The Unbearable Lightness of Packing
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It is always the shoes that kill my idea of packing light for Paris. The shoes for walking around the cobblestone streets of the Marais during the day. The shoes for going to the Buddha Bar at night. And what about the shoes for strolling by the Seine? No visit to Paris is complete without getting a little dirt and grime in the soles, and soaking up the scent of the river that runs through Paris. I always have the best intentions of economizing and packing “light” and then I end up with a suitcase that barely makes it under the weight limit required by the airlines. Sometimes a smile to a ticket agent is the only thing that gets me by without paying an excess weight fee. I think that shoes are important when packing for France, and you must create real estate in your suitcase for them. However, there are other ways to pack light and save some room in your suitcase for those fabulous French finds you’ll want to bring home.
First, start with a neutral color palette for clothing. Blacks, browns and whites are the building blocks of your travel wardrobe. Even the French stick to these neutrals during the hotter days of summer, so you will blend right in with the locals. Why these colors? They all work together and can be mixed and matched. And they are flattering on nearly everyone. In the summer, the white t-shirt will pair nicely with your black capris and your brown khakis. In the winter, your black cashmere sweater will work with your black skirt, and your brown trousers. You won’t have to bring as many items of clothing if you stick to a few colors. And please don’t think it is a criminal offense to wear the white t-shirt twice or even (gulp) three times in one week. Carry along Febreze, spritz your clothing at the end of the day, and you can get a lot of mileage out of those clothes. I usually put a small perfume sachet in my suitcase, to help minimize that musty smell that airline travel seems to create.
If you’re a prepared traveler, you can determine what clothing you will need based on your travel itinerary. Going to Versailles in the summer? You’ll need a sleeveless t-shirt, clothes that breathe, and possibly a hat and sunglasses for standing in those infamous long lines to enter. What about the Vivaldi concert at the Eglise de St. Germain? A dress and a wrap (those ancient churches can be as cold as a meat locker!) are going to make you feel comfortable, and dressed properly for the occasion. If you’re planning on shopping in the 7th, you’ll need to feel a bit dressed up when you enter the boutiques, but you will also need clothes that you can easily take on and off for all of those trips to the dressing room.
Here’s where the accessories come in to the picture. The next step in my packing process is for you to identify the accessories needed so that the same dress you wear to the concert can also take you to shopping. Shoes are a big part of the answer, but in the interest of full disclosure, some people would say that I have a shoe “problem.” Of course I disagree. Shoes can be the magic that makes clothes more versatile, so that you have to bring fewer clothes! You can wear black pumps for the concert; black strappy sandals for the walking and boutiques shopping. Other accessories, which are very small and easily pack, can also help transition one outfit for one event to another. Vivaldi needs a pair of splarkly earrings, but you might want to ponder the handbags at Le Bon Marche with a fun scarf around your hair.
Here is a useful “litmus test” for the items you are packing. If a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes cannot be paired with at least two or three other pieces (for a week long trip), then toss it out. It stays at home. Remember, part of the reason for packing light is to have room for purchases. You must be disciplined!!
I am incredibly detailed when I pack, and I usually start a few days before I depart. I check the weather, write down my daily itinerary, and then begin to build piles of clothes. Piles of tops, piles of bottoms, with shoes scattered around the floor. I actually consider this as the start of my trip and I make a ceremony out of it. When packing for my last trip to Paris, I put on an Edith Piaf CD, and poured myself a glass of Bordeaux to create the right mood. I create a list of what I am bringing, so that when I pack for my trip back home, I don’t forget anything. The list is also a fun memento of the trip. Particularly when you have another list of the purchases you’ve made! Allowing yourself more time to pack will help you carefully think through what to bring, and it will also help you avoid forgetting essentials. Think of how easy and quick it will be to dress when you are in Paris when you already have an idea of what you are going to wear each day?
