What I wore in Europe Spring 2016- packing light for the middle aged woman

Hi, as I've found packing threads very helpful in the past, I'm doing a little mini thread of my own... unfortunately I'm the photographer, not DH, so I have a minimal amount of photos to share.

For my personal style of travel, I like to pack light, I realize it's not for everyone, but it works for me, as we always do pre & post cruise travel involving trains & buses in Europe.

For this trip, we each took a carry on sized roller bag & a kipling sherpa over the handle carry on... I also had my trusty leather backpack as a personal item.

Our trip started out in Barcelona, & ended in Rome, & while we never hit truly cold weather, we did have rain, & quite a bit of it, the first week of our trip. A good part of our cruise focused on very resort type locations...Provence, Sardinia, Corsica, Cannes... so I felt very comfortable wearing shorts in these locations... I also wore shorts on a couple of days in Rome when we did some hiking & biking , I realize shorts in Europe is a highly controversial topic

lol... but it worked for me

So, here's what I packed for 3 weeks, (a little background, I'm 49, & DH is 51, we were on the Celebrity Equinox, & our loyalty status allows us quite a bit of free laundry on board)

I packed:

bottoms:

1 pair skinny jean

2 pairs of black leggings... one in an above the ankle length

2 pairs of linen shorts, 1 black, one cream black stripes (Nordstrom, Caslon)

1 long dark grey washable silk skirt with a u shaped hem, & long slits on either side, kind of like a maxi dress, but a skirt instead... very cool & comfortable, great for churches on a hot day.

tops:

-2 black tank tops (to be worn under blouses & tunics)

-4 linen A line tank tops (loose, long fit) 2 were grey, 2 were black... these also were a bit longer in the back than front, so were perfect with leggings (J crew)

-2 linen A line loose tee shirts, (1 black, 1 cream) with very short (just covering shoulders) sleeves & boatneck line... a bit oversized & loose, with the hem longer in the back than front...great with leggings as they cover your bottom & also worn with the long skirt (Ann Taylor Loft)

-1 chambray shirt, with long sleeves that roll up with tab buttons, very thin & lightweight (Nordstrom)

-3 linen/cotton blend tunic tops, so lightweight they are a bit see thru, worn with black tank tops under, they had long sleeves with tab roll ups, 1 blue, 1 black, 1 olive green (a little boutique in Newport beach that sells it's own label)

-1 ivory short trench rain coat

-2 very lightweight utility jackets, 1 in navy, 1 in olive green

-Undies....started with 15 pair... 7 were worn & thrown away during our Barcelona stay

-Bras, sports bras only, 5

-for nightgowns I bought two plus sized women's OP cotton tank tops from wal mart, they were big enough to fit as a night gown on me, & very comfortable

-socks, 5 pairs (one worn on plane)

shoes: (3 pair)

-1 pair ivory Birkenstock Gizeh

-1 pair of brown lace up boots, these are older than heck, but a very good quality of leather & I can walk forever in them, they're by Sofft

-1 pair of brown suede booties, Dolce Vita

Accessories:

5 scarves: all lightweight silk for spring, 1 solid red, i solid black (these were the small square type that you roll up & ear close to the neck, 1 green with muted grey pattern, 1 navy with off white pattern, 1 grey with white polka dots

2 pairs sunglasses, with small cases

1 necklace, black leather cord w/silver medallion that I wear almost every day

1 Tilley th9 hemp hat

1 leather back pack, pretty old, but indispensable

1 small Bagallini black cross body purse

my makeup fits in sandwich sized baggie, I bring a tinted sunscreen, one lip color, a mascara, an eyeliner, & clear gel for my eyebrows. Also a travel sized face moisturizer & my prescription cream for eczema on my face.. i have dry skin that's very sensitive. 1 travel sized hairspray, 2 hair elastics. In my leather back pack I always have moisturizing spf face powder, & lots of lip balm

1 small hair brush, 1 round hair brush & a set of 5 travel sized hot rollers

my iPhone, kindle, & chargers for both.

My camera & it's accessories spare batteries, charger, spare SD cards

shoes: (I left the flat black sandals at home)

my stuff laid out on my bed:

Jackets:

Barcelona in the rain: (say YES to sock with birkenstocks)

the hat was great in the rain, & I also love wearing sandals in the rain, skin dries a lot faster than wet shoes... the socks came off in the hard rain

(green cargo jacket, skinny jeans, black linen tank top, green & grey silk scarf & tilley hat) cross body bag & giant camera around my neck

oops, i forgot, my stuff all bagged up:

more outfits:

in St. Paul De Vence, more rain...

