Travel: A Week in Paris in a Carry-On (Summer Edition)

I recently hosted my younger (but taller!) sister Paige for her first time in Paris and guess what? She had the privilege of arriving during our second heatwave of the year and it was a doozy! Armed with linen and some of her favorite comfy basics, she made an incredible carry-on capsule that was anything but boring or “neutral.” She knows what colors she likes and feels good in, which tends to be earthy tones, creams and black. Because of this, she added a few cute Monoprix items from the sale while she was here and worked them into her existing items with ease. She brought enough to not do laundry, either, so this profile is achievable for those staying in hotels. Paige also did not buy any new pieces before this trip besides replacing old tennis shoes with some new Adidas she needed. So I present to you some real life packing inspiration for summer trips to hot, city-based destinations.

The ultimate look and what I consider the epitome of personal style - a Madewell shirt from 8+ years ago still going strong, a striped wrap skirt from small brand Oddbird, and her new Flabelus flats she bought on our adventures!

COLORS WITH INTENTION

I love her color story and it worked seamlessly with everything we did - city walks, museums, shopping, train trips to Burgundy/Giverny and a rooftop evening! She had different greens, florals, stripes and gingham! Mixing and matching is still very doable with pieces you love and not everything needs to be in neutral colors.

A collection of some of her pieces; the hanging tops are ones she snagged at Monoprix, the cute gingham pjs in the stack were a must in the heat, and multiple comfy tanks that did double and triple duty for all the cute bottoms she brought.

An embroidered button-front tank dress, forest linen pants, gingham skirt, and colorful striped pants are all items easily worn in warm-weather vacations! These would work in Mexico, the Caribbean, Morocco, etc. Personality translated from Texas to Europe without missing a beat.

A SINGLE-WEAR PIECE IS OK TO PACK!

Maybe you have a special dinner or fun outing you want to wear a specific top or dress for and are agonizing over taking it because you’ve seen online or been told that it needs to serve multiple functions in order to earn it’s place in your luggage. Well, I am here to tell you it’s just not that serious - life is short, just bring the piece you envision and wear it with love! It is markedly easier in the summer to roll up a lightweight dress and shove it in than other winter items into a carry-on so pack away this time of year! My sister packed a lightweight denim jumpsuit she wore once (to a rooftop evening out!), and that was perfectly fine - her wardrobe still looked cohesive and thought-out. This piece she could’ve worn a different day to lunch or to a museum, as well.

Such a cute jumpsuit with embroidered florals down the outside legs - a unique piece that is right at home in Paris in the summer! This is the Somerset jumpsuit from Anthropologie - there is currently a plain, short version HERE or a cool rust colored embroidered one that’s second hand HERE.

FOOTWEAR SIMPLICITY

Paige brought only three pairs of shoes with the intention of buying at least one pair at Flabelus while she was here - these would be her “dressier” pair for a dinner here and there and just general stylish walking around. It is hard for me to even say this as I am a shoe queen and always want to overpack in this category but she nailed it with these options.

ADIDAS SNEAKERS - for airport coming and going, and for sidewalk cruising one day, chasing the shade around my neighborhood. I love so many kinds of Adidas for city living and own several pairs.

TOM’S - she loves and has worn this brand for many years - this was the perfect pop of red with several outfits.

BIRKENSTOCKS - another tried and true brand for her; the French are now all over them as well and have worked them into their own wardrobes without much fanfare. They just do the work - comfortable, laid-back, and just enough irreverence to feel cool.

FLABELUS - her new footwear purchase of the trip! The Mafalda flat with the thicker elastic band are insanely comfortable and I have been wearing them frequently for over 2 years. She chose the burgundy shade and it perfectly complimented the wardrobe she brought and by extension, the one she has at home!

Just three pair brought and a fourth addition - you too can create your own version of this for warm destinations this summer! A tennis shoe already broken in, a comfortable sandal, a flat with some color and a wildcard of your choice - could be a dressy something, a block heel sandal or espadrille, even a real heel for dinners in a fancy hotel or beach club. Lean into what YOU love.

LEAVE ROOM FOR EXPERIMENTATION

Sometimes I feel we all get overwhelmed with choices, directions people send us online, or lists designed to “make our packing easier.” These elements can be helpful in their own ways - this blog post is an iteration of this, yes? Haha - but really my goal is to get you to think outside the proverbial box and leave room for mixing things you might not expect. Or loving a top you saw on a chic woman on your trip, finding your own version in the moment, and then…wearing it with what you brought! The thrill of a new piece when traveling and immediately putting it to use is fantastic. You also build memories this way, support local businesses (hopefully, because luxury stores and Zaras are everywhere, lol!) and create confidence within yourself and your journey in personal style. Paige bought a few pieces while she was here - she wore the tops and saved the thicker linen pant for Texas air conditioning and early fall looks at home.

I hope you’ve been inspired from this real-life anecdote in your packing journey and take these tidbits with you:

Improvisation is ok! perhaps you took a white linen button-down shirt and tried it on prior to the trip with a pair of trousers tucked in. It’s cute and you like it - but maybe you get there and end up wearing it tied up in the front with a skirt, or as an over-shirt layered on a tank or tee. Or maybe you intended it to be the latter options, but it was hotter than you remember in your favorite bistro and the fancy top you packed just isn’t going to cut it. So you end up wearing the white linen to dinner tucked in with the collar open and a gold necklace to add evening polish!

Embrace overpacking in a category YOU love: maybe it’s jewelry, shoes, or bags - find creative ways to utilize nesting, packing cubes, and layering to make it happen!

Buying items just for the trip isn’t necessary: urgency, internet forums, and even your favorite influencers all lull us into thinking we need so many new pieces for a trip - 95% of the time you can make a great suitcase out of what you already own and love and then should only add what is actually worn out or a genuine “hole” in your wardrobe.

Everything doesn’t need to be “optimized”: I’m talking to you, type A folks, haha! Space is a commodity of course, and pieces should be considered for a number of reasons, but these differ for everyone. Activities, comfort, feeling confident, etc. Sometimes it’s ok for things to not constantly be “mixed and matched,” but just coordinating easily within your own parameters.

Bon voyage and until next time!

Claire

The burgundy in her flats picked up the same color sprinkled in her shirt!

Wearing her new olive top in Giverny in Monet’s bathroom, NBD - haha!