1 Carry-On for 1 Emo Dresser

How I packed for 10 days in London and Paris while avoiding making a pun about emotional baggage

The task: Fit 10 days worth of outfits in one carry-on suitcase with room for souvenirs/vintage scores purchased abroad.

The challenge aka subject: 1 very emotional dresser notorious for over-packing.

The destination(s): London and Paris

The weather: Mostly hovering in the mid 40s, rain to be expected in both cities throughout.

The items: 1 blazer, 1 jacket, 1 trouser, 1 jean, 2 dresses, 2 sweaters, 1 skirt, 3 pairs of shoes, 1 fanny pack (are we still calling it this? I’ve never felt older than in the moment I typed out this question), 1 leather bag, 2 t-shirts, 2 pairs of tights, 1 pair of earrings, 2 neck accoutrements

The verdict: IT. CAN. BE. DONE. !!! With a little prep and by enlisting the help of a friend (in this case, fellow HAF writer, Jenna). Personally, I can very easily justify bringing impractical items for oddly specific imaginary scenarios, so I wanted a second pair of eyes to give more objective pointers on what should come along in my international traipse, and what could be left behind in the bowels of my closet.

The take home tips: Give yourself a couple of weeks time to begin setting aside items. This helped me narrow down little by little and rational thought had a chance to creep in over that time. Since rain was expected, I also waterproofed my boots and the-steal-of-a-lifetime Dries Van Noten leather bag (bought secondhand on The RealReal), because at the very least, I do my best to take care of what I own so my purchases can last as long as possible (planned obsolescence who, amiritttte?).

Now, we pivot to our first stop, Paris!

Day 1

We had an overnight flight, so we arrived at the top of the morning and had a full first day (bless strong Parisienne espressos). I specifically chose bulkier items to wear so they wouldn’t take up space in the carry on and aimed for comfort for what seemed like a very long flight to this anxious, infrequent flyer:

Upcycled plaid blazer from The Marcon Court Project, Tibi joggers, Rains fanny pack, Converse high-tops, JW Anderson wool sweater

The Tibi joggers offered the comfort of a sweatpant, but the shiny fabric loaned an intentional, dare-I-say-sophisticated, edge.

For the evening, I added this fun Victorian-canoodles-with-Pagliacci Ruffle, switched my blazer out for my patent leather jacket, and swapped the Converse high-tops for gold mules. Ethnic Victorian Clown pictured below:

Victorian ruffle (gifted from a dear friend) via Etsy

Day 2

Tbh, the practicality of a fanny pack truly can't be beat when traveling. I love a hands free moment. Am I that American tourist (please, please no)?

Vintage et toile button fown (gifted from my brother last time he was in Paris), vintage patent leather jacket via Beacons Closet, Big Bud Press trousers, old Sam Edelman knee high boots

I’m sure you can infer from the frizz of my hair that it did indeed rain as promised. Never deterred in the hunt for perusing great second hand clothes, I found a fantastic vintage shop and this dress ended up becoming one of my evening looks in Paris (with my gold mules instead of the white boots):

Vintage crushed velvet brown embroidered dress from Sous les paves, le vintage!

Day 3

This day teetered towards the high 40s, so the dress and jacket combo was just enough to keep me warm:

Vintage 80s does Victorian satin dress via Beacons Closet, Dries van Noten leather bag via TRR, same patent leather jacket and white boots worn throughout

Day 4

My slip dress was roomy enough to fit a thicker, relaxed-fit sweater underneath. New layering technique unlocked for this garment:

Vintage hand-dyed slip dress from Unearth Vintage

Day 5

Traveling to London in the early afternoon called for the joggers once again and one of my favorite sweaters for a chilly train ride:

Karen Millen textured turtleneck sweater, Tibi joggers, Gold Melted Hoops worn throughout

Day 6

Sure, I may be a little de-lu-lu (in 2023, who isn’t hahaha *screams into void*), but this ruffle really transforms what would just be an outfit repeat without it, imo. Plus, I wanted to get out of my travel clothes for the night out-dinner followed by jazz at a local bar:

Same dress, sweater, boots, and jacket worn throughout

Day 7

Tartan in the United Kingdom? Groundbreaking. I know. But this wool skirt sparks joy in my little heart:

Vintage wool plaid skirt via Etsy, same sweater, collar, and jacket worn throughout

I was going to a DJ set that evening, so I wanted something a little less constricting for a night of dancing and more temperature appropriate for a room full of gyrating bodies with varying degrees of spatial awareness. The blazer came off with an absolute swiftness once that venue got packed:

Vintage furry halter top via Etsy, Big Bud Trousers, blazer from The Macron Project, vintage earrings (purchased while in Paris)

Day 8

I styled one of my favorite dresses here by tucking the longer black fabric into the jeans and letting the sequined section drape freely in the front. The tie collar is brought to you by my former Catholic middle school uniform. Trauma from Catholicism, not included (mostly?):

Vaquera sweatshirt sequin dress bought on sale from Matches, Tibi jeans, white boots and leather bag worn throughout

Day 9

Last full day out n’ about in London. Unseen are my white boots, because I wasn’t given the gift of height:

Striped shirt from G*p (gifted by my mom), Tibi jeans, woven denim belt from Headless St Denis (purchased while in Paris),

Day 10

For a short last morning in London, I wore the same outfit as day 1, with the orange turtleneck sweater in lieu of the grey one. That jet lag really HIT on my final day, so I forgot to take a photo of the look. But you get the gist, no?

Au revoir and cheers, bruv!