cap - I’ve been wearing mine on repeat. I feel like this is a ball cap that finally matches my style.
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round rattan bag - I’ve had mine for years and it’s become a summer wardrobe staple.
outerwear
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oversized belted trench - found my perfect trench right before this trip!
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navy trench - mine’s vintage, and this is the closest I could find for a dupe
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linen-blend jacket - a staple in my closet, although since it was so hot I didn’t end up wearing it on the trip.
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my favourite blazer - I also brought my favourite blazer along; this one is quite similar!
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oversized belted trench - found my perfect trench right before this trip!
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navy trench - mine’s vintage, and this is the closest I could find for a dupe
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my favourite blazer - I also brought my favourite blazer along; this one is quite similar!
tops
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sweatshirt - I’ve been looking for a cream one forever and finally came across this one!
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super soft cardigan - I loved how lightweight this one is. I often get very hot, but I still want something to throw over my shoulders.
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floral blouse - I brought a similar one to layer under a dress for my Belle moment in Aix.
bottoms
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the denim - I wanted so badly not to pack a heavy pair of jeans, but I just love these so much
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linen pants - I picked these up at the last minute to bring instead of loungewear. I figured they were multi-purpose!
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linen shorts - I have this pair in the natural linen colour and they are VERY comfy (unfortunately they only make them in the white now D: )
dresses
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midi wrap dress - I wore this to Versailles and to the Eiffel Tower. Iconic.
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lilac dress - my (now) fiancé told me after he proposed to me in this dress, that he knew THIS was an engagement type of dress. He was right.
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a-line midi - I brought a similar one along for my Belle moment in Aix.
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slip dress - check out how I up-styled my slip dress on Reels or TikTok!
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midi wrap dress - I wore this to Versailles and to the Eiffel Tower. Iconic.
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slip dress - check out how I up-styled my slip dress on Reels or TikTok!
footwear
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suvi mules - these even held up to the rain RIP
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helka mules - I wear these a ton; the heel height is perfect for me.
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heeled slides - similar vibe to the ones I brought with me (and didn’t wear even though I so badly wanted to)
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my favourite shoes - I wore these the most
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chain strap mules - I ordered these right before the trip, and I was a little apprehensive; but they ended up being super comfortable.
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square toed heels - I also ordered these last minute before the trip (they arrived the day before) because I was desperate for a pair of heels that I could wear with my dresses that wouldn’t cause me immense pain (I’ve been having foot issues as of late) they were a good choice.
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slingbacks - I got my cap toe slingback flats ages ago; this is the most similar I could find
gear
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affordable vintage inspired luggage - I’ve had this one on a few trips now and love it!
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clear packing cubes - I love these because you can see what you’ve packed and easily find something, while still keeping everything organized and protected from any spills.
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travel steamer - I use this one all the time at home, and I’m excited to try it out on vacation
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Sony a7III - my boyfriend and I have 2 of these, we’re only packing one. This is the camera’s we shoot on for commercial work, and how we take all of my IG content.
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Sony a7IV - my boyfriend is also bringing the latest addition to our gear line-up; we will probably shoot all our video on this one!
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if you don’t have 220v compatible electronics, don’t make the mistake of just getting an adapter; you need a converter like this one.
Spring is such an odd time for weather, and you really never know what you’re going to get. When we left, the forecast was saying 15C and rainy; but just a few weeks prior I had seen the temperatures get up to 28C. I packed way too much in the odd chance it would be either raining the entire time or basically full summer weather. I didn't get the chance to wear all of my outfits as we saw 15 degree weather for the first half and then it was almost 30 every day in the second half. C’est la vie. I’m glad I overpacked instead of the other way around.
The things I regret bringing:
my steamer - this shorted our converter even though it’s a converter and not just an adapter (an adapter just helps plugs fit into the different sockets, whereas a converter will adjust the voltage). We are picking up the European plug version for our next trip though, as we do really like this one.
a travel blowdryer - every single place we stayed (and we stayed in only 2 hotels, the other 6 places were AirBnBs) had a blowdryer and this just added extra weight.
so many shoes - shoes are so heavy, and I brought way too many. I probably would have worn them all though, had I not been experiencing foot problems. To provide some context, I used to be able to wear heels for 12 hours a day, and I never had any issues wearing flats. In the last year, I have slowly been giving away every pair of shoe I own, as I’m having some genetic foot issues. I pretty much am at the point where I am sentenced to a life of geriatric footwear (RIP), that and Birkenstocks. Thank goodness for Birks.
my denim - I really didn’t need another pair of pants, and denim always ways down a suitcase. I just brought these because they were new and shiny and I wanted to wear them.
The things I should have brought:
absolutely nothing more. I had too much.
Let me know if you’d like to see in-depth stories from our trip or just a simple travel itinerary! I absolutely loved France and felt like 3 weeks was a good first time trip there, although there is still so much to see. Overall, I was really happy with the wardrobe I curated for this trip, and I really hope you think so too. Make sure to subscribe to my mailing list so you never miss a post (and for some fun freebies!).
xo Cate
