HOLIDAY: Ultimate packing advice and a summer holiday wardrobe that works

A decade of monthly packing and another holiday tested. Get into tips and inspiration.

I'm back on dry land, and it feels quite disorientating to be writing this or doing anything other than sailing with my dearest friends. Two weeks in Croatia, including seven days of sailing, got me completely out of my head and out of my life. Nature works.
For all I know, I might turn up like this at the office on Monday, and it would not be my fault.

That was all I wrote that day…
….

Packing

Let's dive into the topic. When I say I have experience in packing, I guess being on a flight once a month for the last decade qualifies me for that. Hand luggage only. I can pack for any trip in 20 minutes, aside from a two-week summer holiday. It is a routine and exercise in editing and making quick decisions. So far, I've never packed wrong. What does that mean? It means that I had more than enough, and I really liked my looks. Occasionally, I did need to steal a basic tee from my man or my brother.

Below (in a-not-so great image) is my typical summer pack: ludicrously capacious bag that fits a lot of beach and extras and Rimowa lite. Other times I carry smaller add-on bag. Great option for an add-on bag is, of course, the Longchamp Le Pliage Large bag. I’ve had one for 14 years now. Extremely durable, spacious and versatile. Mine became a beach bag many years ago and is the best. Consider it also as a great work bag.

Ludicrously capacious bag—guilty. It got into my closet way before the cultural momentum (you know the Succession line), which honestly made me keep this one on the bench for a while.

What is the secret to good packing?

I’ve recently stumbled on a Substack chat where a fellow darling Substacker asked about packing tips for a week in France, including a countryside birthday celebration, sightseeing, and a dinner or two in Paris with her boyfriend.