My Spring London & Paris Travel Wardrobe: A Full Recap
I’m back! Three weeks in London and Paris, and I honestly wasn’t sure I was ready to come home. The weather cooperated beautifully — rare for both cities, and something I did not take for granted for a single day. Between the people-watching, the shop windows, and simply being immersed in two of the most stylish cities on earth, I returned absolutely buzzing with style inspiration. Today I’m sharing a full recap of my travel wardrobe — what worked, what I’d do differently, and what I’m incorporating into my at-home, everyday style.
Why I Always Do a Post-Trip Wardrobe Review
Over years of travel, I’ve managed to hone and refine my packing skills. While I usually check a (medium-sized) suitcase these days, I do keep it light enough to manage on my own — up and down stairs, getting on and off trains, and hoisting up onto a luggage rack. One of the practices that’s helped the most to fine-tune my wardrobe is writing a quick review of what I packed and wore, which I’ll often refer back to when planning a similar trip.
My 9-Piece Spring Travel Capsule
Last fall, I managed to travel very successfully with a 9-piece capsule. Though I didn’t set out to replicate that, once I laid out the first nine pieces in this travel wardrobe, it felt like enough. To review, here’s what I planned:
Middle: STRIPE SHIRT | SHELL | CARDIGAN
Right: LEOPARD SHIRT (SIMILAR) | STRIPE TEE (SIMILAR) | KNIT JACKET
Shoes: SNEAKERS (SIMILAR, SIMILAR) | BOOTS (SIMILAR) | SNEAKERS
And for outerwear/bags:
I ultimately ditched the dark brown sneakers, and as my Wild Card added a relaxed navy cashmere cardigan that I wore on the flights and as loungewear. Though the weather was warmer than forecast when I packed, these lightweight layers served me well.
MVPs: The Pieces I Reached for Again and Again
Though I wore everything at least once, there were a few pieces that I wore almost daily.
Sézane Betty Cardigan. This was the easiest piece to reach for day after day. The weight was perfect for the weather, and when it really warmed up I could drape or tie over my shoulders.
Ruti jeans. The dark wash pair felt most polished, though I did wear the lighter wash several times.
Striped and leopard print (similar) shirts. These collared shirts felt more polished than a tee, and could dress up or down. (I’m leaning more into collared shirts at home as well, to add more structure to my outfits.)
Pinch Hitters: Glad I Had Them, Even If I Didn’t Need Them Every Day
Cashmere cardigan & shell. I mostly wore these layered under my Betty cardigan or the Sézane short trench I purchased in Paris.
Brown leather jacket. Wore this on a couple of cooler evenings.
Benched: What Stayed in the Suitcase
The raincoat (similar). Never even took it out of my suitcase. Though had I stayed a few more days, I would have needed it.
Wish I’d Brought: A Few Honest Hindsights
A pair of darker straight-leg trousers (similar to these) instead of the copper ones. They would have been more polished and easier to style for our dressier evenings.
A second lightweight jacket or blazer. Though the Betty worked well, there were a few times when I wished I’d added something lighter and more structured.
Re-Wearing & Refreshing: My Travel Laundry Tips
I’m always asked about re-wearing and laundering my clothes while traveling; here are a few tips that I follow.
- Hand washing. I’ll wash undergarments and my base layer silk tanks in the sink once or twice during a trip, and hang on a towel rack to dry overnight. I no longer pack laundry soap, just use the hotel shampoo!
- Spot cleaning. I travel with a Janie Stick for removing grease spots, and a stain remover pen for everything else.
- A shot of vodka. I didn’t need it this trip, but you can pick up a small spray bottle and some cheap vodka and use as a deodorizing spray. (Theater companies do this with costumes.)
- Hotel laundry. It’s not the most economical option, but as a last resort, I’ll occasionally have something professionally cleaned.
- De-bobbling sweaters. Friction from travel, seatbelts and bag straps can sometimes cause more pilling on sweaters. I always travel with one of these sweater combs, which freshen up my sweaters nicely.
- A truly effective deodorant. I no longer use anti-perspirants (which can also stain clothing) and swear by Salt & Stone deodorant. It really does last 24 hours, and keeps me and my clothing smelling fresh. I purchased the Discovery Set to have travel sizes handy. (Use code SUSAN15 for 15% off.)
All in all, this capsule served me beautifully — and the few tweaks I’ve noted will make the next trip even smoother. If you have questions about any of the pieces, or your own packing tips to share, drop them in the comments. I always love hearing from you!
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Thank you for this post, it came at a perfect time for me! After several years of not being able to travel, our first adventure out is taking a train trip to Montreal and Quebec City in a few weeks and this will definitely help with my packing. Luggage will have to be minimal so careful planning is a must!
Hello! What would you recommend other than the green sweater set? I also have the Betty sweater (just purchased last month when I was in Paris) – love it!
And did you substitute another pair of shoes or did you just have the one pair of trainers and the boots? Thanks.
Hi Terri, if a sweater set isn’t for you, I’d recommend a refined tee and lightweight cardigan like this one: https://go.shopmy.us/p-56951176 I purchased a loafer-sneaker hybrid in London, but mostly wore the knit sneakers I’d packed, as they were the most comfortable in the warm weather.
Thank you . All good thoughts & information.
