10 packing tips to look good in Europe

Fashion and travel combine in Europe so if you want to blend in without crumpling all your designer togs or risk having them nicked from hostel laundries, then this list will help you pack for those sleek Euro capitals.

He's got the shoes, the bag and the dog! By: Porcelaingirl° {enthusiastic foolish} / Flickr

1. Pack a chic accessory – a bright scarf, matching gloves, a hat, a killer bag, hot shoes, a trophy dog, etc (this is good advice for men too – see pic left).

2. Take a summer wrap for covering your shoulders when entering churches. You may also need to wear longer trousers or skirts. For stricter Vatican dress codes, Travelista has the lowdown.

3. Bring something classically tailored, like a fitted jacket, or pencil or A-line skirt, and mix in with a trendy top or bottom.

4. Invest in some Capri pants or cut-offs for riding round town on your rent-a-Vespa.

5. Take smarter cuts of jean, ie, leave the ancient baggies at home.

6. Pack a pretty travel dress for those Audrey Hepburn moments.

7. Wear lipstick, gloss and big sunglasses.

Cutoffs & kitten heels by Paul Keleher/Flickr

8. Bring a comfortable pair of ballerina flatties and/or low-heel boots for all the walking tours and Before Sunrise moments.

9. Dust off your old leather biker jacket – they’re creeping back into fashion all over Europe including the UK.

10. Tie, pin up or sleek back long hair. Save the loose locks for the beach.

For the latest street styles and fashion trends in Europe, check out Travelista.com or, for packing help, click on the ‘Europe’ or individual country tabs on this site. For Euro fashion faux pas (or are they!), read this!

Holiday packing for female fashionistas

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from looking at dress codes around the world is that, as diverse as they can get, there is often enormous overlap. Jeans and t-shirts anyone?

So I’m liking this 10 items women should pack to stay fashionable on the road piece from Lily Girma. It’s a capsule/suitcase wardrobe for women with holiday gear that goes from daytime to dining to dancing. In reality, it’s probably more suitable for spring-summer vacations in the warmer parts of Europe, the US, Canada and the city breaks of Australia.

And the images are aimed at the younger end of the market.

But as a packing list, you can easily suit it to your own wardrobe.

Probably more for the two-week holidaymaker than a months-on-end backpacker. But if you’ve ever dithered over the balance of casual to going-out stuff, then this’ll help.

Blog Action Day: buy Fairtrade fashion

Boom & Bust - Howies

It’s Blog Action Day on poverty. There’s a list of 88 suggestions to help fight poverty on the site but having seen the effect of the excess of throwaway Western clothes flooding markets in countries such as Malawi and killing off local tailors’ trades, I’m not sure that giving unwanted clothing away is the answer.

Felt berry brooch from PeopleTree

So fight poor wages with your own purse. Buy locally and support local business and goods. And if you’re stuck in your homeland, buy ethically – here’s what to look for in terms of labelling.

And here’s some links for buying Fair Trade fashion in the UK:

• People Tree – “At People Tree, we create gorgeous garments and accessories by forming sustainable partnerships with Fair Trade and organic producers in developing countries.”
• Adili - Fairtrade clothing and ethical fashion.
• Hug – Fairtrade and organic fashion.
• Spirit of Nature – from clothes to baby products. Look for the Fairtrade sections such as here.
• Howies – great tees and re-investment in grass-root social and environmental projects.
• Quail – homemade (in Devon) ethical, Faritrade and organic fashion for the ladies.

In fact, check out this aggregated list from A Lot of Organics. Will add more suggestions and recommendations as time goes by.

This post is part of Blog Action Day 08 – Poverty