Black linen shorts, black linen tee shirt, ivory rain jacket, leather backpack, giant camera around neck... tilley hat is in the back pack

In Provence; skinny jeans, black linen tank, blue cargo jacket, tilley hat, Birks, cross body bag... & of course, the camera

I believe this is Barcelona, black leggings, brown boots, chambray shirt worn over black linen tank top, grey polka dot scarf, camera, leather back pack w/raincoat inside

In Cannes, (at the Carlton Hotel, looking freaked out cause I think we're going to get kicked out) Black linen shorts, black tank, with linen woven tunic top & tilley hat w/Birks, small black scarf, camera

For DH I packed

-2 pairs of black travel pants, they are super fast dry & have a couple of hidden pockets

- pairs of shorts, 1 tan, 1 black, 1 red & navy striped that double as swim trunks (they're called hybrid shorts) & 1 grey performance fabric that also can be used to swim, they have hidden pockets also, 1 orange pair

-8 black v neck tee shirts

-cream & blue striped tee

-2 polo shirts, one navy, one white w/chambray collar

-1 linen/silk blend blazer

-3 pairs of shoes, 1 brown leather cole hahn, 1 black nike trainers, 1 pair flip flops Olukai)

socks/undies, sunglasses

1 black Scott Travel vest (greatest thing ever!)

1 grey cotton v neck sweater, 1 black lightweight cashmere v neck sweater

bottoms:

all packed up:

here's just a bit of what DH wore:

black pants, black tee shirt, black sweater, Scottvest, water proof sun hat:

(he's at the center of photo)

In Florence, black pants, black Nikes, grey sweater, Scottvest, hat

In rome, black pants, navy polo, linen blazer, cole hahn shoes

In Rome, line for the mouth of truth was too long, so he put his hand in the mouth of trash instead, lol.... orange shorts, black tee, black scottvest

Your style when traveling seems very similar to mine, and like you, I prefer to pack light, layer as needed, mix and match, and do laundry as needed. Last year we spent 10 days in Italy in the early fall and I packed in a carry-on size rollaboard and leather tote bag:

bottoms:

1 black capris

1 white jeans

1 black shorts or skort, I can't recall which I packed

1 black sundress

1 black loose-fitting yoga pants that I wore on the plane and when lounging around on our terrace in the evening

tops:

I can't recall specifically but it was about 6 or 7 tops. A couple were sleeveless, one was a linen camp shirt with roll up/tab sleeves, one was a long sleeved Tee. All were neutral and all went with all bottoms.

accessories:

1 black cardigan, 1 jean jacket, 1 black belt

1 turquoise cross body bag and 1 mostly turquoise scarf with little flecks of other colors. These two items gave me a pop of color to an otherwise black/white/gray wardrobe

shoes:

1 pair of black/beige patterned sandals

1 pair of black flats that I never even wore once. I lived in the sandals.

I take a little more make-up than you, but minimize my general cosmetics as much as possible, only take travel sizes, and don't fuss much with my hair, usually just pull it back in a large barrette. Other than the jewelry I wear on the plane, I usually take one large pendant necklace and a couple of bracelets and that's it.

Your style when traveling seems very similar to mine, and like you, I prefer to pack light, layer as needed, mix and match, and do laundry as needed. Last year we spent 10 days in Italy in the early fall and I packed in a carry-on size rollaboard and leather tote bag:

 

bottoms:

1 black capris

1 white jeans

1 black shorts or skort, I can't recall which I packed

1 black sundress

1 black loose-fitting yoga pants that I wore on the plane and when lounging around on our terrace in the evening

 

tops:

I can't recall specifically but it was about 6 or 7 tops. A couple were sleeveless, one was a linen camp shirt with roll up/tab sleeves, one was a long sleeved Tee. All were neutral and all went with all bottoms.

 

accessories:

1 black cardigan, 1 jean jacket, 1 black belt

1 turquoise cross body bag and 1 mostly turquoise scarf with little flecks of other colors. These two items gave me a pop of color to an otherwise black/white/gray wardrobe

 

shoes:

1 pair of black/beige patterned sandals

1 pair of black flats that I never even wore once. I lived in the sandals.

 

I take a little more make-up than you, but minimize my general cosmetics as much as possible, only take travel sizes, and don't fuss much with my hair, usually just pull it back in a large barrette. Other than the jewelry I wear on the plane, I usually take one large pendant necklace and a couple of bracelets and that's it.

