Packing for a Mid-Winter Holiday Trip

A mid-winter trip is in the works and as with anything, planning ahead makes the entire ordeal much easier.  I try not to take a lot of stuff but at the same time want to be well-dressed and not looked upon as that "sloppy American" who looks like she just got out of bed.  When I travel I make an effort to dress well. You won't find jeans, sweat pants, t-shirts or tennis shoes in my suitcase. 

I've been planning this trip for a while. Last year on my winter trip to France I wore black.  This year I am going brown.

As usual I start with a coat as it's going to be chilly.  I have an older version of this coat which I love as it's lightweight and comfortable but mine is lined in a bright mustard color.  This will be worn every day for sure.

The shoes have been an issue as we'll be doing a lot of walking and it's going to be chilly. I have terrible feet (a huge bone spur) and narrow heels so finding good shoes that look good but are also comfortable has been difficult.  I likely will take my Dubarry boots but they aren't always good for walking in all day and they are hard to pull on an off.  But they are warm and waterproof.

So I have bought a few pairs to try on (they have not arrived yet) but here are my choices:

These are in the mail:

I had a pair of Sketchers last year that I just recently wore out but they were gray.  I plan to order these if the ones above don't work out.

My brown Belgian Loafers will also be in the suitcase.  They go with everything and I can wear them all day.

These gloves will be going with me too:

I bought a few pairs of pants this fall, all will be in my suitcase.  These Madewell pants are the most comfortable pants I have worn in memory.  They can be paired with a neutral turtleneck and flats.

I ordered two pairs of pants from Everlane and I am hooked.  J Crew used to be my source but I have moved on to Everlane.  You should try them if you have not already and you can't beat the price. These don't look particularly good on this model (not sure why they do this) but I bought these in houndstooth and in ochre.  Both will pair nicely with the browns.

I'll pair these with turtlenecks, crewneck sweaters and a few Hermes scarves.  I will take a white cotton blouse to wear with this sweater in case it's not terribly cold.  This pairs nicely with the houndstooth pants and I may add a pair of black leggings since they don't up much room.

This was a splurge but I thought a backpack to use as a handbag would be a good idea (hoping so anyway).  This will go with everything and it's a bit different. The quality is excellent as you'd expect. See it here.

And I'll take these shoes to wear for dressier evenings and likely a black turtleneck for an all black ensemble.  Last year I took a black dress which I only wore once so I won't take a dress this time.

Saving lots of room in my suitcase for shopping too!