This advice will help you pack for your trip, but I have no control over what you buy while you are on your trip. Remember, if you get into trouble, a good Plan B is to simply purchase another travel bag and carry it on board. Longchamp is an…
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It is always the shoes that kill my idea of packing light for Paris. The shoes for walking around the cobblestone streets of the Marais during the day. The shoes for going to the Buddha Bar at night. And what about the shoes for strolling by the Seine? No visit to Paris is complete without getting a little dirt and grime in the soles, and soaking up the scent of the river that runs through Paris. I always have the best intentions of economizing and packing “light” and then I end up with a suitcase that barely makes it under the weight limit required by the airlines. Sometimes a smile to a ticket agent is the only thing that gets me by without paying an excess weight fee. I think that shoes are important when packing for France, and you must create real estate in your suitcase for them. However, there are other ways to pack light and save some room in your suitcase for those fabulous French finds you’ll want to bring home.
First, start with a neutral color palette for clothing. Blacks, browns and whites are the building blocks of your travel wardrobe. Even the French stick to these neutrals during the hotter days of summer, so you will blend right in with the locals. Why these colors? They all work together and can be mixed and matched. And they are flattering on nearly everyone. In the summer, the white t-shirt will pair nicely with your black capris and your brown khakis. In the winter, your black cashmere sweater will work with your black skirt, and your brown trousers. You won’t have to bring as many items of clothing if you stick to a few colors. And please don’t think it is a criminal offense to wear the white t-shirt twice or even (gulp) three times in one week. Carry along Febreze, spritz your clothing at the end of the day, and you can get a lot of mileage out of those clothes. I usually put a small perfume sachet in my suitcase, to help minimize that musty smell that airline travel seems to create.
If you’re a prepared traveler, you can determine what clothing you will need based on your travel itinerary. Going to Versailles in the summer? You’ll need a sleeveless t-shirt, clothes that breathe, and possibly a hat and sunglasses for standing in those infamous long lines to enter. What about the Vivaldi concert at the Eglise de St. Germain? A dress and a wrap (those ancient churches can be as cold as a meat locker!) are going to make you feel comfortable, and dressed properly for the occasion. If you’re planning on shopping in the 7th, you’ll need to feel a bit dressed up when you enter the boutiques, but you will also need clothes that you can easily take on and off for all of those trips to the dressing room.
Here’s where the accessories come in to the picture. The next step in my packing process is for you to identify the accessories needed so that the same dress you wear to the concert can also take you to shopping. Shoes are a big part of the answer, but in the interest of full disclosure, some people would say that I have a shoe “problem.” Of course I disagree. Shoes can be the magic that makes clothes more versatile, so that you have to bring fewer clothes! You can wear black pumps for the concert; black strappy sandals for the walking and boutiques shopping. Other accessories, which are very small and easily pack, can also help transition one outfit for one event to another. Vivaldi needs a pair of splarkly earrings, but you might want to ponder the handbags at Le Bon Marche with a fun scarf around your hair.
Here is a useful “litmus test” for the items you are packing. If a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes cannot be paired with at least two or three other pieces (for a week long trip), then toss it out. It stays at home. Remember, part of the reason for packing light is to have room for purchases. You must be disciplined!!
I am incredibly detailed when I pack, and I usually start a few days before I depart. I check the weather, write down my daily itinerary, and then begin to build piles of clothes. Piles of tops, piles of bottoms, with shoes scattered around the floor. I actually consider this as the start of my trip and I make a ceremony out of it. When packing for my last trip to Paris, I put on an Edith Piaf CD, and poured myself a glass of Bordeaux to create the right mood. I create a list of what I am bringing, so that when I pack for my trip back home, I don’t forget anything. The list is also a fun memento of the trip. Particularly when you have another list of the purchases you’ve made! Allowing yourself more time to pack will help you carefully think through what to bring, and it will also help you avoid forgetting essentials. Think of how easy and quick it will be to dress when you are in Paris when you already have an idea of what you are going to wear each day?
This advice will help you pack for your trip, but I have no control over what you buy while you are on your trip. Remember, if you get into trouble, a good Plan B is to simply purchase another travel bag and carry it on board. Longchamp is an excellent French brand, and is often less expensive than the United States. Then there is your Last Resort Plan: Federal Express!
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