Yeah, I'm pretty low maintenance, as long as my clothes & I are clean & comfortable, I'm happy... I have no problem taking multiple items of the exact same thing... when I find a perfect staple item I'll buy multiples of it. I'm a pretty lazy dresser, but I like to look pulled together :)

Thanks for sharing your packing list and strategy. My usual amount of luggage would be fairly comparable to yours. (I also have & like the Kipling Sherpa bag.) But what I pack is quite different. For me, sleeveless or tank tops just aren't that practical for daywear since I don't like to bare my upper arms. :o Also I am not a jeans or boots person.

But in terms of an overall strategy of mix and match, we are on the same page. ;)

Cute post. I want a hat like yours

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Thanks for sharing your packing list and strategy. My usual amount of luggage would be fairly comparable to yours. (I also have & like the Kipling Sherpa bag.) But what I pack is quite different. For me, sleeveless or tank tops just aren't that practical for daywear since I don't like to bare my upper arms. :o Also I am not a jeans or boots person.

 

But in terms of an overall strategy of mix and match, we are on the same page. ;)

I also pack much like you do but also do not wear shorts. We spend a great deal of time in London and my black,gray and a color accent always work as I am usually taken for a local. Love it!!

Forgot to mention that your Birkies are really really cute and I covet your olive utility jacket -- how lightweight is it? Would you share the make?

I'm pretty much the same, except I don't do shorts nor tanks nor sleeveless. I'll pack less scarves, but I always seem to pick up one or two along the way.

Usually I just take 2 pair of shoes - my trail runners and my Jambu sandals which function as both day shoes and evening shoes.

I'm betting that olive jacket is either Caslon, Halogen, or Athleta - I've seen all 3 with a version of the jacket. Almost bought the Athleta one for my last Italian trip, but the sleeves were waaaaay too tight and short :(

Cute post. I want a hat like yours

 

 

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Hi, thanks :) it's Tilly, & they still carry it, it's great because it's spf 50, but also kept me dry in the rain (& we had lots of it)

I also pack much like you do but also do not wear shorts. We spend a great deal of time in London and my black,gray and a color accent always work as I am usually taken for a local. Love it!!

Hi, normally I don't but in the resort areas I felt pretty comfortable with it, & in Rome on days we rode bikes one the very, very bumpy Appian Way :)

Forgot to mention that your Birkies are really really cute and I covet your olive utility jacket -- how lightweight is it? Would you share the make?

Hi, it's from Nordstrom & it's Caslon, it's actually several years old, & it's very light weight, I've got it in navy also. They carried a similar one last season, but it didn't fit the same so I passed on it.

I'm pretty much the same, except I don't do shorts nor tanks nor sleeveless. I'll pack less scarves, but I always seem to pick up one or two along the way.

Usually I just take 2 pair of shoes - my trail runners and my Jambu sandals which function as both day shoes and evening shoes.

 

I'm betting that olive jacket is either Caslon, Halogen, or Athleta - I've seen all 3 with a version of the jacket. Almost bought the Athleta one for my last Italian trip, but the sleeves were waaaaay too tight and short :(

Hi, regarding the tanks, I always had something on over them, either a cargo jacket or my chambray shirt. At home I'm fine with wearing sleeveless, because that's what everyone here does, but in bigger cities in Europe, not so much... we we did have warm days I wore the linen tee shirts that had short cap sleeves so my shoulders were covered for churches. :)

Shoe wise, I probably could have got away with just the Birks, but on the ship at night I wore my short booties most nights.

I LOVE this post, and your style. :)

How'd did the cork sole on the Birkenstock's hold up in the rain? I'm afraid to get mine wet after I ruined several soles years ago.

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Hi, regarding the tanks, I always had something on over them, either a cargo jacket or my chambray shirt.

I like to travel with several sleeveless tops, for either the really hot days or for days I want to layer. I just find sleeveless easier/more comfortable to layer than short sleeves. But I also tend to pack a shrug.... a little cropped "cardigan" type sweater than really just covers the shoulders and upper back. You can find them many places, but Old Navy tends to carry them in the early spring and theirs are super lightweight and very inexpensive. For me it's a good solution for days I want to have a sleeveless top or sundress, but maybe it's cooler in the early morning but not so cool that I need a real jacket. This same option could work for those who simply don't like to bare their upper arms.

Skorts are a good alternative for those who don't care for shorts. They can be casual, but can look more put together than shorts if one doesn't want to stand out as a "tacky American" LOL. I have several from Steinmart that are great for travel as they are made from a blend that doesn't wrinkle easily.

