Our Fashion Editor’s European Packing List

Six weeks ago, I got a last-minute invite from a friend to meet her in Spain at the end of the month. The trip was set to be a mere four weeks from the time she texted me, but with my eyes set on more travel this year, I booked my tickets and immediately dove head-first into outfit planning and creating my packing list for what was about to be the trip of a lifetime.

My 10-day trip to Spain had two legs: one in Barcelona, and the other in Marbella. This meant that I needed to prepare both for days filled with walking city adventures and five days of beach town excursions. Ordinarily, I would have liked two full months to prep myself for a trip this big—Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all—but the short turnaround made me kick it into high gear and really strategize what pieces I could mix and match to stay under my 50-pound suitcase limit.

Obviously, my mind went straight to ruffles and red and long, dreamy dresses—???? and all that—but I wanted my wardrobe to be on-theme without being too on the nose. My suitcase was mostly filled with pieces I already owned and love, but I did order a few new ones to come with my abroad and allow me to fulfill my dream European wardrobe. Here’s everything I wore and packed for my trip to Europe:

When I was planning which pieces to pack from what was already in my closet, this shirt was the first thing that came to mind. It’s from an amazing brand, Loti, that uses upcycling to create their pieces in small-batch production. It’s one of those things that just feels special to put on (and gives my brain a solid hit of serotonin, for obvious reasons).

I paired it with my all-time favorite denim shorts, which are a bit longer and looser, and gave a nice juxtaposition to the ultra-feminine details of the shirt. For a long day of walking, I opted for my favorite ballet flats, which I enjoyed so much on this trip that I ordered them in black, too. Trust me: If your size is in stock, these are the best ballet flats you can get right now. They have a higher vamp (there’s more material on top that covers more of the foot), which feels chicer and more wearable to me, and makes them feel similar to the famous pair from The Row.

For the majority of this trip, I opted for my Celine Triomphe sunglasses, which were a huge splurge that I don’t regret whatsoever. They just pull all of my outfits together in a way my other sunnies don’t. Could you get the same effect with similar sunglasses? For sure, but that doesn’t make me love these any less.

CELINE

4 colors available

LOTI

Abercrombie & Fitch

5 colors available

Everlane

6 colors available

In a panic-induced sprint to Zara (which just like everyone says, is much better in Europe), I picked up these sandals when I realized I had forgotten all of my flat, walkable sandals at home. And thank God I did, because I wore them almost every day, and plan to continue doing so all summer long. They’re so comfortable, required no breaking in, and looked good with literally outfit I packed.

This day was full of walking, so I prioritized comfort over everything else. I wore my favorite linen pants, which I wear constantly in summer months. I unfortunately did spill red wine all over them a few hours after this picture, but am happy to report they survived stain-free. In Barcelona, it was hot during the day but super chilly every night, so I wore this cropped, long-sleeve button-up to prepare for the change in weather. 

ZARA

2 colors available

Everlane

3 colors available

MANGO

3 colors available

ZARA

Behold: What might be my favorite outfit of this entire trip. I have the older version of this dress and wore it constantly until I ripped a hole in the armpit when trying to rip it off a few months ago, so when I saw Zara came out with a newer version, snatched it up for this trip faster than I could say “una sangría más, por favor!”

But frankly, the least important thing in this picture is the dress. Today, it was all about the accessories, specifically my Staud Tommy bag. I have yelled my love for this bag from the rooftops since I got my first one for Christmas 2021, and will continue to until everyone in my life owns one. I have another one that I use in the winter months, but my orange one is the real show-stopper, in my opinion. It is my all-time favorite summer piece, and despite wearing it constantly, and not being all that careful with it, it hasn’t lost any beads. (Though it does come with a packet of extras in the event you do lose some). My orange version is no longer available, but I’ve had my eyes set on their 2023 patterns since they were released earlier this month.

Lu Goldie

Mejuri

STAUD

ZARA

This bag. This bag! Look at it. It is the dreamiest little thing I’ve ever seen. It made me a tiny bag convert and got me half a dozen questions about where I got it the first time I wore it. When you see it become my fifth limb this summer, know that you saw it here first.

Apede Mod

Loti

2 colors available

I really prioritized packing dresses on this trip, since I knew they could be one-and-done outfits that didn’t occupy too much precious weight in my checked bag. I’m obsessed with this one, which is a super wearable take on spring’s drop-waist trend. I paired it with a necklace I found at Zara in Spain, but unfortunately isn’t available (yet) in the States.

I gave my Celine sunnies a break for these super-chic ones from Quay, which give a similar effect, and if I’m being totally honest with myself, actually look better on me for less than one-fifth of the price.

Quay Australia

3 colors available

Abercrombie & Fitch

MANGO

3 colors available

ZARA

This marks my transition from Barcelona outfits to Marbella ones, which consisted of mostly dresses that I could wear to walk around towns and bop into restaurants for dinner. The sleeves on this dress are what made me fall in love with it, but its versatility was something I didn’t expect. I wore this multiple days of the trip both dressed up and down, and it felt more elevated than any other short dress I own.

Tiny Tags

3 colors available

Saylor

MANGO

3 colors available

Open Edit

3 colors available

When I saw this little strapless linen top a couple of months ago, it was an immediate buy for me. It’s been making me stray from my usual tuck-in-all-my-shirts habit, and let’s me play into the longer shirt trend that’s happening in a way that I feel is super flattering. Bonus: This shirt does come with straps if you want to make it a tank instead.

These are my current favorite jeans, and are the only jeans that I brought on my trip with me. They’re a super relaxed, super comfortable straight pair that I ended up getting in two washes because I love them so much. 

Lastly, my necklaces. I’m a huge fan of Sequin, a women-founded and led jewelry brand that handmakes all of their pieces in New York. I have three necklaces from them that I wear constantly, but this zodiac necklace holds a special place in my heart since it’s convertible and can be worn long or doubled-up to wear short depending on what you want that day. I wear it multiple days a week at home, and the medallion style of it went perfectly with my Spain attire.

Sequin NYC

11 options available

Abercrombie & Fitch

3 colors available

Abercrombie & Fitch

17 colors available

ZARA

When I booked my trip, I immediately had dreams of having a long, dreamy, ???? moment, and this was it. This dress is incredibly comfortable on, but is also incredibly flattering, as the looser cut of the dress is balanced out by a slightly deeper v-neck, which allowed for just the right amount of cleavage. I paired it with my tried-and-true kitten heels that were one of my most-worn pieces last summer, and of course, my floral bag.

AMYO

Abercrombie & Fitch

3 colors available

Apede Mod

Dolce Vita

10 colors available

What else was in my suitcase

Packing for a big trip really shows you what your most-loved clothes are, and these are the other pieces I traveled with that I’d absolutely pack again (looking at you, belt bag).

Everlane

6 colors available

Abercrombie & Fitch

3 colors available

Abercrombie & Fitch

4 colors available

Everlane

7 colors available

Abercrombie & Fitch

Hutch

Bruna the Label

Longchamp

6 colors available

Dolce Vita

7 colors available

Gola

Nomasei

Dolce Vita

2 colors available