I gave you my Barcelona, Paris & London packing list, so now it is time to rate all my outfits for practicality. Were my outfit ideas a good idea to wear in these countries? Keep reading to find out! Everything is linked for you ;) p.s. I traveled the first week of September.
Travel Day, Plane Outfit: 4/5 overall, fashion 2/5, weather 4/5
The cutest outfit? Absolutely not, but when you're on a plane for 7+ hours from the States to London, fashion comes second to comfortability. When flying on a plane it is always best to wear something to cover your legs, you don't want your bare skin touching those seats. Who knows how much they really clean those? Layers are also a great idea! It could be freezing, or in this case, it could be boiling on the plane. Be prepared for anything! As my personal item, I always bring my favorite travel backpack because it fits just about anything and perfectly fits under a plane seat. Another packing tip: bring your own water bottle when you travel. My favorite non-leaky water bottle is an owala linked here!
Day 1 London, Welcome Dinner + walking tour: 4/5 overall, fashion 3/5, weather 5/5
After finally touching down in London we could not check into our rooms to shower before our welcome dinner and sightseeing walking tour. So I opted for something basic. You can never go wrong with black jeans, white sneakers, and a black body suit. This was an easy transition outfit from day to night and I am glad I wore it. Be weary most locations in Europe don't have air conditioning factor that into your outfits. I sweat a lot, so I wear black often.
Day 2 London, London Eye Excursion, Walking tour, Pub crawl: 5/5 overall, fashion 5/5, weather 5/5
Day two in London was JAMMED PACK. We started the day with an 11-mile walking tour where we saw all of London in a day (Buckingham Palace, Borough Market, London Eye + more!). It was exhausting so I was so glad I had my sneakers. The real MVP of the trip was my bag - it converts from a shoulder bag to a backpack and is pickpocket proof so great for running around a metro city.
I loved this outfit because it was fancy enough for tea, but also was great for our pub crawl at the end of the night. Diverse outfits are key to traveling with EF Ultimate break and international travel in general.
Day 3 London, Free Day (Notting Hill, Ballie Ballerson, rooftop drinks) 5/5 overall, fashion 5/5, weather 5/5
NGL on other trips I didn't like my outfits as much and they weren't practical but on this trip mostly everything was a win. For our free day we took a double-decker bus to Notting Hill for shopping (DO IT!) it was my favorite part of London. We then went to Dishoom for lunch, walked around for pics, and finished the day with rooftop drinks. Oversized ripped jeans, a white cropped tank, a pageboy hat, and my brand new Daunt Books tote made me feel like I was living my Mary-Kate and Ashley dream and Winning London!
Day 1 Paris River cruise + free night (photos +drinks) overall 3/5, fashion 5/5, weather 2/5
On the train ride from London to Paris I re-wore my all-black outfit. When we arrived I had to quickly change for our river cruise on the Seine. We watched the sunset and the Eiffel Tower sparkle and opted for our cocktail outfits for the gram. One thing super disappointing about the trip was we were there during the European heat wave so it was in the 90s with NO AIR in the hostel. Lowkey miserable but vibes were still high. My dress, sunnies and bow were all from amazon!
Day 2 Paris Versailles, bus tour, picnic in front of Eiffel Tower, overall 4/5, fashion 4/5, weather 4/5
Day 2 in Paris was a dream. We started the day on a bus tour where we got to get off at different stops for our photos. One stop was the famous Arc de Triomphe, pictured. Because we went to the Palace of Versailles and got to explore the gardens, I wanted something light and flowy. So I opted for this dress from Cider. My thighs chafe like crazy if you know you know. So I had biker shorts underneath and wore my sneakers again.
Though it would've been nice to wear sandals, with all the walking personally, I think tennis shoes were needed. We could have attended an optional fancy dinner, but instead, we chose to have a picnic at sunset, stayed for champagne, and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle. It was truly one of my favorite parts of the trip because we got to relax and debrief. For the picnic, I changed into a black bodysuit and tan trousers. When packing for Europe, think of elevated casuals.
Day 3 Paris Free Day (Cafe de Flore, Louvre, Thrifting, Laduree, Montmartre) overall 5/5, fashion 5/5, weather 5/5
Our last day in Paris was full of exploring, shopping, and sightseeing. We went to Laudree & Cafe de Flore (highly recommend both) and took pictures in front of the Louvre, Moulin Rouge, and on the famous steps in Montmartre. If you learn one thing, it's PACK SNEAKERS! I wore mine every single day of the trip. Another skirt and biker short combo with my favorite neck scarf and square neck top. We got lost at the end of the night, but this outfit held up!
Day 1 Barcelona Market, Cooking Class + drinks at Dow Jones, overall 4/5, fashion 4/5, weather 4/5
After our flight from Paris to Barcelona we went on a walking tour. We stopped for lunch at Mercato Della Boqueria and got a sweet treat at Sweet Gaufre. We didn't do much else but chill then went to a cooking class at Dos Manos pita bar. We ended the night with a drink at Dow Jones and street churros. This dress was light, comfy, and easy to slip on and go! It was also the first time on the trip that I wore some slide sandals.
Day 2 Barcelona, Park Guell, la Sagrada Familia, Tapas, Tattoos, Dinner, Pacha. Overall 4/5, fashion 5/5, weather 4/5 | fashion 5/5 weather 3/5
If you haven't caught on yet, day two in every country was super busy and packed with fun activities. For the first part of the day I opted for a dress with sleeves because at La Sagrada Familia, you have to cover your shoulders. Dresses are perfect in Barcelona due to the heat. For the second half of the day, our dinner and the nightclub, I wore a corset that I thrifted in Paris and black trousers. I would have preferred something less heavy for the club because it was super hot and sweaty.
Day 3 Barcelona, Free Day, Casa Batllo, Beach, Farewell Dinner overall 3/5, fashion 2/5, weather 5/5.
On our last day in Barcelona, I spent most of the day in a bathing suit at the beach. During the day I wore the bathing suit as a body suit while at Casa Batllo. For the farewell dinner, I re-wore my orange dress from day one in Barcelona.
Final Thoughts
Overall, my outfits for this trip fit perfectly with what we were doing. I wore a lot of dresses because they were easy to grab and go! My advice to you fellow traveler is to make sure you are checking the weather before you go to make sure your outfits fit for the season. Pack layers and utilize a capsule wardrobe if possible - where you can mix and match bottoms and tops.
Bon voyage and safe travels!
xo Darian Alexis
Comments