Hi, regarding the tanks, I always had something on over them, either a cargo jacket or my chambray shirt. At home I'm fine with wearing sleeveless, because that's what everyone here does, but in bigger cities in Europe, not so much... we we did have warm days I wore the linen tee shirts that had short cap sleeves so my shoulders were covered for churches. :)

 

I like to travel with several sleeveless tops, for either the really hot days or for days I want to layer. I just find sleeveless easier/more comfortable to layer than short sleeves. But I also tend to pack a shrug.... a little cropped "cardigan" type sweater than really just covers the shoulders and upper back. You can find them many places, but Old Navy tends to carry them in the early spring and theirs are super lightweight and very inexpensive. For me it's a good solution for days I want to have a sleeveless top or sundress, but maybe it's cooler in the early morning but not so cool that I need a real jacket. This same option could work for those who simply don't like to bare their upper arms.

 

Unfortunately, I am at that stage in my 'middle aged" life where I find it too hot to layer much of the time. :o I find that even when I travel to Europe in the cooler months -- which I often do because I don't like the heat -- the interior of buildings is often VERY overheated. If I have on a tank or sleeveless, I won't take off the outer layer -- and that just doesn't work!

I was in southern Italy during a heatwave a month ago in June. I found it much cooler to wear a light but long-sleeved blouse or tunic-style top (e.g., in gauzy lightweight cotton) than to wear something with short sleeves. The longer sleeve keeps the sun off my arms, thus keeping me from feeling overheated.

I was with you until you wore socks with the Gizeh:p I could see it with the Arizona, maybe - but with a thong? Nope! Packing for shoulder seasons is the most challenging, isn't it??

I'm a strategic packer (I'm neither super-light most of the time, nor am I the type to throw in everything that I might need - so I now call that "strategic" as I try to plan for specific variables of different trips:D) Love to see the mix & match in play. I do ppts when I'm planning my packing list so I can insert clothing photos for each day and make sure I like the way things go.....

(next cruise is an Asia trip so that will be unusual for us - we typically travel to cool & rainy European cities in the fall/winter - boots & scarves weather - now I'll need to account for equatorial weather - there will be Tilleys involved;))

Instead of the tanks/sleeveless tops, I have some excellent lightweight short sleeve (and cap-sleeve) tops in burnout fabric. As light as you can get without being nude ;) When it is really hot, I'll use these if I don't want to wear one of my lightweight long-sleeved shirts. They also roll up very small and don't wrinkle, making them perfect for lightweight, compact, packing. When I'm not traveling, these shirts are great under my suits at work - great pops of color and I can go without the jacket to/from work and not expose my "less than young" arms...

As for the footwear, I have taken a pair of my engineer boots with me to Europe on land vacations when I knew it would be chilly enough to wear pants all the time - I could also wear them with my little black travel dress at night. But, that is the exception, not the rule, to my usual travel mode.

Great post! I'm planning for an October Med cruise so this gives me great ideas.

Just got my latest Garnet Hill catalog. Some sale pricing on Eileen Fisher. If you are looking for a great LBTD (Little Black Travel Dress), there are several on sale, including my current favorite, the lightweight Italian wool pleated dress. I may spring for a second color of this one!!! Looks really elegant on, and the pleating hides a multitude of, ahem, flaws. Hand washable (or machine on delicate I've done and is OK)... Easy to just roll and go! Looks good with flats, heels, ankle boots and regular-height boots. I use my engineer boots that are a lot like the EF Moto Boots shown in the catalog! 2 years ago, the model had the boots on with the dress and I was sold on it.

There is a pair of GH ponte slim fit pants that I may go for, too. If you want a sleeveless LBTD, there is a GH one that looks nicely basic for travel purposes and has an under $100 price point.

Just got my latest Garnet Hill catalog. Some sale pricing on Eileen Fisher. If you are looking for a great LBTD (Little Black Travel Dress), there are several on sale, including my current favorite, the lightweight Italian wool pleated dress. I may spring for a second color of this one!!! Looks really elegant on, and the pleating hides a multitude of, ahem, flaws. Hand washable (or machine on delicate I've done and is OK)... Easy to just roll and go! Looks good with flats, heels, ankle boots and regular-height boots. I use my engineer boots that are a lot like the EF Moto Boots shown in the catalog! 2 years ago, the model had the boots on with the dress and I was sold on it.

There is a pair of GH ponte slim fit pants that I may go for, too. If you want a sleeveless LBTD, there is a GH one that looks nicely basic for travel purposes and has an under $100 price point.

Thanks for the heads up. Ordered an interesting looking EF skirt at a great price. :D

Speaking of that, it would be a good topic for discussion regarding dresses vs. skirt/top separates. I find dresses a lot less versatile when traveling than separates. Although I grant you a LBD doesn't take up a lot of room when packing, I somehow always seem to look better in separates, and I feel they're more versatile.