Working hard to pack lighter! Love all your tips! For a Mediterranean cruise then Tuscany in September, what shoes would you suggest?!?
Hi Becky, I’d suggest a pair of comfortable walking sneakers for sure. It will still be warm in September, you may want to bring a pair of walking sandals. I’ve rounded up a range of travel footwear tips & suggestions here: The Best Travel Shoes for Spring & Summer
Thanks for the information about re-wearing and refreshing. What do you do about restaurant smells, or the omelet station smells at breakfast in the hotel, which seem to infiltrate my clothes? Would the spray shot of vodka work? On my recent trip to Paris, I wore one sweater just to breakfast.
Yes, the vodka spray should work for cooking, smoking, and other environmental odors as well.
Arthur, I use the vodka treatment at home all the time on restaurant cooking smells. Works great, helps to air out for a day before rewearing and you can always spray again. When traveling I take an empty spray bottle and buy vodka at my first destination. Sometimes I take a small amount of vodka in my checked bag to get started.
Hi Susan and welcome home! I can understand your wanting to stay! I love these post trip analyses of your wardrobe. Two questions: which navy cashmere cardigan did you pack? Was it a JCrew? And would the BR straight leg linen pants been warm enough? I got the Sezanne silk striped shirt and love it. I’ve already worn it twice. I also got an EF Ponte jacket and pants about a year ago in the ‘Autumn Navy’ and it looks like it will be a workhorse for me! I’m finding myself choosing navy a lot right now. It feels so classic. Take care!
Hi Sally, I packed this cardigan (it’s a size too large, so I mostly use as at-home or loungewear): https://go.shopmy.us/p-52544250. The linen pants would have been warm enough on this trip, as it was warmer than normal for April in both cities. A caveat though…you don’t usually see much linen being worn until later in the spring. Europeans tend to dress for the season, rather than the actual weather.
Thanks for the link Susan! With the set in sleeves, this might be a good cardigan for me. I just received the EF crepe wide leg full length pants and they’re good for me also. Funny story: when I was newly 23 (and clueless) I went to Europe with a girlfriend. We flew from NY to Glasgow and I froze! We took the bus down to Edinburgh and I immediately went shopping for something warm to wear. Because it was April they only had ‘spring’ clothing offered which at the time meant mini kilts (!) lightweight cashmere sweaters and cotton jackets!
Good news.
Now tell us about scarves, jewery, purse.
What is your season?
You looked your best with the turquoise scarf.
Just my opinion!
Hi Nan, I’m a Spring, and yes, I love that turquoise color!
Hi Susan-Great post and colors! I too took a small spray bottle of vodka
to London and Paris 6 weeks ago-very helpful. Also helpful: spray a bit on a small
food stain and then just spot wash the area. Yes to using hotel shampoo to
wash undies etc. I also took a small travel steamer to get rid of wrinkles
(not on the face!) and it works like a charm. Worth its weight in the luggage!
I always take way too much and don’t wear half of it. This was very helpful.
You shared about the deodorant but how many toiletries did you take? Skincare, makeup, etc. that’s another tough one for me. I really trying to use less even at home.
Always my favorite posts! So appreciate your honesty about your wardrobe choices- very, very helpful not just for my future packing but also for editing my home closet. Thank you! So glad you had beautiful weather in London and Paris❤️
Susan you were so lucky! I am in London now and it’s freezing – jeans, jackets and sweaters every day. I see a lot of short trench coats but mostly in beiges – as a cool, gray-haired summer, hard for me to wear. I do like the look of the shorter, fuller jackets though so I’m on the lookout for a good color.
Appreciate your insight on travel packing. I’m curious about what lightweight layer or jacket you will be looking for or might have included in this capsule.
Hi Susan,
Loved the photos of your trip so much. Brings back incredible memories. One of my favorite is when the children were with us. Sitting in front of on the ecole militaries watching a puppet show. Even camping in the bois de bologne was great fun. But each morning I dressed as if we might have company. Shopping in Paris is always a treat. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for your roundup Susan! I love these posts, they’ve been so useful over the years and totally changed the way I pack. I write packing list before and afters in my Notes which makes it easy to pack for the seasons next time.
I finally took the plunge and bought a leopard Betty and it’s just been my MVP on two short trips (we’re heading into winter over here). I love it! Our carry-on limit is 7kg so I wore three layers of merino including my Betty on the planes.
Thanks for sharing all your outfit pics, so much variety. Your bag strap is fun!
Best wishes, Julie xx
Being in the cool tones, I’m working on translating your warm capsule into a cool one for me. Will be having 9 days in England (bus tour) followed by 8 days in France (Paris + environs). Early fall. Wish me luck!
But I digress….wanted to share a couple of tips I’ve learned from both work travel and cruising. First, merino wool is the core of my travel wardrobe. Merino is lightweight and doesn’t stink, even after wearing for 5-7 days in a row. Wash out in sink, dry by morning. Keeps you cool in the heat and warm when it’s cold outside.
For grease spots, a spot of Dawn dish detergent works wonders.
What size Betty did you get? I have a 34” inch bust and usually wear 4p -6p at Talbots in jackets. Thanks for all the travel advice!
Hi Eileen, I wear size Small in the Betty. (I have a 35.5″ bust and broad shoulders.)