Summer Holiday Packing

The other day I asked for some blog post suggestions over on Insta -stories and so many of you asked for a blog post on packing for a summer holiday, along with a few suggestions for high street summer buys.

We are lucky enough to go to Greece on our annual summer holiday and usually have beautifully hot weather, so these packing tips are based on a 2 week HOT holiday…

Try and stick with the Rule of Threes (easier said than done, I know!)

1.  Shoes x3

Every year, I get overexcited about summer sandals and end up packing far too many shoes for my holiday and then only wearing two of them. I always pack a pair of Havaianas, you just can’t beat flip flops for wearing around the pool when your feet are wet and on the beach when the sand is burning hot. They are also light and don’t take up any space in your suitcase. To smarten up an evening outfit, opt for espadrilles or a pair of multi-coloured pom pom sandals if you are wearing neutrals. Black and tan strappy sandals are really useful as they will go with almost every colour palette.

Havaianas from Office – £24 (buy here)

Black Sandals from Mango – £19.99 (buy here)

Espadrilles from La Redoute – £27 (buy here with 30% off – code ‘summer’)

Tan Leather Sandals from Mango – £39.99 (buy here)

Wedge Espadrilles from La Redoute – £49 (buy here with 30% off)

Colourful fun Sandals from ASOS – £29 (buy here)

2. One Cover Up 

I always like to pack a cover up in case the evening gets chilly and think the denim jacket goes with every outfit. I saw this one in the flesh today in M&S and it’s lovely.

M&S Denim Jacket – £29.50

3. Shorts / Denim Skirt/ Colourful skirt x3

Play mix and match with shorts or a little skirt for the daytime. Denim shorts are a must-pack item for me.

La Redoute Chino Shorts – £25 (buy here with 30% off)

Denim Skirt from La Redoute – £99 (Buy here) or H&M (here)

H&M Denim Shorts – £17.99 (Buy here)

Topshop Embroidered Shorts – £45 (buy here)

Topshop Red Frill Skirt – £29 (buy here)

Yellow Skirt Mango 

4. Tops or Tees x3

Mix and match tops. Basic white, black and grey tees go with everything as do statement t-shirts.

Mango Grey Organic Cotton T-shirt – £6.99 (Buy here)

Marant Tee – £110 (buy here)

Basic white tee Mango – £6.99 (buy here)

Black Organic T-shirt Mango – £15.99 (buy here)

Slogan tee Mango – £12.99 (buy here)

If you are heading to France, then you absolutely have to pack a breton tee. This is my favourite from Maison LeBiche.

Maison Le Biche – £55

5. Dresses or Jumpsuits x 3

I like to take a white dress, a black dress and a colourful dress to really show off the tan!

Black Dress Isabel Marant – £300 buy here

Floral Jumpsuit Topshop – £39 buy here

Red Tea Dress Topshop – £32 Buy here

Peasant Dress Next – £59 Buy here

Hush Black Jumpsuit – £85 Buy here

Yellow Dress ASOS – Buy here

White Dress Topshop – £46 Buy here

6. Basket bag and fun Clutch

You can’t beat a basket bag for a summer holiday. Carry it as your hand luggage on the plane and chuck everything in it when you are off to the beach or down to the pool. I tend to leave any smart ‘designer’ bags at home when I go away. Baskets also go with every outfit. I also like to take a fun clutch for the evening to add a touch of summer elegance and fun to your little black or white dress…

Round French Basket Etsy – £32.80 buy here

Traditional French Basket – £20 buy here

Red Clutch Mango – £35 buy here

Pom Pom Clutch ASOS – £25 Buy here

Fun Clutch La redoute- £23 buy here with 30% off code ‘summer’

7. Hat

This is an absolute essential item for me because I never put my face in direct sunlight. I’m absolutely terrified of skin cancer (which runs in my family) and the ageing effects of the sun. I usually pack my hat as I can’t bear to wear it in the airport first thing, but I put it on top of everything else in my basket hand luggage.

Topshop Floppy Hat – £20 Buy here

Mango – £19.99 (buy here)

Davina Mulford Panama – £120 (buy here)

Hush Panama – £79 (buy here)

8. Sunglasses 

I always take two pairs of sunglasses. A cheap pair of ‘holiday’ sunglasses that I usually buy from Mango. They have the best selection of inexpensive but designer looking sunglasses, I spotted a pair of Chloe dupes this week. To see their full collection click here

I also usually take a pair of good quality (designer) sunglasses to protect my eyes from the sun’s harsh glare, especially if I am reading at the pool.

9. Swimwear

Swimwear probably needs it’s own dedicated blog post as there are just so many options. I always take a full piece and 2 or 3 bikinis as I am still very much a bikini girl. My favourite high street shops for swimwear are M&S and Next but you do need to shop around for styles to suit you. Bikini wise, my favourite brand is Melissa Odabash. The quality is amazing and they last if you care for them properly. I try to avoid anything light as the suncream and chlorine make everything turn green.

10. Hammam Towels

I swear by hammam towels or foutas. They are light and dry really quickly and I have a different colour for every member of the family so everyone knows which towel belongs to them. Check out Babooshe for lots of different colour options.

11. Statement Jewellery 

I love packing inexpensive and colourful jewellery options. H&M and Accessorise always have the best selection.

I have probably forgotten something glaringly obvious, which is usually what happens in reality! (Often underwear) But hopefully this will help you plan ahead and give you some ideas to fill in the gaps in your holiday wardrobe. It’s really good to lay it all out like I have above on the bed so that you can make sure your wardrobe will mix and match. It’s a good idea to stick to a neutral colour palette adding in colour with clutches, sandals or statement earrings.

Happy Shopping.

Love,

Chloe x