Oh dear, I seem to be suffering from the usual packing dilemma – I want to fit half my wardrobe into a teensy-weensy piece of hand luggage. It doesn’t help that I appear to have lost all willpower at the last minute and have been seeing more of my DHL man (Hi Dave!) than my own husband.

Well it’s difficult not to get excited about going to Italy and it’s even more exciting when you have a few new things to wear.

I’m feeling a bit guilty about buying another pair of Gucci trainers but they’re so comfy I know I’m going to get a decent price-per-wear. They’re a different colour to my other pair so will go with different things. They actually come with red laces but they reminded me too much of football boots so I swapped mine for white. These ones are from Browns Fashion. The red silk cami is from another of my favourites – Lily & Lionel. I have a couple of silk shirts of theirs which I wear a lot; they do really lovely colours and prints. This camisole is a great addition to any Summer wardrobe and I’ll be wearing it with long cardigans for now. I love the bright colour and the adjustable straps (I sized up one as I wanted it to be fairly loose).

The Mes Demoiselles knit above has been on my wishlist at Net-A-Porter for a long time so when it appeared on The Outnet last week I snapped it up. It wasn’t until I took this photo that I realised it has lamas on the inside! I have duly unpicked the labels and will be wearing it inside-out from now on.

The main problem with packing for Rome at this time of year is the climate. Although it should be delightful t-shirt weather in the day, at night and first thing in the morning it will be in single digits. Therefore I need layers and shoes that I can wear with socks (hence the trainers).

The knits above are beautifully soft. The first cashmere rainbow one is from Pure Collection, the second (also cashmere) I bought in the sales last year (similar here) and is by JCrew and the third (sold out) is by Mes Demoiselles again. I am never one to shy away from colour – no matter how bright! When the sun’s out I don’t want to be wearing drab colours, plus my family can’t lose me when I look like a beacon! I’ll be wearing these with jeans.

Recently I’ve been trying to broaden my denim collection as I, like many others, love my skinny jeans. They are definitely the most flattering for my frame and I’m not going to be relegating them to the back of my wardrobe anytime soon. However I have been aware lately that I’m getting into a bit of a style-rut and I need to be more open-minded. With that in mind I recently bought these:

I love them! Ok so they are not quite as cropped, seeing as I’m somewhat vertically challenged but they are surprisingly versatile. They’re by MAJE from Selfridges (true to size). These are quite high waisted and I really love the lighter wash and redone look. They look great with backless loafers, heels and sandals.

Obviously I can’t be expected to leave my trusty skinny jeans at home so I’ll also be taking a pair of ripped J Brands with me (similar to these) which are currently on The OUTNET (and these):

 

Italians like their ripped jeans so it seems apt to take a pair. J Brands are definitely my favourite go-to jeans brand – the fit is always consistent and their denim is always comfortable with just the right amount of stretch.

For the daytime I’ll also be taking my Gucci t-shirt (spot the theme) and a sleeveless Derek Lam knit (similar here).

Due to lack of space my accessories are going to have to be kept to a minimum so I am having to be practical by ditching the heels and clutches in favour of some vintage bags and flat comfy shoes.

Bag-wise the Celine backpack is perfect for days out as it’s hands-free and the drawstring means everything should be relatively secure (likewise with the Gucci crossbody). Flats are definitely a 24hr staple in a historical city (loafers available here) and if I have room I might sneak in some sandals.

The items I’m taking definitely have an Italian theme going on!

I’m also hoping to throw in a couple of day dresses from Missoni and Tibi, a lightweight jacket of some kind and a cashmere scarf from NPeal.

I just hope my bag doesn’t break!

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