What I Packed and Wore in The South of France
While I typically travel solo, my latest trip was a family one. There were a total of seven of us including two small kids. It was important for me to pack smart and light. I wanted to pack in a carry on to make it easy as we moved around. We started in Italy, then took a train to the South of France and I finished up in Paris.
I purchased an Away Bag a few months ago and I have really loved it. Since there are four wheels on the bottom, it made it easy to wheel around airports and train stations. I put my Cuyana zip bag on top with my laptop and cameras to save my back as much as possible as we moved around. My Cuyana bag can get pretty heavy as small things start to add up.
For all my favorite Carry On Essentials for the Flight you can check out this post.
Dresses
These were easy to pack a lot of because they roll. If you haven’t tried rolling in your suitcase, it is a game changer. I was able to fit a good amount in my suitcase this way.
Pink Leith Dress. I have owned this one for years and it washes and wears so nicely. It is sold out but there is a Reformation Dress almost identical for the same price. My favorite photo from the whole trip is wearing this dress with Bobby and Emma.
Red JCrew Dress
Jeans
One White Denim Skirt that I wore on repeat.
Shirts
Three striped t-shirts. I love my stripes.
White Free People Body Suit (I have been getting a ton of use of this)
One White Linen Button Down Shirt
One black romper. The one I packed is super old from BCBG but this one is similar.
Bathing Suit
I pieced together a JCrew Suit top red and bottom navy.
Shoes
I ended up wearing my Madewell Sneakers more than anything else on the trip.
Blondo Gracie Slip Ons. I have a half size up which were really good when my feet were swollen from walking and the heat. These were great to throw on.
I ordered these Everlane sandals which were great for shorter walks around the city for dinner or errands. I wouldn’t recommend them for long walks. They were a pain because they didn’t have a back on them.
Skincare/Makeup
Sunscreen was the most important thing on this trip. The sun was hot and I was pale upon arrival so making sure I was well covered was essential. I used All Day All Year daily along with Supergoop on my face and body. Make sure to reapply often. I carried extra sunscreen in my bag for the whole family.
Luggage
I brought my Away bag along with an extra large Longchamp inside. After two weeks of traveling I did pick up a few things along the way which made it easier to fit in the Longchamp then to squeeze them into the suitcase. I ended up checking the Away bag on the way home. It was a bit of a pain to wait for my luggage at customs and again at the end of the trip after being delayed.
This post does include affiliate links which help contribute to my coffee and croissant research. Merci!
I’ve noticed (in addition to your obvi sense of great style:), that you gravitate to covered shoulders. Particularly in Paris, have you found the bare shoulder is deemed inappropriate? I got flack for that 20 years ago at ADT, want to avoid same mistake next week in the city of lights!!!
Hi Julia,
Bare shoulders aren’t inappropriate at all. I don’t know if I even noticed that I gravitate towards covered shoulders. I personally hate my arms so maybe that is just my style 😉 Right now, longer dresses and skirts are in style. I showed my legs and got compliments because they hadn’t seen someone dress that way in a while 😉 It was pretty funny. I would say long wrap dresses that are lightweight are perfectly on trend.
Have so much fun!!
I like the Cuyana bag, not sure will fit my 15 in laptop Asus. I seem to have trouble finding a good bag for it with travel, even my short trips to visit family.
What do you think of the Away luggage? I am searching for a mid-size check-able bag for my Europe trips.
Hi Dida,
I honestly love it! I have used it for two international trips. It was checked on the way home since I purchased a few things that couldn’t make it through TSA. It has a lifetime warranty and I was amazed at how much fit inside it.
Great posting. I find that packing the clothes is much easier than packing toiletries for the trip. One can quickly exceed the liquid limit. OTC products go by different name in other countries so we’ve always packed for many unexpected situations. What do you do to keep quantity down?
Hi Denise!
I try to pack sample size toiletries if possible. Some of my favorite brands give away samples when you purchase and I tuck those away for travels. I found a small shampoo and conditioner that is small enough for carry on travel. If I am away for more than a week, I will purchase body wash at the grocery for the apartment/hotel. It is inexpensive and cuts down on me having to lug it both ways.