Packing for Five Weeks in Europe

So I have been a bit preoccupied with packing for my annual trip to Europe. I usually go for 3 to 4 weeks maximum but this year I wanted to spend a little bit more time with my parents in Milan so I am leaving earlier. I used to go for 6-8 weeks when my daughter was very little but there wasn't much travelling around involved and I was with my husband all the time so we could take more baggage (although we had to carry a lot more stuff for my daughter, of course). This year not only I am staying longer but as you know I am hitting three major cities (Milan, Paris and Athens) and also vacationing two weeks at the beach with my parents and my daughter. The good news is, this is the first time since my daughter was born that I am not taking any stroller or car seat, since she is old enough to wear a belt in the car, which is a big relief as I used to schlep around a giant bag with the car seat. Not that I am taking another suitcase instead but at least I have one of my two hands free and I can always pack an extra bag on my way back of needed.
So what to pack for 5 weeks involving going out a bit with my best friends in Milan, two weeks of beach, a week in Paris and five days of tourism and romantic dinners in Athens? I have learned a bit from my past mistakes, and especially from last year. If I look back at what I took with me last year, when I had a nearly identical itinerary except for Athens, my reaction is "What was I thinking?" I packed like a crazy woman. Not only I took a lot of stuff that I didn't need but I also took the HEAVIEST shoes and most voluminous skirts and dresses (and even a cover-up in terry cotton that took half suitcase on its own). Add to that a bit of shopping (especially in Paris) and you will understand why my suitcase was 10k (20 pounds) overweight when I checked into my flight back to NY at CDG. I actually have no idea how I managed to stuff all my purchases in one suitcase that was already ready to crack open. For example, while in Milan I bought a Zara dress to wear to our anniversary dinner in Paris. We went to the restaurant by Philippe Stark (whose name escapes me now) housed in the Baccarat house (a beautiful "hotel particulier" that also hosts the museum) and I think I looked very Parisian. However the dress (a summer tweed dress with a tiered skirt) weighs a ton and takes a lot of room. Since I never showed you the pictures, I think, here you go:

This year my motto is: lightweight, lightweight, lightweight. And the less voluminous the better. I am also banning anything silk (not because of the dry-cleaning, I can actually have things dry-cleaned in Italy before leaving for Paris-Athens, but because I have learned that I don't like to wear silk on vacation) and anything that requires a special pair of shoes. Most of the stuff must do double-duty, meaning that I cannot afford to take clothes that can only be worn once or, say, only in Milan and not in Paris or viceversa. I think I figured Milan and Athens out pretty well, I downsized my beach wardrobe and especially my evening wardrobe for my stay on the Riviera as I learned last year that the people at the hotel, mostly families and old retired couples, don't really dress up for dinner and the after-dinner "passeggiata". After all these years my biggest headache is still Paris because the weather can be unpredictable at the end of August. You cannot NOT take a jacket to Paris (double that, since I have to take a jacket for my daughter too) but last year I took too many "in cases". This year I am just going to assume that the weather is going to be mostly nice with chances of showers (I am just taking a few long-sleeve tops like the Saint James tees and my Zara windbreaker that I already had last year and proved itself a Godsend) and if not, I will wear the same outfit over and over, I don't care. If it is really cold, well it is Paris and they have stores there with Fall clothes, haven't they?

I am not good with counting items but this is what I plan to take (I am not a "pile maker", I tend to put everything I might think of in the suitcase and then empty it to purge the excess and the I put everything back again, orderly this time):

- 5 pair of casual pants because that's what I wear the most (one pair of jeans that I will probably wear on the plane, my Rag and Bone faux-camo skinnies that I wore to LA, a pair of leopard print AG black skinnies that I just bought for a song at Calypso, the thistle print toothpicks and a pair of white denim). Last year I also took a pair (or two???) of café capris that I never wore so this year they are not making the trip!
- the Calypso travelling pants that you have seen in my last post. I call them travelling pants because they are in a wrinkled silk that well, doesn't wrinkle more that it is already and they take the same room in a suitcase than a scarf. They have an elastic at the waist and a lower crotch (like harem pants, but not that low). When I tried them in store with a simple linen shirt I felt very much like the fashion editor of a French magazine, all understated elegance. The SA tried to push me to buy the shirt too but I have a Zara one (from eons ago) that is almost identical:

- 3 city skirts (my Philippe Lim structured black twill skirt; the JCrew neon embroidered mini and probably the JCrew white tiered one with the eyelets from two years ago) plus the Gap one for Athens. My Phillip Lim will be great in both Milan and Paris (weather permitting) and I just bought a top in a little neighborhood boutique that looks great with it. It is by Cacharel and was reduced by 70% off (the fabric looks like elastic silk but it is actually poly). This top is very Milanese, if you ask me (it looks more royal violet with black but more navy with white). I adore this Philip Lim skirt, I would have scooped it up in white too if it weren't for the price):

- 5-6 shorts (the scroll print ones, a pair of beach shorts, the Rag and Bone white cutoffs, the Calypso pom-poms and the H&M ones)
- 4 boho tops (including the pom-poms), the H&M white cotton shell with embroidery, a white top by Zara, the Cacharel of the pic above and my leopard tank from H&M
- 3 graphic tees and plenty of solid short-sleeve tee-shirts (I didn't bring enough last year and I live in tees when I am at my parents)
- 4 tanks (bananas, postcard and two solid ones)
- 4 cover-ups (but so lightweight that they take very little space). Buying cover-ups on the beach is part of the fun in Italy. Yes, I mean ON the beach. You have vendors that stroll along the beach all day with their merchandise and put up a stand every three "bagni" (concessions). I am not talking of the ones who sell counterfeit bags and can be very annoying, these vendors sell cheap clothes that are usually sold on the markets (they just come to you so you don't have to leave the beach).

Deciding what dresses to take was a real headache. In principle I don't wear dresses that much in the city, but I am going two weeks to the beach where a dress is the easiest thing you can throw on. Last year I took too many dresses that I ended up not wearing because they weren't easy enough to wear or too occasion-y. So this year I am leaving at home the really nice but too dressy stuff for the weareable ones. So I am taking:
- the two (navy and aqua) embossed Playa dresses from JCrew (oldies but goodies and they weigh like a plume); a Calypso white linen dress with a small flowery print (that I had last year already and loved to wear to breakfast at the hotel and to stroll after lunch); a Maje grey knit dress (very rock chic) for the evening in the cities; a Joe Fresh black knit dress with a crocheted neckline that can be worn as a cover-up but also to visit Athens (as it is not sheer at all); my Jcrew "backyard" dress (cover-up at the beach plus pool in Athens); the JCrew Roberta boho dress (for those who remember it), that is also very versatile. So nothing terribly fancy. However, since we are going to celebrate a special anniversary in Athens I am allowing myself a dress that is a bit more "special" and I actually bought for the occasion. I found it in a thrift store and it is by Versace. It is very summery though and not occasion-y per se (although a bit sexy), so should I need it I can wear it at the beach too.
This dress reminded me of the Emerson Fry mod top that I had a post about a while ago and was a disaster on me. A poster commented that I could let the them down and wear it as a dress but this is much better and in a similar print/colors. It is in linen so very breathable:

Since I am not a cardigan person, I am going to take my Nolita jacket to wear in the evening if breezy. I am still deciding if I should take a cashmere sweater for Paris (I am thinking of taking my Joe Fresh black cardi).

That's pretty much about it. What? The shoes, you say? Oh yeah, the shoes ;-). Besides my flip-flops, I am taking my Tory Burch Miller patent thongs (white), a pair of cork wedges by Jack Rogers that I wanted to show you but I am afraid I don't have enough time (did you know that cork is extremely lightweight?), the JCrew Allie gladiators (for the city) and a black pair of sandals (the ones that I am trying above with the dress). I have no idea what to wear to the sites in Athens, maybe I will buy a pair of Birkenstones in Paris (they are cheaper in Europe). But I know that while in Athens I am going to look for these:

Ikaria by Ancient Greek Sandals

I have been looking at these sandals for a long time (it is the only thing that I pinned in my Pinterest board!) but since they are made in Greece I am going to try to find them there and support the local economy. My old Ancient Greece lover self needs them!
I thought very hard about taking my Balenciagas with me but besides the fact that suitcases get lost and I would be heartbroken if that happened and I had my Balenciaga in it, I am afraid I wouldn't wear them enough to justify taking a third pair of black shoes.

That's it (really), I think I am good ;-). I will be back on Labor Day so you won't hear from me in a while. But I am still here until tomorrow if you want to leave a comment. Take care!